Nyamira Governor Amos Nyaribo has defended the county’s porridge feeding programme for learners in Early Childhood Development and Education (ECDE) centres.
Nyaribo said the initiative is already improving child nutrition, school attendance, and enrollment across the county.
The programme, dubbed Ujiafya Masomo Bora, was officially launched last Thursday at Riomoro Primary School.
Nyaribo said the fortified porridge initiative was designed to complement the nutritional needs of young learners while supporting their cognitive development and encouraging regular school attendance.
“The programme is intended to improve the nutritional wellbeing of our learners while enhancing their concentration and cognitive development. It is also helping to motivate children to remain in school,” said Nyaribo.
Speaking in Nyamira Town, he said the programme has already started yielding positive results since its introduction, particularly in increasing enrollment and reducing absenteeism among ECDE learners.
“Since the initiation of the Ujiafya programme, ECDE centres have registered improved enrollment from 30,000 learners to 34,000 this academic year. It has also drastically reduced absenteeism, enabling the learning and teaching experience for both learners and teachers to be more wholesome,” he stated.
Nyaribo noted that the fortified porridge programme forms part of the county government’s broader strategy to strengthen the welfare and educational foundation of children at an early age.
The governor further disclosed that the county government, in partnership with EIDU, has introduced digital learning programmes in ECDE centres to equip children with basic digital literacy skills from an early stage.
The programme enables teachers to integrate structured teaching methods and technology-assisted learning into daily classroom activities in an effort to improve learning outcomes.
According to Nyaribo, the digital learning initiative was piloted in 120 schools last year before being rolled out to all 408 ECDE centres across Nyamira County this year.
He commended development partners for supporting the county government in implementing programmes aimed at improving education standards and the wellbeing of children.
“We greatly appreciate the Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute for ensuring a regular and timely supply of fortified flour for the UjiAfya porridge programme and EIDU for supporting digital-assisted learning. These programmes have greatly improved the growth and development of our learners in all spheres,” he said.
READ ALSO: Bungoma’s free ECDE porridge programme wins praise as stakeholders push for better nutrition
The governor reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to implementing development projects aimed at transforming the lives of residents across the county.
He cited ongoing investments in agriculture, transport, health, and education as among the key pillars driving his administration’s development agenda.
By Kimutai Langat
You can also follow our social media pages on Twitter: Education News KE and Facebook: Education News Newspaper for timely updates.
>>> Click here to stay up-to-date with trending regional stories
>>> Click here to read more informed opinions on the country’s education landscape
>>> Click here to stay ahead with the latest national news.
