The pressure to wake up early and board the school van by 6am could be denying most children the chance to eat a proper breakfast.
Kenya Medical Association CEO Dr Stella Bosire says latest studies show nine out of 10 children in Kenya do not have access to a balanced diet.
“We cannot sit and watch our children not achieve their best because of what we can do – provide a good breakfast,” she said. In urban areas, school vans pick the children from 5.45 to 6.30am. This requires children to wake hours before what is healthy, safe and appropriate for their growing brains and bodies.
This means parents may not have time to prepare proper breakfast, and most children leave home after a quick cup of tea and slices of bread. Bosire said breakfast is the most important meal for children and adults.
She referred to research compiled by Unilever Kenya and experts from public and private sector.
Bosire addressed the launch of the Good Breakfast Alliance programme by Unilever.
The programme involves both improved nutrition and education.
“Nutrition plays a key role in academic performance for children and this is important,” Bosire said.
According to a recent study by TNS, a Nairobi-based research group, the average breakfast of most Kenyan families lacks essential nutrients.
The research blamed this on time constraints, limited knowledge on importance of breakfast and inability to embrace a variety of foods.
“To achieve this we need a behaviour-change campaign to raise awareness of the importance of a good breakfast and its role in alleviating malnutrition and promotion of a child’s well-being. The Good Breakfast campaign is a good starting point,” Prof Judith Kimiywe, a lecturer at Kenyatta University’s Food and Nutrition department, said. Unilever marketing director Antony Esyalai said the programme aims to reach 1.5 million children across 600 schools.