Effects of school feeding programme on the education in Gatuanyaga zone in thika east sub county in Kiambu county

Abstract

The study is about effects of School Feeding Programme on the education in Gatuanyaga zone in Thika East Sub County in Kiambu County. The climate of Gatuanyaga is not favorable for crop production in large scale as most of the year it is dry and the short rains do not boost crop growth. The economic activities comprises of quarrying, simple trade and casual labour. This means that food is not enough in the region and for many children, a daily meal is incentive enough to go to school, availability of food in the schools will ensure that children at least complete their primary education. School feeding is an important development tool and is related to at least three Millennium Development Goals; to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, to achieve universal primary education, and to promote gender equality and empower women. The research design used was survey designs where data was gathered systematically factual. The data was collected through questionnaire, interviews and observation. It targeted head teachers, pupils, students, school committee members and parents. Confidentiality was ensured by not publishing names of respondents. Data was processed in bar graphs, pie charts, and tables. Schools with feeding programmes were compared with schools with no feeding programmes. The enrollment, academic performance, retention of pupils in schools and admission was compared in the two categories of schools. The results were that schools with feeding progarmme have high enrolment, better performance, high retention and admission. The education program has impacted the schools positively. Enrollment rates have increased, and the amount of early leavers has decreased. The feeding programme should be supported by all the stakeholders. These include the government, the ministry of Education, NGOs, parents, teachers the community and the pupils.