- One in four children in Nairobi misses school due to a lack of food.This has led to absenteeism in schools and malnutrition.
- The actual feeding is expected to start on the first day of third term of this year’s school calendar.
Image: MAUREEN KINYANJUI
It will cost Sh5 for school children in public schools and ECDEs within Nairobi to get free meals in the next financial year 2023-2024.
The Sh1.2 billion annual plan is part of Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja’s School Feeding Program, Dishi na County.
On Monday, the groundbreaking of the construction of central kitchens took place in 10 subcounties.
The construction is expected to take about 10 weeks with the first meal to be served on the first day of the third term of this school year.
The subcounties include Dagoretti North, Embakasi Central, Embakasi South, Kasarani, Kibra, Makadara, Starehe, Roysamu, Ruaraka, and Westlands subcounties.
Governor Sakaja said the project is part of a vision he had for years, to ensure the provision of a daily nutritionally balanced hot meal for all children in public primary schools and public Early Childhood Development centres.
One in four children in Nairobi misses school due to a lack of food. This has led to absenteeism in schools and malnutrition.
“As the governor of this city, my vision is for this programme to improve the nutritional status of the learners and to encourage students to attend school, leading to an increase in enrolment, performance, and transition to higher levels of education. To invest in the future generation,” Sakaja said.
With the new plan underway, the programme targets to feed about 250,000 children in Nairobi enrolled in public primary schools and public ECD centres.
“Nutritious meals will be cooked in these central kitchens and the meals transported in special sealed containers and special vehicles to keep the meals safe from contamination, and keep them warm, to surrounding schools,” Sakaja said.
Each kitchen is expected to produce about 10,000 nutritional meals daily which will be distributed across each ward.
Sakaja noted that the county will collaborate with parents to fund the meals.
“Parents will pay Sh5 for each learner daily, while the County Government of Nairobi will cater for the other costs,” he said.
This will get 650gramms of nutritious food and a fruit with each meal.
There will be at least one big school kitchen built in every subcounty that will cook nutritionally balanced meals.
The food will be served to the learners in the various schools on time during lunch hour, every school day.
To ensure food safety, the staff will all be screened and issued with a food handler’s certificate.
City Hall has also pledged that fresh food will be cooked daily for the learners and the cleanliness of the kitchens and cooking will be supervised and inspected by county’s public health officers to ensure safety and quality.
“The Nairobi City County nutritionists will formulate balanced meals to suit the children’s nutrient needs for growth and development,” Sakaja added.
Construction of the 10 central kitchens are based in the following sites; Starehe (Racecourse Primary) , Makadara (Bidii Primary), Kasarani (Njiru Primary), Roysambu (Roysambu Primary) and Embakasi Central (Kayole One Primary).
In Dagoretti North, the kitchen will be based at Muthangari Primary, Kibra (Toi Primary), Westlands (Farasi Lane Primary), Ruaraka (Baba Dogo Primary) and Embakasi South (Kwa Njenga Primary).
Sakaja highlighted that the Dishi na County School Feeding Programme has been made possible by an implementing partner, Food 4 Education, an NGO with vast experience in school feeding.
“They have been running a successful kitchen in Dagoretti South for years, which is an inspiration on which our Dishi na County School Feeding Programme is modelled,” he said.
For the learners whose parents will not be able to afford the Sh5, the county will work hand in hand with the private sector, individuals and corporates to fund a nutritionally balanced meal a day for children who are unable to afford it.
In addition, Governor Sakaja has called on well-wishers to support the programme which will ensure vulnerable children get meals while in school.
“We call on other partners, private sector, individuals and foundations among others to come on board to support this programme in ensuring our children have a hot meal daily,” he added.
The county boss also acknowledged the important roles which teachers and parents will play in the feeding programme.
“To the teachers, we ask for your support as we roll out this programme. To the parents, your collaboration and contribution are very key to ensuring the success of this programme,” Sakaja added.