Presentation Title
Understanding Primary School Feeding Practices in Rural Kenya
Abstract
The right to adequate food is explicitly guaranteed in the Kenyan Constitution, but food insecurity remains high. National programs and nutrition policies play key roles in the Kenyan government’s strategy to increase children’s academic and nutritional outcomes. Kenya’s Home-Grown School Feeding Program, an approach in which local communities are given greater control over the school meals program and part of the food is sourced locally, may improve meal quality. However, there is limited research on school feeding practices and on the application/impact of recent food and nutrition policies in schools. This study draws on original data from St. Vianney, a combination day/boarding primary school in rural Homa Bay County, Kenya, to investigate current school feeding practices and to assess school feeding program alignment with the Kenyan National Food and Nutrition Security Policy Implementation Framework of 2017. The analysis combines insights from qualitative observations, historical documentation, and structured interviews with school administrators and faculty to paint a broad picture of school feeding activities and impacts over time. Food insecurity among children can lead to impaired cognitive abilities and performance later in life; the results of this study will help inform policy and program efforts to combat food insecurity in Kenyan schools.
Primary Faculty Mentor Name
Dr. Farryl Bertmann
Graduate Student Mentors
Dr. Farryl Bertmann
Faculty/Staff Collaborators
Dr. Farryl Bertmann (Graduate Student Mentor)
Status
Graduate
Student College
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Program/Major
Accelerated RN-BS-MS
Primary Research Category
Food & Environment Studies
Understanding Primary School Feeding Practices in Rural Kenya
The right to adequate food is explicitly guaranteed in the Kenyan Constitution, but food insecurity remains high. National programs and nutrition policies play key roles in the Kenyan government’s strategy to increase children’s academic and nutritional outcomes. Kenya’s Home-Grown School Feeding Program, an approach in which local communities are given greater control over the school meals program and part of the food is sourced locally, may improve meal quality. However, there is limited research on school feeding practices and on the application/impact of recent food and nutrition policies in schools. This study draws on original data from St. Vianney, a combination day/boarding primary school in rural Homa Bay County, Kenya, to investigate current school feeding practices and to assess school feeding program alignment with the Kenyan National Food and Nutrition Security Policy Implementation Framework of 2017. The analysis combines insights from qualitative observations, historical documentation, and structured interviews with school administrators and faculty to paint a broad picture of school feeding activities and impacts over time. Food insecurity among children can lead to impaired cognitive abilities and performance later in life; the results of this study will help inform policy and program efforts to combat food insecurity in Kenyan schools.