44,000 ECDE children to benefit from school feeding programme

Samburu county has launched a school feeding programme for Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) children.

Speaking while flagging off food distribution, Governor Lati Lelelit said 583 public ECDE centres spread across 15 wards in the county will benefit from the programme.

Lati assured that his administration will provide food to the children from the time they open schools until they close.

The governor has formed a team to map out needy areas that require the establishment of a new ECDE centre to ensure that all the children benefit.

He revealed that the school feeding programme at the ECDE level has seen increase in enrollment from 43,000 to 44,000 children in the new term.

The county government purchased 8,000 bags of rice, cooking oil, beans and porridge flour, which will be distributed to all the ECDE centres.

Lati is optimistic that the initiative will see the enrollment in the ECDE centre increase to 70,000 pupils in four years.

"We have seen time and again how various types of school feeding programmes boost the enrollment of children in ECDE which is an important aspect in the realisation of Vision 2030 in our country, and also to achieve my dream of ensuring that the education standards in the county improve," he said.

The governor expressed his government's commitment to invest substantially in the expansion of infrastructure in ECDEs through progressive budgetary allocation.

He said the efforts were already bearing fruit, though they were still far from achieving their desired target of having at least two classrooms in each ECDE.

Lati said his administration will set aside funds in the next financial year to promote basic learning in the county.

The governor called on the national government, private sector, parents, and well-wishers alongside other stakeholders to join hands with his administration to ensure better ECDE learning programmes and environment for children.

County Executive Committee Member for Education Mark Ekaale said the feeding programme will keep learners in schools and in the process help improve performance.