Communities with school feeding programs in Kwale county noted an increase in learners' enrolment and attendance with the ongoing drought.
This is according to a report released on Wednesday, March 8 by Plan International Kenya.
They conducted an analysis to inform how hunger and food insecurity caused by severe drought impacts the well-being of girls, boys, women, and men in Kwale.
According to the analysis conducted in November 2022, during hunger periods, most children prefer going to school to staying at home.
This is because, through the school meal program, most children can access the one important meal at school.
"Hunger at home has increased school enrolment and attendance, but this is only applicable in communities with school meal programs," the report read.
In areas with no school feeding program, school-going children have been adversely affected by the drought crisis.
83.4 per cent of the boys and girls were attending school before the drought crisis.
"The number has reduced to 76.4 per cent for boys and girls since the drought," the report said.
Plan International noted that there is no significant change in the number of girls and boys attending schools before and since the crisis.
A number of reasons are pegged to it ranging from lack of finances to supporting all the children to pay school fees and levies.
They said education of girls in the area is traditionally low compared to boys. That girls would remain at home doing household chores as boys go to school.
"The reduction depicted from this study indicates that many children are lost from school, a situation that poses greater protection and violation threats to children, especially the girl child," Plan International said.
