More than 80,000 nursery schoolchildren in Migori county will be provided with milk in a nutrition programme to be launched today.
In a statement yesterday, Governor Okoth Obado said the milk feeding programme aims at enhancing the pupils’ academic performance.
He said the county government is partnering with the Kenya Dairy Board and the USAid-KAVES to eliminate hunger, promote nutrition and encourage enrolment for early childhood education in the 800 public primary schools.
The programme is expected to cost Sh112 million every year.
Obado urged individuals, institutions and well-wishers to partner with the county government in more initiatives.
“My administration has decided to establish the school feeding programme as part of a wider strategy to approach these challenges,” he said.
Obado will launch the programme in Migori town.
Surveys have revealed that the county pupils’ retention rate stands at 68 per cent due to poor learning environment, failure by parents to pay school fees, lack of feeding programmes and inadequate instructional materials.
A conference on the benefits of the programme and its management is ongoing in Migori town ahead of the launch. Some 8,000 farmers, investors, partners and professionals are expected at the launch.
