The County Government of Bomet is set to cultivate over 150 acres of Iron-rich beans (HIB) as part of a school feeding programme to help boost the nutrition and health of school children.
Already, through the County Department of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, in partnership with the HarvestPlus organisation, stakeholders have been sensitised in earnest on the establishment of High Iron Bean (HIB) school gardens across the county to cumulatively raise 150 acres of produce per season.
The initiative aims to guide seed distribution to selected schools and align stakeholder roles, with an expected production of approximately 60 metric tonnes of HIB grains to support school feeding programmes.
County Director of Nutrition, Caroline Terer, emphasized the importance of iron-rich diets in improving learners’ concentration, health, and academic performance.
She noted that the programme is a joint effort between the county Departments of Agriculture, Health, and Education, alongside HarvestPlus.
Bomet County Ministry of Education County Director Mr Leonard Ngugi lauded the initiative and called for strong collaboration among stakeholders to ensure its successful implementation.
The County Director of Agriculture, Mr David Korir, urged local teams to provide adequate support throughout the project period.
Key discussions during the sensitisation workshop focused on the school garden model, identification of beneficiary schools, seed distribution plans, seed quality and the implementation matrix.
By Erick Ongeri
