Kisii County’s decision to extend its milk provision programme to pupils from Nursery to Grade One and Two has been lauded as a step expected to boost primary school enrolment, particularly benefiting children from poor homes who often drop out of school due to lack of adequate food.
Sameta Mokwerero Ward MCA Sonye Ondari praised Kisii County Governor Simba Arati for the initiative, saying it would go a long way in supporting learners’ welfare and keeping them in school. He announced that his office would reinforce the programme by supplying assorted foodstuffs to schools of his choice within his Ward.
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Sonye made the remarks at Riamarube Comprehensive School, where he delivered three sacks of dry maize to support the institution’s feeding programme. “I took this step to bring food here to support quality education because I know a hungry stomach cannot allow the head to reason well,” he said.
During the brief meeting, the MCA pledged to work closely with teachers at all times, describing them as second parents who play a significant role in shaping the lives of children. He noted that teachers handling children in their early education years perform a difficult but noble job, doing far more than teaching the alphabet. At Nursery, Grade One and Two, he said, teachers mould character, teach children how to speak well, sit properly in class, wash their hands, share with others and respect elders.
“These early years teachers are the foundation of a child’s future. They receive a child who cannot even hold a pencil properly, and within months, that child can write his name, recite poems and count numbers. They shape the mind when it is still soft. If the foundation is weak, the whole education building will collapse later,” Sonye said.
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He urged parents to support early childhood teachers by ensuring children report to school early, are clean, and have completed their homework.
Teachers and parents at Riamarube thanked the MCA for the gesture, saying the maize donation would go a long way in keeping young learners in school.
By Enock Okong’o
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