Dishi na County serving children a brighter future

President William Ruto, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja and Women Representative Esther Passaris during the launch of Nairobi County School Feeding Programme, at Roysambu Primary School. [File, Standard]

The success of Dishi na County feeding programme across schools in Nairobi shows what can be achieved when a government commits to meet its promises.

Delivering a healthy lunch for learners was a top pledge in Governor Johnson Sakaja's manifesto. At the time of its conception, it was hard to imagine a meal costing Sh5 a plate. However, gradually, this has become a reality, putting smiles on kids who had a hard time keeping up with the school calendar due to hunger and undernutrition.

Various agencies put the figure of Kenyan children under 5 suffering from stunted growth at 26th per cent. The impact is obvious. Stunted growth affects brain development, which affects learning and future productivity.

According to the World Bank, Kenya has a human capital score of 0.55 per cent, which means a Kenyan child is likely to achieve only half of his potential. This is immense when extrapolated nationally because then Kenya would have wasted a half of its potential in terms of human resources due to stunted growth and undernutrition.

According to the Cost of Hunger Report (COHA) launched in 2019, in areas that lead to incidences of undernutrition, only three out of 10 learners that enroll in grade one progress to form four. The effects stretch beyond their mental capacities. Undernourished children tend to also experience more health complications, thus increasing mortality rate.

This is why the Dishi na County programme is a shining light. While Nairobi County does not feature among counties most affected by stunted growth and undernutrition, it has a population with unique struggles. It is home to the largest slum population, where people struggle with the most basic needs. The cost of living is high, and so is crime rate.
What makes Nairobi even more unique is that in a class, there are likely to be children from more varied economic backgrounds than in other county. So you can imagine a child whose parent could not afford a single meal seated side by side with a child whose lunch has been sorted for the whole term.

Dishi na County is thus the great equaliser that enables dreams one plate at a time. For some, the meal could be the only sure one for the day.

However, the same circumstances that make Nairobi County unique must also guide the drivers of the programme. Most children, particularly in low-income areas, go to informal schools supported by the church and non-governmental organisations. The plan to incorporate them must be accelerated.

Similarly, the model must be adopted and rolled out across Kenya, particularly in areas with high levels of undernutrition and stunted growth. These are mostly the ASAL areas in the North Rift, Eastern, and Coastal areas. If Nairobi County can do Sh5 a plate, it is possible to deliver the same at completely no cost in some counties where student numbers are not as big.

-The writer is a communications consultant. [e-mail]