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Three million Kenyans plunge into poverty

More than three million Kenyans joined the ranks of the poor between 1997 and 2006, even as the government claimed it was winning the war against poverty.

The number of those living below the poverty line increased from 13.4 million in 1997 to 16.6 million in 2006, according to a new government’s “Kenya Economic Report 2009”, compiled by the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (Kippra).

The situation is so dire that the number of Kenyans depending on others is 84 per cent compared to other countries such as Ghana, which has a ratio of 20 per cent.

The Kenya Integrated Household Budget Survey, released in 2007, showed that national absolute poverty had declined from 55.5 per cent in 2000 to 46 per cent in 2005/06.

Growth rate cut

The figures could be worse now with the current drought and food shortages, which have left up to 10 million Kenyans at risk of starvation, and the global economic meltdown, cutting the growth rate from 7.1 per cent in 2007 to 1.7 per cent last year.

Instructively, the report shows that, whereas there were remarkable improvements in the economic performance in the last five years until 2007, it is only in 2006 and 2007 that per capita income — the worth of each individual Kenyan — exceeded the 1997 levels.

“This shows that despite the progress we may have recorded over the years, poverty remains a major challenge to the economy,” noted the executive director of Kippra, Dr Moses Ikiara, during the report’s launch at the Kenya School of Monetary Studies on Wednesday.

The findings come at a time when the government is in the initial stages of implementing its long-term economic development strategy, Vision 2030.


SOURCE

http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/678698/-/uo4he3/-/

AIDS and famine Kenya's scourge

Official statistics are hard to come by, but health workers privately estimate that up to 40 per cent of the population is now infected with the HIV virus.

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Across Kenya, 700 to 800 people die from the disease every week.

A quarter of babies are born with the infection – one of the many factors that stop one in 12 children living to reach their first birthday. Of those who survive, 12 per cent die before turning five. But it's those aged from their 20s to 50s who are most affected

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SOURCE ET ARTICLE COMPLET:

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,26253522-5007191,00.html


Photos --- Pictures :

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/gallery/0,23816,5061596-17382,00.html

Will money solve Africa's Problems? A Story of Former Kenyan Millionaires

The $7 million compensation towards injuries caused by live ammunition left by the British to 228 Samburu herders did not stop them from spiralling back to poverty. A local TV crew visited the once “millionaire’s town” and found paupers instead. What lessons do millionaires of Maralal give to Africa?

The media has documented events that followed the money boom. The South Africa Star wrote: “Samburu tribesmen and their families are here on a spending spree: drinking, roasting meat, buying bicycles and clothes and flirting with women.”

A Mr Mathenge in Nanyuki observed: “… a variety of con men, masquerading as traders, doctors, preachers, fortune-tellers and soothsayers descended on Nanyuki moments after news spread that money has arrived…” The Standard reported in 2006: “The newly made millionaires were lured by what they considered odernity. Many owned several cell phones, TV sets, and vehicles.

Today, none of these items exist in Maralal, if they do they are in a state of disrepair.” The traditional approach of addressing African problems through the lenses of “big money” misses the point.

The Organization for Economic Corporation and Development (OECD) countries has pumped an estimated $640 billion to Sub Sahara African countries since 1960.

The G8 countries committed $60 billion towards fighting diseases and lately China has dedicated $5 billion in the next three years to Africa. I propose that Jeffrey Sachs, Bono, Geldof, Bill Clinton and other proponents of “big money will fix Africa”, take a short walk to Maralal.

If money was the key to solving problems, banks would send agents on the streets to supply money to afflicted individuals. Banks only offer money to individuals who successfully translate their “problems” into “opportunities.” Money in itself is neutral.


