Health Want Govt to Invest in School Feeding Programs
Health experts are urging the government to invest in school feeding programs as a response to climate change.
The call comes as Kenya joins the rest of the world in marking the 8th Africa Day of School Feeding, which is celebrated annually on March 1 to raise awareness on the importance of investing in school feeding programs, especially in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Since 2016, the African Day of School Feeding has been an opportunity to bring together stakeholders from the public, private, civil society, and multilateral sectors to create political support for adopting and conducting school feeding programs.
The World Food Programme (WFP) has stated that investing in school meals programs can boost school enrollment rates by 9% and attendance by 8%, especially for children from poorer backgrounds.
The WFP added that social and economic inequalities persist in Kenya, with significant challenges to food and nutrition security driven by rapid population growth, climate change, stagnating agricultural production, gender inequalities, and underperforming food systems.
To maximize investments in education, funding for programs promoting the health and well-being of school-age children and adolescents must substantially increase, according to the WFP.
The African Union has also acknowledged that school feeding is an investment, rather than mere spending of national resources.
The WFP notes that studies show school meals programs are effective in increasing attendance among girls, reducing the chances of early marriage, child labor, and early and teen pregnancies.
The WFP has run a school feeding program in Kenya since 1980, working with the Ministry of Education to provide nutritious meals to over 1.5 million children in the most food-insecure areas.
However, the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in school closures in Kenya and other countries, leaving millions of children without access to education or school meals.
The 8th Africa Day of School Feeding aims to take stock of the progress of ongoing initiatives at the continental, regional, and national levels in implementing homegrown school feeding and encouraging national commitments.
In conclusion, school feeding programs play a significant role in promoting education and food security, especially for children from poorer backgrounds.
With the challenges posed by climate change and the Covid-19 pandemic, it is crucial for governments to invest in these programs to ensure that children have access to education and nutritious meals.
Health Want Govt to Invest in School Feeding Programs
