In drought-affected communities in Kilifi County, many families are going hungry due to the severe drought. The situation is deteriorating across the region, with families lacking sufficient food and water becoming scarce. Households have reduced their food intake to just one meal a day, which puts young children at an increased risk of malnutrition.
“Sometimes we don’t have any food at home. I am very happy to go to my school because we get food,” shares a primary school student.
These harsh conditions have affected schools, too. Due to the intense coastal heat and long walking distances, many children are finding it difficult to concentrate in class. In order to protect children from the growing effects of hunger and encourage them to stay in education, Plan International has introduced a school feeding programme as part of its drought response.
“Many households have little or no food. Knowing their children will eat at school gives parents the confidence to leave them in class.”
Salma, Chair of the Parents’ Association.
“Before the school meal programme, some students slept in class or lacked the energy to attend school. Others would rather stay at school for lunch than walk home to an empty house with no food. Now, many look forward to going to school on Mondays because they know they will get a meal,” explains primary school teacher Alice.
The school-meals initiative
“Sometimes we don’t have any food at home. I am very happy to go to my school because we get food.”
A primary school pupil
Supported by United Stated National Office, the school-meal programme provides 6 schools in the county with nutritious food packs that are easy to prepare and contain rice, lentils and dried vegetables. By ensuring that students have at least one meal a day, the initiative is helping to secure their wellbeing and support their attendance and retention during the drought.
The results have been visible almost instantly. At one primary school, for example, teachers saw the attendance rate jump from 350 pupils on the first day of the feeding programme to 459 by midweek. Additionally, more than 100 children who had previously dropped out of school returned after learning that meals were being provided.
For many families, the programme provides reassurance during an incredibly challenging time.
“Parents are very happy. Many households have little or no food. Knowing their children will eat at school gives parents the confidence to leave them in class instead of walking home at lunchtime to find nothing,” explains Salma, Chair of the Parents’ Association.
“Before the school meal programme, some students slept in class or lacked the energy to attend school.”
Alice, primary school teacher
Teachers also report renewed enthusiasm among learners. Children eagerly gather at mealtimes, and many say that the meals help them to stay at school all day rather than walking long distances home in search of food.
What began as an emergency response to drought has grown into something deeper: an incentive for children to return to school and stay in class despite the challenging circumstances, keeping their education on track. For children in Kilifi, a simple daily meal is doing far more than just easing hunger; it is improving concentration, while helping to safeguard their right to an education in times of crisis.
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