By Matilda Atieno
The deputy governor Dr. Mathew Owili today flagged off assorted learning materials and foodstuffs worth 42 M to go to the ECD centers across the 7 sub-counties in Kisumu.
The learning materials worth KSh 25min and foodstuff comprising of rice and cooking oil at the coast of 17 million will go towards feed 50 thousand ECD learners in the public ECD centers. The learning materials and the foodstuffs are essential
in meeting the county’s Consistent and assured commitment in supporting Early Childhood education in Kisumu.
Speaking during the flagging off ceremony at the Governor’s office, Dr. Owili affirmed the county government’s responsibility to ensure
quality education and accessibility to the children adding that the initiative will a go long way in improving the children’s
learning and performance in school.
The county department of education is able to disburse the materials and foodstuffs strategically based on the need for interventions to the
overall ECD program.
Kisumu county set up a sustainable county ECD feeding program that started in 2015, to encourage enrollment and facilitate school retention, a program that supports and benefits 673 centers with a total enrollment of 51,408 pupils of whom 25,266 are girls and 26142 are boys.
Currently, there are 673 ECD centers of which 660 are anchored in primary schools and 13 are
stand-alone public ECD centers.
The school feeding program plays a key role in helping children realize their potential both for themselves and for their community. This is anchored in the Early Childhood Education Act 2021 that outlines the involvement of the
county governments in terms of health and rights to early childhood education.
The Deputy Governor was flanked by the CEC member for Education Mr. John Awiti and the Chief Officer Madam Penina Onyango among other county officials.
