By Matilda Atieno
The energy of innovation met the urgency of health at the recent Kisumu County Health and Nutrition Hackathon, which aimed to strengthen nutrition resilience and recovery for crisis-affected communities, held at the Ahero Resource Centre.
The event brought together ten Early Childhood Development (ECD) schools from Kadibo Sub-County, where confident young learners showcased creative, child-friendly solutions to persistent nutrition challenges facing their flood-prone communities.
The hackathon, funded by the Ambassade de France au Kenya et en Somalie, UNICEF, and implemented in collaboration with the County Government of Kisumu and the Kenya Red Cross (KRCS), highlighted a commitment to ensuring children “thrive, survive, and meet their potential.”
Under the theme “Healthy Me, Healthy You, Resilient Community,” the children became the innovators. They translated complex nutritional needs—initially identified by a survey showing poor dietary quality in areas like Ogenya and Anyuro Community Units—into tangible, practical, and highly engaging performances.
The Hackathon featured five key competition categories, judged on mastery, confidence, delivery, language use, and innovation, among others.
The categories included Fashion Show, Poems, Singing Games, Creative Recipes, and Kitchen Garden exhibition on Healthy and Affordable Meals using local, nutrient-rich foods, and presentation of child-friendly gardening innovations for schools, demonstrating how to grow what they eat.
The event was organized jointly by the County Departments of Education and Health, emphasizing an integrated approach to child welfare.
In his remarks, the CECM for Education, Vocational Training, and Human Resource Development, Mr. John Awiti, stressed the necessity of community involvement in child development.
“If you want to bring up a child, you involve the community,” Mr. Awiti stated. He highlighted the importance of the County working closely with national and private partners on social protection, health, and education, noting the need to instill lessons on sustainability to counter the community’s vulnerability to climate shocks, nutrition, and education.
The partnership was further reinforced by key officials, including Mr. Maurice Anyango, the Kenya Red Cross Society Regional Director, and Mrs. Veronica Bita, the Kenya Red Cross Kisumu Branch Board of Governors representative, and Kadibo Sub-County Commissioner Zachary Kimani, who emphasized the goal to help children “thrive, survive, and meet their potential.”
The County Nutrition Coordinator, Rael Mwando, and Wilkister Odera, the County ECD Director, were present to oversee the successful execution of the hackathon, which serves as an innovative tool for the broader one-year nutrition response program to minimize malnutrition rates in flood-affected areas. The program foundation rests on assessments, like the initial survey, and interventions like mass screening, with the ultimate goal of building long-term community resilience.
The hackathon effectively proved that empowering children with knowledge and a creative platform is perhaps the most sustainable way to secure a healthier future for Kisumu, with the impressive turnout, especially in the Singing Games category, underscoring the children’s mastery and confidence in delivering health education.
