Global Child Nutrition Forum participants to visit Healthy Learning schools!

Delegates invited to Kenya for the Global Child Nutrition Forum to be held  between the 2nd - 7th of May 2011 will get an opportunity to visit four schools in Kenya, two of which are implementing Healthy Learning.

The theme for this year's forum is scaling up sustainability: Linking  school feeding with agricultural development to maximize food security.

Primary Boys Boarding school (PBS) and Nkoile Primary school are both under the government sponsored home grown school meals programme. These schools, located in Kajiado Central district, an arid and semi arid area in Kenya are also implementing the Healthy Learning Programme and are doing quite well.

PBS, as this school is commonly known is a boys boarding primary school that caters for the needs of special children. The school is implementing various Healthy Learning projects among them steers fattening, environmental conservation through tree planting and a kitchen garden. All these projects aim at sustaining the school meals programme while equipping the children and surrounding community with crucial life skills.  Furthermore, school projects are linked to the curriculum. Teachers utilize the school projects to teach various concepts in the classroom making learning experiential and practical.

PBS's steers fattening project is quite attractive to the local pastoralist (Maasai) community. Maasai's attach a lot of value to cattle. Subsequently, the level of community participation in maintaining the project is quite high.  This is the most viable project considering that the area is mostly dry meaning crop growing may not be viable. Currently, the school has 9 steers which are ready for sale. These were bought at Ksh 15,000/- ($ 188) per steer. At the current market price, each steer is likely to be sold at Ksh 30,000/- ($375) which is twice its buying price! The profit accrued will be used to purchase more steers ultimately sustaining the current school meals programme.

 

Primary Boys steers




Entrance to Primary Boys Boarding School

 According to the head teacher of the school Mr. Kaesha, pupils and the surrounding community are learning crucial life skills vital in improving the quality of life. The maasai community seldom sell their animals at the right time and most times end up loosing herds of cattle during periods of extreme drought. It is expected that the community will learn from the school business skills on steers fattening.

PBS is also involved in environmental conservation. The school has planted several species of trees and flowers to beautify the environment. The school purchased an energy saving stove that utilises less firewood when preparing school meals. Before the acquisition of an energy saving jiko, a total of ksh 72,000/- ($ 900) would be used to purchase 12 lorries of firewood each school term. Currently, the school has cut down fuel consumption by half spending Ksh 36,000/- ( $450) for 6 lorries of firewood each school term.

Energy saving stoves at PBS

Another interesting aspect to look out for while at PBS are the numerous talking walls (murals) with educative messages. These aid the pupils to remember what is taught in class as they perform activities outside the classroom.




A message to remind pupils to always maintain clean hands




A talking wall at PBS reinforcing a science topic taught in class

 Well now you know a bit about PBS, in the next post we will focus on Nkoile Primary School which is implementing another interesting Healthy Learning project.

Benefits of Healthy Learning: A pupil's perspective!

Emmanuel Mutiso author of winning essay

In the year 2010, beneficiaries of the Healthy Learning Programme (pupils) in 30 primary schools wrote essays on "How you have benefited from the Healthy Learning Programme since it started in your school". Master Emmanuel Mutiso, a standard 7 pupil in Katelembo Primary School - Machakos emerged the winner.

Below is an extract from the winning essay:



" ...  The healthy learning programme has helped me to learn different methods of water harvesting. At home, i have started harvesting underground water by the use of underground gutters and also on roofs.

In keeping water safe for drinking, i have known different methods of making water safe for drinking. First, i boil the water to kill the germs or even add chemicals. By doing this i dont get water borne diseases which are deadly.

The healthy learning programme has helped me know different methods of planting trees and by that i have planted many trees at home. Trees are very important to our environment for example they purify the air, act as windbreakers and by this many roofs are not carried away by wind, they hold the soil firmly hence reduce soil erosion, they also act as shade when their is too much sun and lastly they act as habitat for birds and small animals.

I have started my own orchard where i plant fruits like mangoes, lemons, oranges, pawpaws, sweet melons, guavas and avocadoes, sometimes i take them to the market and sell them at very good prices. I use the money to buy fertilisers and sprays so that i can boost the productivity of my orchard.

Something i have noticed in healthy learning and i had not practised before is the kitchen garden and i am about to start it as soon as i gather all the requirements.

Lastly, i would like to thank the healthy learning programme teachers for the benefits and profit which i and other people have got from the programme which has greatly changed our day to day living standards. Our hygiene has also improved than before the programme. When i grow up, i would like to be a healthy learning educator "

Download winning essay Here