The County Government of Embu has intensified efforts to enhance food security and improve nutrition among school-going children through a programme that brings together farmers, schools and government agencies to promote food production and agricultural skills.
The programme is being implemented through a partnership among Embu County Departments of Agriculture, that of Education, the Cereal Growers Association (CGA) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Speaking during a Farmer’s Field Day at St. Chrysostom Comprehensive School in Kiamuringa, Mbeere South Sub-County, County Chief Officer in charge of agriculture Njeru Mwita emphasized the initiative is designed to improve both farming productivity and nutrition outcomes for school children.
Mwita said they want to use schools as practical learning and demonstration hubs for better farming practices for farmers across the county as well as meeting feeding and nutrition goals for learners.
He said farmers participating in the programme are learning improved farming methods that will increase productivity and strengthen food security at both household and county levels.
He noted that partnerships among various stakeholders are critical in promoting sustainable agriculture and ensuring farmers have access to knowledge and innovations that improve yields.
For the schools, Mwita said the program seeks to revive and expand the 4K Clubs in line with the Competency-Based Education (CBE) enabling learners to acquire practical agricultural skills and participate in food production activities.
”We want to encourage young people in schools to start projects like the 4K clubs because these young people are the great farmers of tomorrow. Once they acquire farming skills, they can also transfer the knowledge to their parents,” he said.
According to Mwita, the initiative is helping change perceptions about agriculture among learners by demonstrating that farming can be a viable source of income even on small pieces of land.
”These kids will learn that agriculture can be another avenue of making money. They have been taught that they do not need huge portions of land to start farming, grow food and make money,” he said.
He added that the 4K Clubs programme will be rolled out in all schools across Embu County, with agricultural officers expected to visit schools regularly to train learners on modern farming practices.
On his part, Mbeere South Sub-County Education Director Robert Mweti said the education sector had fully embraced the initiative following a directive by the Ministry of Education that all learners should have access to food either at home or in school.
Mwiti said the Ministries of education, agriculture and health had partnered to ensure schools produce food while at the same time improving nutrition among learners.
He said most schools have sufficient land and water resources that can be utilized for food production.
”Since most schools have enough land and water, we want to ensure that these resources in schools are put to proper use and benefit not just the schools through food production, but also students by providing them with agricultural skills and food for their own consumption,” he said.
Mweti added that the project aligns with the competency-based education curriculum, which emphasizes practical learning and skill development.
CGA Project Manager George Mabuka said the programme has already brought together 2,000 farmers from Mbeere South Sub-County organized into 80 groups.
“These farmers are taught better agricultural practices in order to ensure they grow food of high nutritional value,” said Mabuka.
Mabuka said the farmers and students are also being trained on climate-smart agriculture to enable them to continue producing food despite changing weather patterns and unreliable rainfall.
”Through climate-smart agriculture, farmers can continue producing food even when rainfall is low. We are equipping both farmers and learners with skills that will help them adapt to climate change while maintaining food production,” he said.
By Samuel Waititu