SOURCE :

http://www.evancarmichael.com/African-Accounts/1519/Will-money-solve-Africas-Problems-A-Story-of-Former-Kenyan-Millionaires.html

SPEECH BY HIS EXCELLENCY HON. MWAI KIBAKI, C.G.H., M.P., PRESIDENT AND COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA ON THE OCCASION OF THE 46TH ANNIVERSARY OF KENYATTA DAY TUESDAY, 20TH OCTOBER, 2009


FELLOW KENYANS,

I am pleased to join you as we observe this year's Kenyatta Day. This occasion reminds us of the great personal and collective sacrifices our independence heroes made, so that Kenya would be an independent and sovereign nation.

Our heroes left us with a legacy of the courage, commitment, dedication and sacrifice they showed in the fight for independence. They had the courage to fight against the overwhelming power of the British Empire.

They displayed unwavering dedication to the cause of Kenya's freedom, and were willing to sacrifice everything including their own lives and property, to ensure that Kenya attained its independence.

Forty six years into our independence, we, as a people, are at the crucial moment of nation building. We are called upon, once again to show the same level of commitment our founding fathers displayed, in making Kenya a cohesive, peaceful and prosperous country.

As a nation, we find ourselves at a unique moment in history. Despite the challenges we face, we see within our grasp the opportunity to transform Kenya into a new country, with strong democratic and economic institutions for the good of our people.

We must, therefore, not lose sight of this vision. Nor should we lose sight of the progress we have made so far.

Indeed, the Grand Coalition Government has, in the last one year, embarked on implementing some of the most far reaching reforms in our country's history.

Fellow Kenyans,

The first step towards the birth of a new Kenya involves the search for a new Constitution. A year ago, we re-affirmed our commitment to constitution review, and immediately created the legal framework for establishment of the necessary institutions to spearhead the task.

That is why today we have the Committee of Experts, to spearhead the effort to give our country a new Constitution.

Similarly, we now have in place the Interim Independent Constitutional Dispute Resolution Court that has exclusive and original jurisdiction over disputes related to the constitutional review process. I am confident that we are on the path to having a new Constitution next year.

However, those charged with the responsibility of drafting a new Constitution must know that Kenyans desire a Constitution that satisfies and reflects a broad national consensus.

That is, a Constitution that represents the aspirations of the majority of Kenyans and one that can withstand the test of time.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

At this time last year, Kenyans were still debating the kind of electoral system the country required. The outcome was the establishment of the Interim Independent Electoral Commission. This Commission has gone through the first test in the just concluded by-elections.

The Commission is now in the process of preparing a new voters roll ahead of the referendum on the new Constitution Meanwhile, I am hopeful that the new constitution will provide for the establishment of a new electoral body that will have the competence and integrity required to win public confidence for generations to come.

The question of a fair electoral process is related to the issue of putting in place a mechanism to ensure fair and equal representation in parliament and civic authorities.

The need to apply the principle of one person one vote led to the establishment of the Interim Independent Boundaries Commission in accordance with the Kriegler Report. It is charged with the responsibility of curving out electoral and administrative boundaries.

At the end of its work, the Boundaries Commission will hopefully give the country what the people have been looking for, namely providing the electoral body with approximately equal size constituencies demographically.

This will give the country the fair representation our forefathers fought for, it will give Kenya the political and social stability she requires for fair management of public affairs.

Fellow Kenyans,

The new Kenya we envisage can only be born of a people who consciously made decision to create a strong, united national identity, where they view themselves first and foremost as Kenyan, while other identities are increasingly relegated to secondary importance.

To create such a country requires great courage and commitment, persistence and to consistently desire to be Kenyan above all other forms of identity.

This is why, with last year's event, we must give priority to the agenda of national healing and reconciliation, as well as to the need to put an end to the culture of impunity. To undertake this responsibility, the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission has been put in place.

The Commission will help our nation and people to deal decisively with past injustices, so that we can move forward as a united and cohesive Kenya. I appeal to all Kenyans to give this Commission all possible co-operation for the sake of our nation.

We know that old habits of ethnic, racial, sexual, and religious stereotypes take a long time to wither.

