Bomet Governor Professor Hillary Barchok has rolled out phase two of the school milk programme aimed at providing nutritional value and motivating young learners at the Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) level.
A year ago, when the county embarked on an agenda to put up more ECD centres, it announced the plan noting that with better learning facilities for children, there was also a need to ensure good nutrition as it was essential for their development.
The county in partnership with World Vision had already established a milk processing plant at Chebunyo in Chepalungu Sub County as it aimed at adding value to the milk products produced from the county.
During the launch of the plant, the governor promised that children were to receive free milk daily as part of its wider plans to increase enrolments in the ECDE centres established across the County.
Speaking during the rolling out of phase two of the programme at Cheswerta Primary school, Barchok noted that it was important to consider adding nutritional value to these young learners across the 1,121 ECDE centres in the county and motivate them in their learning.
“At their tender age, young learners we have in our 1,221 ECD centres across the county must be given a little refreshment to keep them going in class until they go back to their mothers. This adds both nutritional value to their lives at the same time motivating them to come to school,” explained Governor Barchok.
Reports from the County Department of Education indicates that there were around 56,570 learners who would be receiving milk twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays according to the programme.
Other than the early learners, youths from the boda boda industry will also benefit directly from this school milk programme.
The Education Department has signed an MOU with 200 riders picked from registered Sacco across the wards to provide transport services to the ECDE centres on a monthly rotational basis, translating to 1200 riders in six months. Through MOU, the riders will also be making a living out of the programme.
“We will also give our youths from the boda boda sector a chance to better their lives. The Department of Education has signed a memorandum of understanding, around 1200 riders will be deployed to offer transport service of this milk to different ECDE centres across the county,” said Prof Barchok.
Since the launch of the programme, 53,000 young learners have benefited from phase one of the programme.
Source: Kenya News Agency