Karima Boys bake bread, ‘don’t think of strike’

Karima Boys High School in Othaya, Nyeri, has a bakery project which saves thousands of shillings per month.

The project started seven years ago and has been producing bread for the 800 boys, teachers and non-teaching staff.

The school bakes 400 loaves each day, saving the school Sh12,000 a month.

Principal Herman Wanjau yesterday said each student takes half a loaf daily.

The school has employed four workers at the bakery who work in shifts.

Wanjau said the school sells extra bread to the neighbouring Consolata Primary School.

“We get wheat flour from a miller in Thika and others locally,” he said.

The equipment used at the bakery has been made locally.

“We trained one cook who trained the others,” Wanjau said.

Deputy principal Peter Ndung’u said the school plans to expand the project to sell bread to more schools.

He said students concentrate better when they are well fed.

“No wonder they never think of strike. Last year’s KCSE improved performance of 0.4 can prove this,” Ndung’u said.

The cook in-charge, Jully Wanjiru, says they start baking at 5am.

Wanjau urged other schools to formulate income-generating activities to create jobs and save money.

Other income-generating projects in the school include biogas supply, which has helped in fuel saving.

The school’s dairy cattle supply milk for the students.

Wanjau said plans are underway to start rearing pigs.

In last year’s KCSE exam results, the school was position three in Othaya subcounty.

Last year’s mean score was 8.2.

Some 159 candidates sat for the exam, with six scoring A-, B+ (28), B (39) and B- (43).