We have therefore established a new body, this year, to ensure that we put in place laws and rules that will criminalize hate speech, profiling, discrimination and all other negative practices that perpetuate ethnic tendencies and other divisive social behaviour.

The noble goals proposed under the above reforms will be achieved more rapidly if we safeguard the right of all Kenyans to live, work, and settle anywhere they choose. The Government has finalized all issues pertaining to internally displaced persons born out of post election violence last year.

All the remaining IDPs are expected to go back to their farms shortly. The Government has assisted many to re-start their lives.

In this regard, I ask you, my fellow countrymen and women, to ensure that all those coming to settle near your homes are reassured of their safety and security. Help them settle, and support them to feel free to recreate their homes, farms, and businesses.

As all IDPs are finally settled, let us commit ourselves, individually and collectively, to ensure that never again in our nation's history will anyone be forced to be an internally displaced person.

Fellow Kenyans,

You are all aware of the terrible drought and subsequent food insecurity, water shortage and energy crisis we have faced this year. This is in addition to the battering our economy took from last year's post-election violence.

You may recall that in 2008, the economy grew at a rate of 1.7 per cent, down from 7.1 per cent in 2007, it is expected to grow at between 2 and 3 per cent this year.

Faced by these enormous challenges, the Government has acted decisively in dealing with the challenges by allocating nearly 24 billion shillings of its own resources to alleviate the suffering of the vulnerable members of our society.

We have also set aside more funds to procure strategic grain reserves from our local farmers. And to ensure that food remains affordable, the Government has lifted import duty on maize imports until June next year.

To provide vulnerable groups with a source of income, the Government introduced the countrywide Kazi kwa Vijana programme, and the cash transfer programme to the urban poor and elderly persons.

In the meantime, the Government has mobilized the Army, Administration Police and National Youth Service to provide logistical support in the provision of food to hardest hit parts of the country.

In addition, the Government has also intervened and bought animals from pastoralists under the Emergency Livestock Off-take programme, just to alleviate their problems.

More has been done in the areas of water supply, with key efforts being directed at drilling of boreholes, excavating dams and pans, providing water tanks to communities and schools, and availing water through water bowsers to various urban and rural communities.

Despite these short term programs, we have not lost sight of the long term measures we need to undertake to make Kenya a food secure nation.

With regard to expanding food production during the current short-rains season, the Government will distribute subsidized fertilizer and relief seeds.

The Government has enhanced food production by putting 40,000 acres under irrigation by the end of last month. The target is to have an extra ONE million additional acres of land under irrigation.

Equally important is the Government effort to import enough supplies of fertilizer that is currently being sold at affordable prices of about 2,000 shillings per 50 kilogram bag.

With the onset of short rains, we are confident that there will be enough food for all at affordable prices next year. We will continue in our efforts to ensure that we do not undergo such food crisis again in the future.

Hence, the new programmes of subsidized fertilizer and seed prices, together with the expanded irrigated food production, should ensure that Kenya becomes self-sufficient in food within the next two years.

Fellow Kenyans,

We are further aware of the possibility of heavy rains during this current short rains season and the potential impacts the floods could have on our country.

In anticipation of possible negative outcomes, various Government departments are pre-positioning food, drugs, water treatment chemicals, vaccines and other relief supplies in flood prone areas to ensure continuity in relief efforts.

Additionally, the Government is desilting a number of dams, rebuilding dykes on flood prone rivers of Nyanza and Western provinces. Plans are also underway to construct a number of mega dams in several parts of the country.

To add efforts to conserve water, the Government is encouraging wananchi to establish as much water storage capacity as possible so that we do not waste the opportunity for water harvesting granted by the heavy rains.

Efforts are equally underway to establish a public information and communications system to deal with emergencies and keep wananchi sensitized of any impending danger if any.

