School dropout fears in Baringo as feeding programme faces collapse

 

Learners in Baringo might soon drop out of school following the collapse of the feeding programme.

Most schools in the area have not received funds to sustain the programme this year. At Loruk Primary School in Baringo North, the Star on Wednesday found teachers and pupils out for the lunch break, some minutes after 1pm.

But there was nothing to eat. The utensils remained clean at the school's dilapidated kitchen.

“The last time we received cash for the school feeding programme from the government was in July last year,” deputy headteacher Simotwo Komen said.

Hungry pupils were scrambling for drops of water from the drying up school tanks.

Komen said the hunger situation was real and that many learners were likely to drop out. He said they were mulling closure of the school if the situation persists.

“It is even worse in the afternoon because most children doze in class, so they no longer concentrate,” Komen said.

He said pupils sometimes leave classes early to go and help their parents hunt and harvest wild fruits locally known as ‘soruch.’

He said some pupils have previously been spotted collecting leftovers from hotels at Loruk trading centre during market days.

The school is only a few meters away from the graves of three elderly women who succumbed to hunger-related deaths at Loruk, Kampi ya Samaki and Barketiew villages between January and April.

The deceased were among 24 people who died of hunger in Baringo and Turkana counties. “They were weak and emaciated before they died," Loruk assistant chief Samuel Kamuren said.

He attributed the deaths to the government's delay in releasing the ‘Inua Jamii’ programme cash.

Kerio Valley’s Salawa resident Joseph Noti said the hunger situation has adversely affected both human and livestock.

“Apart from the need to supply relief food, it is also prudent that the government immediately starts an off-take programme to buy the emaciated animals,” Noti said.

Other schools facing closure due to lack of cash to sustain the feeding programme include Torolokwonin, Kinyach, Marigut, Chesangich, Barwessa, Kapero, Kuikui, Ayatya, Kaptigit Oinobkoloswo Moinonin, Ngenyin, Tuluk, Kampi ya Samaki, Kapsoi, Ngaratuko, Chepkowel, Yatya, Chepilat, Kapturo, Toboroi, Barsuswo and Lokorotabim, Chemoe, Kagir, Karimo, Akoroyan, Sibilo, Koiboware, Chepkesin, Rormoch and Rondinin. They are all in Baringo North.

Others are Ramacha, Karma, Katilimwo, Kapndsum, Chemorongion, Embosos, Arabal, Chebinyiny, Sosionte, Nyimbei, Kasiela, Keon, Tuiyotich, Rugus, Noosukro and Sirata in Baringo South.

Kenya National Union of Teachers executive secretary for Baringo Joshua Cheptarus warned of an imminent dropout if nothing was done to feed the hungry learners.

“There are about 800 schools in the entire county and at least three-quarters are hunger-stricken,” Cheptarus said.

He cited Baringo North, Tiaty, Baringo Central, Baringo South and parts of Mogotio subcounties among those in dire need.

“The families in these areas rely solely on livestock which succumbed to drought,” he said.

The government through Childcare Society supplied 55 primary schools in Tiaty with foodstuffs and learning materials during the April holiday.

Programme coordinator Peter Njuguna said the donation was aimed at retaining children in school. Some 13,091 pupils in Ripko-Kositei, Silale and Tangulbei-Korossi wards benefited, he said.

“We realised the drought and hunger situation was likely to affect learning among the children so we had to intervene,” Njuguna said.

 “Each pupil got six bags of maize, 1.5 kg of beans, five exercise books, a pen and a pencil.”

Baringo county director of education Moses Karati said most schools had exhausted their food stock early last term and were in dire need of more supplies.

Karati asked the government and partners to intervene and keep the children in school.

Edited by Peter Obuya

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