Foundation rolls out feeding plan as hunger affects learning

Bridge International Academies Kenya Managing Director Griffin Chesi [Courtesy]

Bridge International Academies Foundation has launched a new school feeding programme dubbed “One Cup, One Future,” aimed at providing a daily morning meal to lower-grade pupils.

Unveiled at Bridge Kinoo in Nairobi, the initiative targets hunger as a key barrier to learning by offering a cup of nutritious uji (porridge) at the start of each school day.

“When a child starts the day with a nutritious cup of uji, they come to school more regularly, stay alert longer, and learn more effectively,” said Griffin Chesi, the foundation’s Managing Director.

The foundation aims to serve 50,000 cups of uji in its first phase, with each cup costing about Sh15.

According to the World Food Programme, school feeding coverage in Sub-Saharan Africa has grown to 87 million children, an increase of 20 million since 2022. This signals a growing commitment to enhancing the quality of learning by addressing hunger.

At the moment, teachers say many pupils arrive at school without breakfast, making it difficult to concentrate or participate in class.

Equally, schools providing morning meals report improved attendance, confidence, and engagement among learners.

During the Devolution Conference held in August, Counties unveiled a Model Pre-Primary School Feeding Policy to guide all 47 counties in implementing equitable and locally driven programmes, with positive progress already being reported.

In Murang’a, 42,000 ECDE learners now receive fortified porridge daily, while a pilot hot lunch programme serving 8,000 children has boosted attendance by 10.7 per cent, with more than 3.4 million meals served.

This is even as learners across the country sit the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) and Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).

Education PS Prof. Julius Bitok said the ministry was ready for the exams. “It’s the first time we have 1.1 million KJSEA learners who will be joining Grade 10,” he noted, adding that funds had been released to facilitate the assessments and urged teachers to uphold integrity.

The KPSEA runs from October 27–29, while the KJSEA continues until November 3 — following the KCSE, which began on October 21 — marking Kenya’s ongoing transition from the 8-4-4 system to CBC.