However, much of these efforts may go to waste unless they are supported by clear determination to restore and conserve our water towers. The Prime Minister and others charged with this responsibility will do good to forge ahead and see to the full restoration of the Mau Forest, as well as other forests at the Aberdares, Mount Kenya, Mount Elgon and Cherangany Hills.

Fellow Kenyans,

I wish to reiterate the Government's commitment to reviving the economy, creating employment and providing the best environment for every Kenyan to be gainfully employed.

This will enable each of our citizens have a place to call home, and have the opportunity to provide education and healthcare to their families.

However, I am fully aware that we cannot achieve these goals, or the objectives set out in VISION TWENTY THIRTY, unless we prudently direct our national resources and consolidate the fight against corruption.

I am happy to note that today there are fewer incidents of grand corruption reported by the National Audit Office. This is due to the tougher procurement laws, the oversight role of Parliamentary committees, and scrutiny by the civil society and the media.

The positive development can also be attributed to greater observance of financial regulations by public officers and state institutions.

Nevertheless, one must acknowledge that the war against corruption and waste is far from won. The Government wants more effective investigations and prosecutions involving corruption.

This will help regain and retain public confidence in public institutions.
In this regard, I direct accounting officers to institute sanctions, including prosecution and sacking of any officers serving under them who commit acts of corruption.

I am also asking the public to fearlessly expose all officers who solicit bribes from them, so that we can tame and eventually eradicate corruption. The private sector must also play its part and stop inducing public servants with bribes in order to win favours.

The Grand Coalition insists on fighting corruption and the culture of impunity because we know that integrity in the management of public institutions is critical to the attainment of the VISION TWENTY THIRTY goals.

As Kenyans know, a sound judicial system is a key pillar for our social and economic growth. In this connection, the Grand Coalition Government is determined to carry out the required reforms in the judiciary for justice to be done timely and effectively.

Fellow Kenyans,

Ladies and Gentlemen, I now wish to comment on issues of human induced climate change and international security.

As we reflect on the realization of a new Kenya in the emerging environment of unpredictable climate change and the changing face of insecurity and terrorism, we must have the courage to make some fundamental changes in the way we live, and the way we conduct ourselves.

At the international level, Kenya will join other African countries in seeking compensation for bearing the greatest burden of climate change.
At the local level, it is important that we seize this opportunity posed by climate change to adapt our livelihoods as well as the economy and society to the new reality. This is where 80 per cent of our country is expected to become drier, and 20 per cent wetter, due to erratic weather patterns.

For the better part of our history, Kenya has been a rural-based economy, with a few cities and towns. These lifestyles and livelihoods cannot sustain us much longer under the double pressure arising from relentless rapid population growth and the changing climate.

This reality will make it very difficult for the bulk of our people to draw their sustenance from farming or livestock keeping.

We have no choice but to plan for rapid urbanization and rural eco-cluster settlements. We must plan for several large metropolitan areas in various parts of the country which will serve to hold the bulk of the population. We must also plan for a highly effective rural cluster eco-programme for both agricultural and pastoral communities.

In addition, we have to accelerate plans for an economy based on services and industry through special economic zones and the creation of a second transport corridor.

This is why the Government has given a green light for construction of the new Lamu Port and the development of a railway line from Lamu to Southern Sudan and Ethiopia. This will open up the whole of Northern Kenya as a new economic frontier for the overall development of the country.

Kenyans are therefore advised to prepare and take advantage of the new economic opportunities that the new railway and port will offer.

On the issue of security, I urge Kenyans throughout the country to rethink the way they live and conduct themselves. It must be remembered that Government security forces can only succeed in keeping us safe and secure if we observe and uphold the rule of law wherever we live.

Thus, citizens cannot arm themselves, raid their neighbours, kill and maim others, and then accuse the Government of not providing security. Nor can citizens harbour known criminals and criminal gangs, protect them as community members, and then complain of extortion, murder and other serious crimes.

It is time for all to own up their mistakes. I, therefore, urge all Kenyans to co-operate with security forces to end crime. I invite every Kenyans to support Government's plan for disarmament.

