NYANDARUA, Kenya – Globally, school milk programs have shown that they can boost the local dairy value chain while increasing nutrition and school attendance.
Some county governments in Kenya have even collaborated with the Kenya Dairy Board and local dairy processors to launch school milk programmes in five counties, encompassing 1,767 schools, to combat malnutrition and raise school enrollment rates.
According to the World Food Programme (WFP), malnutrition levels are at 29 pc for children in rural areas, while 20 pc of those living in cities are stunted.
So, to ensure parents enrol their children with special needs in school, Kinangop Dairy Limited (KDL) has enhanced its school feeding program at the Nyandarua School For The Deaf.
How has Kinangop Dairy Limited impacted the local community
The company, located on the slopes of the Aberdare Ranges in Nyandarua County, has significantly influenced the community through a feeding initiative. For the past two years, it has supported deaf students at the school.
The two main objectives of the feeding program are increasing the number of students with special needs enrolled in schools and supplying wholesome dairy products to school-age children.
Faith Njeri Gachie from the KDL Human Resource department told Y News that the scheme began in May 2022 and is a component of the company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts.
“Milk and education are related in several ways, especially for younger students. We chose Nyandarua School For The Deaf because of its specialisation and proximity to our factory,” Gachie said.
Why milk is essential to the development of a child
Y News established that milk is an integral part of a child’s development because it is full of nutrients, including vitamins, protein, and calcium, all of which are important for growth.
Are 133 pupils enrolled at the school right now, and the company intends to expand the programme to more schools shortly.
“We provide the school with milk products at least twice a month. We do this mostly on Fridays so the kids feel cherished and have a relaxed weekend. We are attempting to keep the students in school with this program,” Gachie continued.
According to UNESCO, school enrolment rates remain challenging at 75%, although there has been some improvement in recent years.
At first, only 25 students attended the school. However, the number considerably increased with the introduction of the free milk program.
Due to its ample educational facilities, the school head teacher, Linet Gitonga, claims Nyandarua School For The Deaf can accommodate 500 students.
“To avoid keeping their children hidden in their homes, we are pleading with all parents of children with hearing impairments to bring them to our school so that we can enrol them alongside everyone else. Let us love these kids like any other because disability does not imply incapacity,” Gitonga stated.
Shivla Mathenge, the brand manager at KDL, expressed the company’s commitment to the host community and its customers.
“You cannot teach a child in class on an empty stomach. We love our students and the community as a whole, which is why we, as a firm, started this program,” explained Mathenge.
Why Nyandarua School For The Deaf learners are comfortable in school
Joseph Kahiga, the school’s deputy headteacher, noted that the program had made a big difference for the community and the school.
“Since this is a special school, most of our students come from low-income families. The students feel more at ease here than they would back home, where there are many stigmas. Thus, the free milk greatly aids in developing these young youngsters,” said Kahiga.
Meanwhile, Gachie insisted that the program would always continue exciting the learners.
“Our love and care for the children has always been felt, even though they haven’t heard it. But we want to keep doing this,” Gachie explained further.
Gitonga further disclosed that since the project began, students’ concentration in class has significantly improved, and most learners have expressed satisfaction and support for such corporate initiatives.
