ACRC Report: ‘Dishi na County’ Most Affordable and Scalable Model, Urges Extension to Vulnerable Children in Urban Informal Settlements
NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 28 – The Nairobi County Government in collaboration with LVCT Health has disseminated the ACRC Endline Research Report titled: “Co-Creating Sustainable School Feeding Programs for Children in Nairobi’s Informal Settlements.”
African Cities Research Consortium (ACRC) report presented evidence from a participatory action research project implemented in Mathare and Viwandani informal settlements, where sustainable, community-driven School Feeding Programs (SFPs) were co-created and piloted in APВЕТ schools currently excluded from government-supported programs such as ‘Dishi na County’.
The findings reveal critical inequities in access to subsidised school meals, highlight the real cost of running feeding programs in informal schools, and demonstrate measurable improvements in learner health, attendance, concentration and household stability.
While Nairobi City County’s Dishi na County program serves public primary schools, 60% of Nairobi’s 500,000 children attend low-fee private Alternative Provision of Basic Education and Training (APBET) schools, this leaves about 300,000 children, many of whom live in informal settlements, excluded from publicly subsidised school feeding.
The research conducted in collaboration with LVCT Health, The University of Nairobi, and The University of Manchester through the African Cities Research Consortium (ACRC) futher provides evidence-based recommendations for extending school feeding programmes to vulnerable children in urban informal settlements.
According to Inviolata Njoroge, a researcher at LVCT Health she highlighted that school feeding programmes are impactful in addressing food and nutrition insecurity among children, helping to reduce their vulnerability to hunger, malnutrition and non-communicable diseases.
“Some of the most vulnerable children from vulnerable families and so they lackaccess to to basic nutrition, A school feeding program become a very important avenue for them to access nutritious meals and for them which leads to their physical development and for them physical and their future potential can be realized through that avenue”, said Ms Njoroge.
The Dishi na County model at KSh 5 per plate (US$0.04) is the most affordable option, but expansion faces funding constraints and it is still unaffordable for some Many children in Nairobi’s alternative schools who can’t access Dishi na County face food insecurity.
In Alternative Provision of Basic Education and Training (APBET) schools, feeding programmes either don’t exist or families are unable to afford the KSh 30 (US$0.23) per plate cost for a parent-funded school feeding programmes.
Majority of Nairobi’s residents live in informal settlements characterised by high poverty levels, poor housing conditions, food insecurity and high rates of stunting, wasting and micronutrient deficiencies.
This has long-term impacts on the mental and physical health, as well as social development of children, Alternative (APBET) schools serve the lowest-income households in informal settlements but lack adequate teaching workforce and learning infrastructure.
They also lack access to the County’s school feeding program, Dishi na County with this exclusion exposes children from the most vulnerable households to continued food insecurity and poor nutrition outcomes and limits the development goals of the County.
Amos Kuremu, Principal Lunga Lunga baptist school in viwandani region makadara highlighted that the school has implemented a model that they try to adopt from other institutions and this model concerns feeding program and the whole thing is about feeding the children.
“We are charging 30 shillings per plate, but then it’s also a challenge to most of the parents, what I want to tell the county government of Nairobi is that children are just children We do not have children who are public or we do not have children who are private”.
Mr. Kuremu called for all children to be given access food noting that one cannot leave a child hungry and then we expect results when it comes to academics.
“Lack of no food in schools will lead to low performances Also, will lead to absenteeism Some of the children cannot come to school when their stomachs are empty, They only come to school when they are able They have that energy to attend lessons”, He added.
Jerantine Mutio a parent at Flama Education Centre lauded the feeding program in the schools noting that it has helped the children to study and also parents highlighting that parents can pay in cash or through mobile money to a teacher in charge of the program.
Further, ACRC provides evidence-based recommendations which include; Extending Dishi na County program to informal schools.
Secure sustainable financing, Integrate children’s preferences into menu planning, Establish feedback mechanisms to capture children’s food preferences and Address infrastructure gaps for on-site food preparation including Access to water.
Further, Develop flexible payment and inclusion policies noting that no child should be excluded from meals due to inability to pay recommending Credit systems allowing families to pay when able.
Community support funds for most vulnerable families In-kind contributions (parent services) for families facing temporary hardship.
Bulk purchasing arrangements, to reduce per-plate costs Electronic subscription model (as in Dishi na County) to track payments and Explore food value chain partnerships Opportunity and Expand research on co-benefits.
“With budget pressures mounting and donor financing uncertain, protecting and expanding investment in child nutrition is both a moral imperative and a strategic investment in Nairobi’s future workforce and social stability”.