Let us all discourage arms buying in families and our villages, and let us report any arms merchants and dealers to the security forces.

Let all Kenyans identify and report all criminals in their midst to the police, and refrain individually or collectively from protecting or condoning organized crimes and criminal gangs in their midst.
These are the hard standards and basic features of a society that truly seeks to be and remain secure. Let all play their part; the Government will play its full part always.


As I conclude, I urge us all to have the courage and commitment to build a new Kenya, a country blessed with a hardworking and youthful population. Let us direct our energies to the creation of the wealth for Kenyans as a basis for expanding employment and higher living standards for all our citizens.

To do this, we must recast our national discourse and focus not on the things that divide us, but on the many issues and similarities that unite us.

It is no accident that we were born Kenyans. God meant us to be one peaceful, prosperous, working, united and caring nation.

This is the true meaning of the words of our national anthem; when we say,
May we dwell in unity,
Peace and liberty
Plenty be found within our borders.


Finally, Fellow Kenyans, I wish to convey my best wishes to all students who will be sitting for their exams this year. My prayers are with you and may success come your way.


THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS YOU ALL.


SOURCE :

http://www.capitalfm.co.ke/news/Kenyanews/Kenyatta-Day-speech-6196.html

SOME REFLEXIONS ABOUT THE SAMBURU DISTRICT, FOUND IN INTERNET


SHOCKING RETURN TO NORTHERN KENYA AFTER 20 YEARS


In December 1982, I moved to Kenya. For three years I worked for UNICEF, before becoming a journalist based in Nairobi.

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I’m shocked and angry at what I’ve seen. We bounced along rocky, rutted tracks – in the quarter of a century since I was last here, the Kenyan government has done nothing to improve the roads. People remain cut off from services and supplies.

.../...


ARTICLE COMPLET:

http://blogs.channel4.com/snowblog/2009/10/12/shocking-return-to-northern-kenya-after-20-years/


WITH SOME PICTURES : CHECK

http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/world/africa/pictures+drought+in+kenya/3386997

Suffer the little children

Being a child is a very dangerous thing in Kenya today.

According to the country’s gender and children’s ministry, about 6,000 children were sexually assaulted last year, and more than 38,300 others were neglected in one way or another by their parents or guardians.

In the year, close to 3,000 children were completely abandoned and had to receive care from state-run and private children’s homes.

Currently, the ministry said, only 58 per cent of children under 15 live with both parents, with an incredible 2.4 million being orphans. A ticking time bomb, or a lost generation? Time will tell.


SOURCE

http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/opOrEd/lastword/-/434754/667772/-/f14pm2z/-/

Kenyans harvesting problems after sowing post poll chaos

Kenya is becoming a country of shortages. We started with rain shortage. Agriculture and livestock were heavily hit. Then came the maize shortage. Millions continue to be affected by severe famine.

Then came the fuel shortage and high prices. Then followed water shortage, a problem still persisting with no end in sight. And when we thought we were done with shortages, here comes the power shortage.

We also have serious shortage of good leadership, to top it all! How much more can Kenyans stomach? Whoever said that we are peculiar missed the word. We are unique.

Now, with all these shortages, coupled with increasing road accidents, crime, corruption, impunity, a disunited Cabinet, environmental degradation and other social problems, it is time we sat and pensively reflected on what has gone wrong with this beautiful country.

As a Christian, I think that all these are the fruits of our “labour”. We killed our countrymen like animals. We raped our women, young and old like beasts. We burnt innocent people in church like people gone mad. We created refugees in our own country — the list is endless.

Now, with these crimes, did we expect God to reward us with plenty of rains? I doubt. God is kind but he punishes those who do not follow His ways. As the Swahili saying goes, malipo ni hapa hapa duniani (justice is served here on earth) and we are harvesting what we planted in 2008.

