Parents
Parents in West Pokot County have been urged to ensure all their children return to school as the government continues with plans of providing comfortable learning environments.
Speaking during distribution of food to schools under the school feeding programme in Kapenguria, County Director of Education (CDE) Simon Wamae said poverty levels in West Pokot are usually very high therefore some parents withdraw their children from school because they cannot afford three meals in a day.
Wamae mentioned that with the arrival of school food consignments, parents have no reasons to keep their school going children at home since they can at least have something to eat at school.
“Once they receive lunch some of the children may go up to the following day without meals. Our schools now have food and parents are requested to bring their children back to school,” the CDE urged. He highlighted that the programme is funded by the Government of Kenya through the National Council for Nomadic Education in Kenya.
He emphasized that providing food to schools not only boosts student enrollment but also improves students’ access to education. “We have a belief that the appearance of white smoke in the kitchen area indicates the imminent arrival of the food supply for the school feeding programme, which would aid the Ministry of Education in encouraging student attendance,” he observed.
Wamae revealed that they have already received a complete food consignment for the school feeding programme in most sub-counties. He disclosed that, “in Pokot South sub-county, approximately 80 percent of the food for learners has been delivered, and we anticipate receiving the full consignment by the end of the week.”
Food for school feeding program received in West Pokot County from Government of Kenya through the National Council for Nomadic Education in Kenya. Photo By Anthony Melly.
He also encouraged teachers in schools to handle food properly by ensuring it is safely stored to prevent spoilage and avoiding wastage through providing adequate security and cooking the correct proportions. “Ensure you use the recommended ratios of rice, pulses, cooking oil, and salt so that the food can last the 45 days that is supposed to last,” advised the CDE.
He observed that there are 676 schools in the County all of which are part of the school feeding programme. He encouraged teachers to ensure that all learners are captured in the National Education Management Information System (NEMIS) for proper coordination and allocation of food rations.
“The main challenge we face in the coordination of the school feeding programme is lack of congruence with the school enrollment data. Schools should capture all the NEMIS to help get the exact quantities required for each school,” said the educationist.
Meanwhile West Pokot County Director of Children’s Services Phillip Wapopa expressed his satisfaction with the government’s decision to release food for the school feeding programme in the county. Wapopa highlighted the negative impact of food scarcity on school enrollment, attendance, and retention rates.
He emphasized the importance of the programme, especially in ASAL counties like West Pokot, where the community relies heavily on pastoralism and the move will help his department fulfill its other children welfare programmes.
“Our county is one the counties that is hit by a high of children who are out of school. Pokot North is leading and parts of Kacheliba and Sigor. This has contributed to high teenage pregnancy, child marriages are on increase and with this kind of intervention, now for us we can come and stabilize our operations to make sure that all children are in school,” explained the children’s Director.
Additionally, he mentioned that the Department of Children Services in the region has completed assessments of schools affected by long rains and drought in Sigor area, Pokot Central sub-county, and parts of Kipkomo sub-county. “The assessments revealed that consistent food provision in schools significantly increased enrollment, attendance, and retention rates in Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) centers managed by the county government,” Wapopa disclosed.
However, he noted that during the assessment of long rain and drought effects, there was a noticeable fluctuation in enrollment and attendance at primary and junior secondary levels due to various factors, including food availability. “When food ratios decreased, the number of learners attending school also dropped significantly,” he observed.
