Parents Face Financial Strain as Children Return Home for School Holidays
As schools close for the April holiday, parents are facing financial strain as their children return home. Maryanne Kamau, a single mother of four children, expresses concern that her finances will be stretched thin during the school holidays due to the increase in household expenses.
“All of them have come back home for the holidays, and my thin purse is already feeling it,” says Maryanne.
She notes that when her children are away at boarding school, she spends less money on electricity, airtime, bread, sugar, and other household items. However, when her children are home, she spends roughly Ksh1,000 per day.
Robert Otieno, a father of three girls, who are all currently in boarding schools, shares the same sentiment as Maryanne. He explains that life is harder when his children are home because they require more food and rest.
“My girls often joke that they have just returned from a small ‘military camp’, where food is rationed. And so they come home to eat and regain their bodies,” says Otieno, with a smile.
According to a recent report by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), the cost of food and beverages has increased by 13.4 per cent compared to 11 per cent just a month ago.
The report also shows an increase in the cost of electricity, housing, water, gas, and transport. Parents believe these statistics do not capture the full extent of the financial strain that they experience during the school holidays.
Parents Face Financial Strain as Children Return Home for School Holidays.