ECDE learners/Photo courtesy

The County government of Siaya is set to roll out a Ksh140 Million for the annual Early Childhood Development Education, (ECDE) feeding programme targeting to keep 50,000 learners in class and boost learning across the county.

According to Education County Executive Committee Member, Dr. Edgar Otumba, the, plan is to ensure smooth and effective running of the program and ensure retention of leaners across ECDE centres.

“We have reached out to potential partners including Ecosspatt Enterprises based in Nakuru a firm that has proven record in the supply of fortified flour and will be milling sorghum mixed with millet, Soya beans and Maize.

“The Ecosspatt Enterprises that we contracted does a porridge program in Murang’a. They also have a lunch program in Mombasa and ‘Dishi la Kaunti’ in Nairobi, we sourced for them through a competitive bidding and applications were done by contractors following tender adverts that were placed on the local dailies.” He said

Dr. Otumba also disclosed of a deal with ‘Food4Education’ organization that will support construction of 2-3 modern kitchens in every ward and also source fortified porridge ingredients from Siaya farmers. He said the partner will support Siaya get staff that would run the kitchen affairs in every ECD Centre and also sensitize stakeholders engaged in the program.

The third partner is the Fortified Whole Grain Alliance which is part of Rockefeller Foundation and would be tasked with scaling the school feeding g program beyond ECD all the way to Primary and Junior Secondary School (JSS). They will also capacity build micro-millers and provide 30 mixers that would help mix ingredients to make them fortified flour.

The grain alliance team will also link local millers to the centres while the fourth potential partner is UNICEF who pledged financial assistance, “said Dr Otumba further revealing that each cup of porridge shall cost the County government of Siaya Kshs.15.

Education and Training Chief Officer Richard Ogeda assured Siaya residents that the school feeding program is set to be sustained and that program will see learners in Public ECDE centers receiving lunch for free throughout the year.

“We have had incidents of poor concentration, because of hunger when learners miss food at their homes. We sought for the advice of nutritionists on kinds of food to deliver to the kids and its them who provided us with ingredients that makes it nutritious, “said Ogeda