The solution to this is for us to come together as a nation and pray and repent, and God will rescue us from these self-inflicted calamities. It is not too late.

The problem with our country is; who will lead the way for these national prayers. Back to leadership, or lack of it. Can someone please take charge before God unleashes further rage on us? Where are the religious leaders?

Written by : BASILIO CHABARI,Malindi


The big story in yesterday’s Nation (August 10) shows how the country is likely to go down at the merciless hands of drought, water shortage and electricity blackouts.
We have had cases of mass starvation before, and each time, the Cabinet goes for an emergency meeting to deliberate on the crisis.

The political class must understand that this mass starvation cannot wait; it requires immediate attention. The government should have started on irrigation programmes a long time ago.
We are doing too little, too late.

Please speak out and take action today. We are the change we seek. Stand up today and demand accountability from our politicians. I love my country so much I don’t want to see any more suffering.

Written by : JULIUS OJALA OJAKAA,Nairobi


SOURCE :

http://www.nation.co.ke/oped/Letters/-/440806/637640/-/view/DEFAULT/-/6fpr9hz/-/index.html


MY COMMENT : DON'T RELAY ON GOD'S COMPASSION TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS OF KENYA!!!

Time to think together or declare this country a national disaster


Kenya is at a crossroads. Almost every sphere and sector of life is in a crisis. Over 10 million people face hunger and starvation. The number is set to increase as the current crop season has failed.

Urban life is facing imminent danger. Water shortages have persisted. Outbreak of water–related diseases is a real threat. Urban transport is degenerating. Rules introduced by former Transport minister John Michuki to rein in matatus are no longer observed. Road carnage is back.

Insecurity has reached alarming levels. Everyone is under threat. Kidnapping, violent robberies, car jacking and other ills reign in our society today. Cases of police brutality and extra-judicial killings abound.

Inter–communal tensions and conflicts continue to rise. Class tensions are beginning to emerge. Militant illegal groups are taking shape. The entire Kenya community is threatened.

External conflicts such as terrorism and national boundary disputes are finding their way into a country beset by her own problems.

Many of our youth have become despondent. We are losing a productive and energetic youth to illicit brews, idleness, drug abuse and illegal groups. Unemployment is a major issue.

Commodity prices are at an all-time high. Most basic goods, such as food, are beyond the reach of many. Agriculture faces collapse. Tea farmers are uprooting their crops. Maize farmers are facing crop failures and poor payments. Other sectors such as coffee and pyrethrum are at lowest levels.

National leadership has become ineffective. People no longer trust their leaders. The Executive has failed to show leadership. Parliament tries, but loses focus too often. The Judiciary is fast losing trust. The spiritual leadership is fast losing credibility.

Families are disintegrating. Cases of fathers raping daughters and other social ills dominate our media outlets. Hundreds of internally displaced people are still in camps.

The health sector is no better. Doctors are now urging the government to declare TB a national disaster. HIV and Aids are wrecking our society.

Swine flu is a looming danger. Malaria, cholera and other preventable diseases are on the rise. Environmental degradation continues to be a hot political subject.

Yet, the country continues to experience extreme weather conditions. Major rivers are drying up. Our forests are fast dwindling. Natural resources are over-exploited.

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SOURCE ET ARTICLE COMPLET :

http://www.nation.co.ke/oped/Letters/-/440806/627462/-/item/0/-/jucberz/-/index.html

Written by William Lambers, Global Hunger Examiner


Fighting hunger in Kenya with school meals


The drought emergency that has been declared in Kenya arrives on top of previously existing problems: an AIDS epidemic, urban migration, and a lack of government resources to deal with these challenges. People who were already struggling to feed themselves because of high food prices have now been hit by maize shortages and drought. Nearly 50 percent of the population lives below the poverty line—on less than a dollar a day—and with inadequate access to food. 1.2 million children remain out of school despite the 2003 declaration by the Government of free primary education for all.

