Africa's largest school meal program was launched this week in Kenya. The goal is to feed four million school children. Inflation and rising prices mean a quarter of Kenyan children are suffering from malnutrition. Nairobi's governor wants to change that.
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00:00 Schoolchildren don't usually get this excited at a politician's visit.
00:06 But these ones are chanting the name of Nairobi's governor.
00:10 Johnson Sakaja has turned up with a warm school meal for them.
00:14 "We're very happy they brought us food.
00:17 Very happy."
00:18 "It's good.
00:20 At least it's not a little."
00:21 "It can help my body to gain energy."
00:26 The city's governor hopes the new school meal program will put an end to hunger in the schoolyard.
00:31 Together with the non-profit organization Food for Education, the city has built 10
00:36 environmentally-friendly kitchens across the capital.
00:40 They're aiming to feed half a million children in Nairobi alone by the end of next year.
00:46 It's part of a nationwide effort to more than double the number of children receiving school
00:50 meals - up from 1.6 to 4 million.
00:55 When completed, it will be the largest school meals program on the continent.
00:58 "Today we are glad that all our children in public schools are going to be eating food
01:04 in school.
01:05 They will not have to miss school.
01:07 Development is not just roads and buildings.
01:09 Development means investing in our greatest asset.
01:12 And our greatest asset is our people, and more so our children."
01:16 In Nairobi's poorest neighborhoods, many children simply don't go to school because they have
01:21 to work to earn money for their food.
01:24 For some, it's just one meal a day.
01:26 Rising food prices have made matters worse.
01:29 The cost of May's meal, a staple, has doubled.
01:32 Aid workers say that a quarter of Kenyan children are living with stunted growth due to malnutrition.
01:39 But even some of those being given food at school are still going hungry.
01:43 "It's been very difficult.
01:47 Because some children only eat a portion of their food and take the rest home because they
01:51 don't have any food there.
01:53 That's important because you can only concentrate in class if you eat well.
01:57 Those who haven't eaten can't learn.
01:59 They sleep in class."
02:03 Now parents only have to chip in four US cents per meal.
02:07 The government has allocated 36 million US dollars for the program.
02:12 And that is likely to have a knock-on effect.
02:15 Schools expect a sharp increase in student enrollment.
02:18 "Right now we have around 4,700.
02:22 Therefore we expect even the number can also double.
02:26 And you can see the facility that we have, maybe the government can look at it so that
02:30 we can have a lot of facilities."
02:34 Many schools already have more children than they can cope with.
02:38 But the governor has ambitious plans.
02:40 He says up to 6,000 new classrooms will be built over the next three years.
02:45 For now, children here know they'll have a warm meal every day.
02:49 "And they should continue this.
02:51 Even in the other countries, he should do the same."
02:53 "I am so happy today.
02:57 Thank you."