SNV's school feeding efforts acknowledged in Kenyan communities

The Procurement Governance for Home Grown School Feeding (PG-HGSF) project of SNV Kenya was recognized at two separate award ceremonies in Laikipia and Elgeyo Marakwet Counties, both located in the mid-west of the country. These events awarded the best performing schools in the counties and also acknowledged the contributions that organisations, such as SNV, have made to these schools to help students succeed.

The event in Laikipia was held by the district education board and the event in Elgeyo Marakwet by the Ministry of Agriculture’s Agriculture Sector Development Support Programme. Both events took place in June and were attended by SNV staff working closest to the respective counties. The events attracted quite a turnout - over 100 primary and secondary schools were represented, and students, teachers, parents and other local community members were present at each. In Elgeyo Marakwet, even a member of Parliament and the State Minister of Education attended!

SNV was recognized at both events for its role in facilitating school feeding programmes by linking small farmers to schools and, also, for training teachers and Ministry of Education staff on procurement processes and social accountability approaches. SNV was also thanked for effectively disseminating information to schools on sources, pricing, and quality of food products, enabling those working with school feeding to make better and informed decisions about products and suppliers for school meals. During the events, SNV staff were able to speak to the audience about the highlights of the PG-HGSF project in Kenya, as well as their experiences working within the counties and lessons they have learned.

Along with being recognized as being an important contributor to schools in Elgeyo Marakwet and Laikipia, SNV was also able to present its own small trophy to the schools that had procured the most food from smallholder farmers. Mathews Wanjala, the SNV PG-HGSF Country Coordinator, said: “This was a great opportunity for us to demonstrate the role of SNV in school feeding. It was given a lot of prominence and, in Laikipia, I was given the opportunity to address the gathering and hand over prizes for various categories to the schools. My team was happy and excited! It was a great event!”

Congratulations, Team Kenya, and keep up the great work!