Church donates food worth Sh38m to schools in Turkana

The Salvation Army, Kenya West Territory has donated food items to schools in Turkana to cushion students from hunger and starvation.

The church said they are responding to the effects of drought to relieve parents from the struggles of paying school fees through a project called food for fees.

The church led by Commissioner Margaret Siamoya, the Territorial Commander and President of Women Ministries for Kenya West Territory said they have donated food items worth sh38million to 59 schools in Turkana North Sub County.

“We have come up with a program to respond to this drought to relieve parents from the struggles in paying school fees for their children through a project called food for fees program. This will be done in a total of 59 schools in the Turkana North Sub-county here in Turkana County,”

“We thank our partners in Mission from our support Territories and International Headquarters based in London who have enabled us to respond to the escalating and prolonged drought here in Turkana,”

She spoke on Saturday in Lodwar while distributing food items to schools.

Siamoya said schools will receive a ratio of food items of dry maize, dry beans, rice, Sugar cooking oil and water.

She said the food items will be distributed according to the enrolment in the schools to keep the learners in class and concentrate on their studies like any other children in the republic of Kenya.

“I appeal to all stakeholders including our government and other nongovernmental organisations to come up and assist our children in need in most of the schools which are badly affected,” she said.

She said the program is meant to waive part of the school fees and other payments by parents and guardians to the concerned schools.

She noted that they have responded to the schools in Turkana North Sub County because they are the most affected ones.

“We understand what is happening in Turkana South and particularly in Kapedo in terms of insecurity, we have plans to respond to their needs as well through this program. We wish we could have the capacity to do more in the entire county,” she said.

She urged the school administration to make good use of food items and not to sell.

Captain Banjamin Omuga, of Salvation Army church said they have a commitment letter and after delivering food to school they will write a receipt for students benefiting from the food items.

Omuga said they are using government ratio and per their calculation every students is entitled for sh3, 100

Musa Barasa, Major Turkana Salvation Army Church thanked the leadership of the Salvation Army for remembering Turkana that’s mostly affected by the biting drought.

He said many schools had low enrolment of students due to lack of food in school and the donation of food will attract learners to schools.