Kajiado: Parents, elders line up with children in schools for food as drought bites

Kajiado: Parents, elders line up with children in schools for food as drought bites

Parents and elders line up in a Kajiado school for food.

Parents and the elderly in Kajiado County are joining their children in school to get a plate of food during lunch as the ongoing drought and consequent hunger continues to bite.

According to Ilbisil Primary School head teacher Daniel Lantai, the school has resorted to serve the parents small portions of the food as they say some of them literally beg for food.

And so for about a week now, as pupils diligently line up for lunch, so do a handful of parents with their plates in hand.

Ann Santila, one such parent, said: “Hakuna chakula nyumbani...anakufa ng’ombe, mbuzi imekufa ata punda...yaani hakuna kwa nyumba kitu chochote.”

Santira Siaraka, yet another, stated: “Badala ya kuenda kuiba si niende kukula na watoto? Ata mwalimu wa hapa anatusaidianga sana sana sisi wakongwe.”

So dire is the situation that some parents opt to join cooks when preparing lunch, to pick up grains that they can carry back home to cook for their families. The situation has  put a strain on the school’s resources.

Head teacher Lantai said: “Inaleta changamoto kwa boarding sababu sasa itaisha kabla ya siku na ata saa hii fees wazazi hawalipi...fees tunategemea low cost ya serikali na ndio tunatumia kununua chakula na pia kulipa watu na kununua maji na stima.”

A report published by the Kenya Food Security Steering Group reveals that 5.4 million Kenyans could face acute food shortage by June this year.

The National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) indicates that 2.6 million livestock deaths have been reported in the country as a result of the ongoing drought.

Counties outside the ASAL region such as Machakos, Elgeyo Marakwet and Murang’a also suffering the devastating effects of drought.

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Kajiado County Drought Ilbisil Primary School

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