Dozens of starving parents from drought-hit areas in Kajiado County have resorted to sneaking into nearby schools for free lunch.
Most of these parents and the elderly have been left vulnerable after losing their livestock to the drought, relying only on relief food. It has become a trend for parents to sneak into nearby schools during lunch hour and queue with learners for a meal to ease the hunger
The number of elderly that had shown up at the school was larger than that of women. They were spotted outside the school gate looking tired for walking a long distance.it said that they would come over the lunch hour and queue with learners in order to get a meal.
They lined up calmly with the learners, some of them their grandchildren, for githeri – a mixture of beans and maize – commonly served as lunch in learning institutions. Head teacher Daniel Lantai said the school administration always allows parents to join the queues.
“Each day we have parents who gamble to get lunch from the school. We understand their plight back home so we cannot push them away,” Mr Lantai said, adding that some parents have been approaching the school directly to beg for food.
Parents and learners have lunch at a school in Kajiado County, which has been severely hit by a drought leading to death of animals.
However he said it’s a risky balancing act considering most parents are unable to pay school fees, meaning the learning institution has been hit hard amid the drought.
“The school management has opted to provide lunch for day scholars. We fear our food reserve will not last the whole term. Most parents are unable to pay the school fees,” he said.
