More than 250,000 children in public primary schools in Nairobi will receive regular subsidized school meals provided by the county government. The Dishi Na County program is Kenya’s first in an urban setting. The national school meal program set up in 2009 serves more than 1.5 million children in rural drought-affected counties. The Conversation asked Elisheba Kiru (African Population and Health Research Center), who studies education and empowerment, and Aulo Gelli (IFPRI), whose focus is food policy and nutrition, to analyze the new meal program.
“We have known for several decades about the role of school feeding as a lifeline for children during crises. School feeding results in increased enrolment and improved retention. It also improves cognitive abilities and learning capacity, and reduces absenteeism. The meals provide nutrients necessary for brain development, reducing anaemia and stunting, and increasing immunity. These results are even more pronounced for girls and children living in poverty, defined as living on less than a dollar a day.”