The construction of a Maize Mill in Kedowa market, Kericho County is set to boost the execution of the School Feeding Programme.
The Governor Dr. Erick Mutai said the mega mill project will produce flour for human consumption as well as feeds for livestock.
Governor Mutai stated that the school feeding program was among his key plans and that the mill will come in handy as flour was a vital component in the program.
Apart from the feeding initiative, the Mill will also boost the production of maize and make the farmers realize benefits through Value Addition.
The value-added products could also be utilized in schools, especially in the Early Childhood Education sector.
The imitative has been welcomed in various quarters.
Already some Members of Parliament have rolled the out feeding program in the neediest schools.
Ainamoi MP Benjamin Langat has affirmed his support for the School Feeding program saying it was helpful for children from humble backgrounds who cannot access proper meals at their homes.
The legislator who represents a cosmopolitan constituency that has several low-income populations in Nyagacho, Majengo, Brooke, and Talai said the feeding program was very essential and needed to be implemented uniformly.
The MP observed that the initiative, apart from just providing food, it also will help to save learners since they will not have to go home for lunch, especially those who reside far from the school.
“When lunch is provided to the pupils in school, it saves more time for both students and teachers which is then used for learning.
From my own research this has greatly improved the final performance of schools which have implanted it,” he said.
Highlands Primary School in Kericho Town is one of the schools implementing the feeding program.
The Headteacher of the school Sammy Mandago said the Nishkam Community of Kericho in conjunction with the Parents Teachers Association and other donors actualized the program due to a high number of vulnerable pupils drawn from humble backgrounds who needed help.
“Many pupils were missing school altogether or being persistently absent due to lack of meals at home.
That is why the school management, parents, and sponsors agreed that we start the program to boost their retention in school.” He said
The Ainamoi Sub County Director of Education Omari Mokaya said the feeding program was welcomed by the Ministry of Education as it was in tandem with the government’s effort to assist vulnerable families.
Ahluwalia who is currently residing in Germany was a student in 1948 and is among donors who mobilized over Ksh. 100 million in upgrading the Highlands Primary and Junior Secondary School.
The Board Chairperson Emily Rotich said the initiative by the Nishkam community came at a timely moment saying it will greatly boost a feeding initiative that had been started by the teachers of the school,.
The chair lady challenged the local community to develop similar initiatives in their schools to benefit the poor.
UNICEF official Wangoi Karanja said their organization will align with the Nishkam Feeding Programme and see ways of assisting it to become an integrated part of the school feeding program.
She urged the County Government of Kericho and other county units to make policies on school feeding programs to enable children from vulnerable families to attend and remain in school.
By Benedict Ng’etich
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