What Gains, Whose Gains: The Unmined Potential in School Feeding Program.

Image courtesy of Cup of Uji

From the previous post, school feeding program is a key tool in ensuring children stay in school and keep healthy. Its potential benefits lie in the education sector, helping in attendance, concentration and performance. The program also acts as a safety net to children, preventing malnutrition problems.

Historical perspectives and recent efforts show that school feeding is a valuable resource that is worth tapping into for education, health and other developmental gains. Summing up the segmented efforts by players portrays a lurking inclusivity aspect in the national idea of school feeding program.

To begin, the population of children covered by the government program over the years remained at about 1.6 million (WFP). Recently president Ruto promised to move the population covered from 1.6 to 4 million still leaving a big room for investment in school feeding with about 10 million primary pupils from recent publications.

Other players have made contributions in feeding children. The Food4education as a key player has served pupils in 1oos of thousands, with the aim of 1 million. Kenya Kids Can serves over 37 primary schools, approximately 21,000 children. Several counties are investing in the ECD feeding program in tens of thousands according to media reports.

The second inclusivity aspect is that of regions. The government sponsored programs gives a strong pattern of ASAL and urban regions. The government through WFP has sponsored school feeding in ASAL regions, supporting a region that has continued to lag behind. The fact that the region is plagued by droughts and famine poses vulnerabilities for the school going children. Recent developments have seen the education CS Mr. Machogu involve leaders from the region concerning school feeding.

Lastly, the county inclusion aspect consists of the efforts by county governments in school feeding. Nairobi county leads with the established Dishi Na County program heralded by Governor Sakaja. Other counties include Mombasa, Nakuru, Muranga and Machakos that are creating ECD based programs. Notably, the county of Nairobi is the first county to put in place a program that carters for both public primary schools and ECDE. The county system has changed the landscape of school feeding in the country.

As far as evidence presents, there is demonstrated segmented efforts in school feeding programs by government and other players. It is important to begin to interrogate the national face of the program and the potential it carries to impact children and development. The question that should be posited is who is placed to gain from these efforts and is it a national or county gain to feed children?