Significant grant financing will be required to support achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in the near future, especially as the post-election crisis of 2008 eroded some of the gains that previously had been made. The Ministry of Education has the opportunity to utilize donor funding through the KESSP for school meals and would welcome any other support from the international community.
What has been the effect of high food prices on this funding effort?
High food prices have caused the cost of feeding a child one meal each school day to increase from just 9 cents to 18 cents a day in Kenya. As a result, 2008 contributions only covered 50 percent of the previously identified requirements, and additional resources were required to reach all children. In an effort to address the impact of higher food prices, WFP headquarters allocated an additional $2 million to expand school feeding in Nairobi slums and in early childhood development centers (pre-school) in remote, arid districts. High food prices have had a disastrous effect on both the urban poor, who spend 60-80% of their income on food, and pastoralists in northern Kenya, where malnutrition rates among children under five is routinely above the international emergency threshold of 15 percent.
How can someone help the school feeding program?
Individuals, schools, and corporations interested in supporting school feeding can find information on how to donate online. If in the United States, you can find information through Friends of the World Food Programme. Both sites allow donations to be targeted directly to WFP’s operations in Kenya.
Since 2004, corporate partners like International Paper and Unilever have ensured that nearly 100,000 WFP-supported children in Kenya receive a hot, nutritious meal in the Nairobi slums and in the Masai region. By providing an incentive to come to school, these corporations are helping to build a brighter future for both the children and the country. These children, with the help of the school feeding program, will be the next generation of successful contributors to Kenyan society.
In addition, through the UK Really Good School Dinner campaign, school children across the UK raised funds for school meals in Kenya and other countries.
We are encouraging other corporations, schools, and partners to get involved by adopting a school or donating money for school meals. Cash and in-kind contributions to support the school feeding program are welcome.
Anything else you'd like to add about why you think school feeding is important for people to support?
Article comments
1 - Education Insight
Thank God the governement of Kenya has extended the School Feeding program in these times of drought.