By Lorraine Anyango.
The Kisumu County Department of Education, Technical Training, Innovation, and Social Services is exploring an ambitious plan to provide hot meals consistently and sustainably to Early Childhood (ECDE) learners. The current practice of feeding approximately 45,000 children enrolled in ECD centers across the county has been sporadic, leading to dropouts whenever meals are not provided.
Despite a steady increase in budgetary allocation for meals in ECD centers from 7 million to 25 million annually, additional resources are required to implement the ambitious plan. The department estimates needing approximately 300 million annually to provide hot meals in all 653 ECD centers within Kisumu County.
A proposal to feed the children was presented to a team led by CECM Education Technical Training, Innovation and Social Services Mr. John Awiti, Chair of the Assembly for the Education committee Hon. Seth Okumu, Hon. Emily Oginga, Chief Officer Mr. Bovince Ochieng, Director Mrs. Wilikister Odera, Director Tvets Ms Paschalia and other key officials.
The team is considering a partnership with Food For Education Organization, which offers not only hot meals but also enriched porridge. To provide porridge in all ECDs, the county would need 146 million annually.
Mr. Awiti expressed support for the initiative, stating, “We will start with what we have and scale up. We need a solution to the challenge of feeding children in schools.” Mr. Bovince indicated that the department would explore the best payment model, possibly requiring parents to contribute a small fee while the county covers the majority of the cost.
As the department prepares to roll out the plan, it will establish the necessary policies and regulations to provide a framework for the operation of ECD learners. Beyond the ECD learners, the department is also considering expanding the program to include other school-feeding initiatives.
This program aims to transform school feeding programs by providing children with nutritious meals that include all the essential vitamins for their growth and development. Mr. Shalom Shalom M. Ndiku, Head of Policy and Partnerships, informed the team that they would establish kitchens based on the chosen model, either centralized for urban areas or decentralized for rural areas.
Food for Education is already providing services to a portion of Kisumu County, operating a centralized kitchen in Mamboleoa and feeding approximately 19,000 children from 25 schools. Parents contribute Ksh 15, while the organization tops up the KSH 20.