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) runs school feeding programs to help impoverished children in Kenya. Rene McGuffin, a WFP program advisor, talks about how critical school feeding is for overcoming hunger and poverty in Kenya.

How many children benefit from the WFP School feeding programs in Kenya?

WFP Kenya is providing food assistance to 770,000 primary schoolchildren in more than 1,700 schools located in the remote, arid regions and the unplanned urban slums of Nairobi and Mombasa. Due to the drought and resulting food crisis, WFP is looking at scaling up the number of children it feeds by April 2009 in an effort to ensure that those children who might otherwise drop out of school to help their families during these difficult times remain in school.

Discuss what effect the meals have on the children in terms of school attendance, performance, and nutrition.

Although progress has been made, there are significant regional disparities in access to social services and schooling across Kenya. In both the remote, arid districts and the urban slums, more than 67 percent of the population lives below the poverty line, many on less than a dollar a day. Basic social services are grossly inadequate.

Chronic food insecurity and poverty reduces opportunities for children to complete primary education in many parts of Kenya. To support children in school, WFP launched a school feeding program in 1980 with an overall objective of supporting the Government’s goal of ensuring universal primary education and education for all by 2015.

The daily meal, mixed with oil and salt, provides the children with 703.25 calories, including 13.5 grams of protein and 5 grams of fat necessary for their growth.

According to a WFP 2008 survey, the net enrollment rate for boys and girls has risen from 77% in 2002 to 92% in 2007, due in part to the Government of Kenya’s Free Primary School initiative, and in part to the provision of school meals. While gender ratios are below parity in all schools, meaning fewer girls are attending school than boys, the ratio is closer to parity in schools with school feeding. This suggests that school meals attract the more underprivileged female students to class. Attendance rates in WFP-assisted schools have increased to 89 percent, demonstrating that school feeding draws hungry children to school each day.

Teachers routinely cite school meals as having a positive effect on the ability of students to concentrate in the classroom, the duration of their attention spans, and their cognitive and learning abilities. Improving school enrollment has been cited as the single most effective child protection intervention, and school meals ensure that children in the impoverished slums come to class. Crime and violence are prevalent in the slums, and children are often the victims. One study found that primary school-aged girls were the most vulnerable, with a 60% likelihood of being victims of abuse and violence. High poverty levels in the slums expose children to sexual violence. Child prostitution is common and the prevalence of HIV/AIDS is high. Providing a meal in school means that children are less likely to be roaming urban streets where they are subjected to violence.

What plans are there for making school meals available for all children?

WFP’s new five-year development program (2009-2013) has emphasized the need to hand the program over to the Government after 28 years of assistance. The Government’s 2008/2009 budget included $5 million USD for feeding an additional 550,000 children through a Home-Grown School Feeding Program, which brings school feeding and agricultural development together through local procurement, support of school gardens, and agricultural education in the classroom. This brings the total number of children targeted for school meals to 1.32 million.

During times of severe drought, WFP expands its school feeding program to hard-hit areas. Due to the threat of drought from little rain in the Eastern and Coast Provinces in 2008, an ongoing assessment will determine how many more children will benefit from school meals in 2009. Even without this expansion, nearly 63 percent of the children enrolled in primary schools are currently receiving food.

What would be the sources of funding for any expansion of the school feeding program?

WFP Kenya’s school feeding program, like other programs around the world, relies entirely on voluntary contributions. Given competing priorities, including saving lives in emergencies, WFP Kenya advocates for funding from corporations and individuals, as well as governments, to reach the 770,000 children currently under its program. Additional support by the private sector would enable more children to be fed in school. Currently, WFP Kenya receives annual contributions from International Paper, Unilever, and individual donors, and would be pleased to welcome other partners.

The Government of Kenya, through the Kenya Education Sector Support Project (KESSP) and with support from the international donor community and the United Nations, has identified school feeding as an efficient and effective means of promoting access to basic education for all in the remote arid regions. While Kenya has made budget allocations to feed an additional 550,000 children under its Home-Grown School Feeding Program, the country continues to depend on aid, with external grants comprising five percent of total public revenue.

