Kisumu County government has flagged off Sh14 million rice to feed 50,000 Early Childhood Development learners in public schools within the county.
Kisumu Deputy Governor Mathew Owili said the consignment of 2,114 bags of rice will be distributed to 684 public ECDE centres across the county.
He said out of the total number of centres, 629 are anchored in primary schools and 57 are stand- alone public ECDE centres.
The County government started the feeding programme in 2015 to provide meals to the children to increase enrolment (access), retention and completion and also to improve their learning performance in schools.
The DG said this has been an effort to mitigate on the challenges facing many children from poor families in both rural, informal settlements and urban areas who need to overcome the disadvantages in education due to food insecurity as well as high malnutrition and stunting growth rates, among others.
Owili said since good nutrition is part of learning experience in the early years, they have maintained their support for school feeding programme by supplying rice and oil to all the centres to complement the efforts of the parents.
"This intervention is aimed at creating impact which results in high completion rate and 100 per cent transition," he said
The Constitution of Kenya Article 53 provides for free and compulsory basic education, health and nutrition to all children.
The DG noted that the health and nutrition status is a significant determinant of the child's holistic growth, development and the learning ability.
Early childhood has been identified as a period when the brain develops rapidly and hence appropriate health, nutrition, early education and care must be provided to ensure a better and healthy future for the child.
Such holistic approach that integrates adequate nutrition, good health care, early stimulation, early learning, communication and security, physical, mental and social emotional dimension is recognised as constituting the foundation of proper growth and development of children.
"We, however, observe that this is enormous. I therefore call upon everybody; the political class, religious organisations, individuals, NGOs, and all well-wishers that we must join hands in this cause.
"The Deputy governor also asked the teachers and the general public to keep vigil and ensure the foodstuff reach the children and that the same is secure and properly utilised.
This will be followed later by the distribution of learning materials worth Sh20 million to all ECD centres in Kisumu county.
"As a County government, I repeat, it is our obligation to ensure quality education is accessible to all our children," Owili said.
The management of pre-primary education in Kenya is placed in the hands of county government.
The Early Childhood Education Act 2021 in its entirety further outlines the involvement of the county governments in terms of health and rights to early childhood education.
The public ECDE centres in Kisumu have a total enrolment of 50,724.