First Lady Rachel Ruto has pledged to establish kitchen gardens in all public schools across Kenya to bolster the school feeding program. This initiative, announced at the National World Children’s Day celebration held at Kaptembwa Primary School in Nakuru, is part of her broader effort to address hunger and malnutrition in schools, which are significant barriers to children’s education and development.
The program, named Championing the Voice of Children, will focus on cultivating short-term, nutritious crops such as vegetables and herbs within school gardens. This initiative aims to enhance children’s access to healthy food, contributing to their physical and cognitive growth.
“We are championing sustainability in school feeding programs through school-based food production,” said the First Lady, emphasizing that hunger hinders learning and development.
In addition to the vegetable gardens, the program also plans to introduce fruit gardens in schools to boost students’ fruit intake. For schools with arable land, the First Lady revealed plans to collaborate with the Ministry of Agriculture to enhance food production and increase self-sufficiency within these institutions.
The First Lady also underscored the government’s commitment to addressing hunger in schools, citing the World Bank’s Africa Pulse Report from October 2024. “Seven in ten children in Sub-Saharan Africa miss out on pre-primary education due to hunger and malnutrition,” she stated, emphasizing that hunger is not just a physical discomfort but also an obstacle to learning.
“Hunger is not just a pain in the stomach; it’s a barrier to learning, a stolen opportunity, and a deferred dream,” she added.
In alignment with President William Ruto’s vision, the First Lady reiterated the government’s commitment to providing every child in Kenya with access to education, healthcare, and the opportunity to thrive. She also revealed the goal of expanding the school feeding program to provide 10 million daily meals by 2030, up from the current 2.4 million children benefiting from the program.
