I expected them to ask for footballs or sweets, not such a basic need,” Sakaja told the Star. The National School Lunch Bill, if passed, will make it mandatory for the government to make quality, low-cost meals available to pupils. Njiru runs a 24-hour kitchen where food is cooked at night and distributed in hot dishes to schools in trucks. “A headteacher confirmed to me that the children getting school lunch rarely miss school, perform better and are more disciplined than those who go without lunch,” he explained. Many schools formerly relied on meals provided by the World Food Programme, which targeted the poorest and most exposed children in arid, semi-arid and slum communities.

Source: The Star March 15, 2021 19:07 UTC