Significant grant financing will be required to support achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in the near future, especially as the post-election crisis of 2008 eroded some of the gains that previously had been made. The Ministry of Education has the opportunity to utilize donor funding through the KESSP for school meals and would welcome any other support from the international community.

What has been the effect of high food prices on this funding effort?

High food prices have caused the cost of feeding a child one meal each school day to increase from just 9 cents to 18 cents a day in Kenya. As a result, 2008 contributions only covered 50 percent of the previously identified requirements, and additional resources were required to reach all children. In an effort to address the impact of higher food prices, WFP headquarters allocated an additional $2 million to expand school feeding in Nairobi slums and in early childhood development centers (pre-school) in remote, arid districts. High food prices have had a disastrous effect on both the urban poor, who spend 60-80% of their income on food, and pastoralists in northern Kenya, where malnutrition rates among children under five is routinely above the international emergency threshold of 15 percent.

How can someone help the school feeding program?

Individuals, schools, and corporations interested in supporting school feeding can find information on how to donate online. If in the United States, you can find information through Friends of the World Food Programme. Both sites allow donations to be targeted directly to WFP’s operations in Kenya.

Since 2004, corporate partners like International Paper and Unilever have ensured that nearly 100,000 WFP-supported children in Kenya receive a hot, nutritious meal in the Nairobi slums and in the Masai region. By providing an incentive to come to school, these corporations are helping to build a brighter future for both the children and the country. These children, with the help of the school feeding program, will be the next generation of successful contributors to Kenyan society.

In addition, through the UK Really Good School Dinner campaign, school children across the UK raised funds for school meals in Kenya and other countries.

We are encouraging other corporations, schools, and partners to get involved by adopting a school or donating money for school meals. Cash and in-kind contributions to support the school feeding program are welcome.

Anything else you'd like to add about why you think school feeding is important for people to support?

Many children are frequently absent from school, drop out to look for food or income, or are simply too hungry to come to school. Even if they do come to school, hunger can diminish their ability to learn. These chronic problems are intensified during acute food shortages such as those caused by drought and other shocks. In Kenya, as in many other developing countries, school feeding increases the number of children enrolled, and encourages them to stay in school. Many times this is the only meal that these children have in a day.

Kenya is currently facing a multitude of challenges. Last month, the government declared food shortages as a national disaster, and announced that 10 million Kenyans were in need of food assistance. While a WFP-Government assessment on total needs is still being finalized, the government has indicated that as many as 850,000 additional children need school meals to keep them in class during the 2009 school year. As a result of the drought, many families resort to extreme measures, including pulling their children out of school to work, just so families can eat one meal a day. In schools where school feeding is offered, this is less likely to happen.

The high food prices that continue to plague Kenya have a direct impact on those living in urban slums, who spend 60-80 percent of their incomes on food. From December 2007 to December 2008, the price of maize (the main staple) increased by 100 percent, cooking fuel by 50 percent, and water by 114 percent in the urban markets.

School meals help get children in the Nairobi and Mombasa slums off of the dangerous streets and into classrooms, ensuring them least one hot, nutritious meal each day.

SOURCE :

http://www.examiner.com/x-16819-Global-Hunger-Examiner~y2009m7d15-Fighting-hunger-in-Kenya-with-school-meals

The world's population - already at least 6.7 billion people - will double in the next 40 years if current growth rates are left unchecked, warns the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

EXTRAIT:

"What we see is countries like Kenya, which had stabilised its growth, are now growing faster again," Alex Ezeh, executive director of the Africa Population and Health Research Centre, told IPS. "By 2050 Kenya is projected to have 87 million people."

Kenya currently has a population of 39 million.


SOURCE ET ARTICLE COMPLET:

http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=47587