UNIBRAIN INDUSTRIES LTD ESTABLISHES A NUTRITIOUS WAY OF CREATING SUSTAINABLE EDUCATION IN POVERTY ZONES IN KENYA.
In Kenya, there are more than 8 million students missing so many days of school that their academic performance is at risk. Excused or unexcused absence by school children can translate into building huge barriers impeding learning and reduce rate of early school graduation. Poverty stricken students are more likely to face this problem of absenteeism and face the most harm as their community lack resources to make up for the lost learning in schools. Students with disabilities are also not disproportionately spared from jaws of this menace.
Many of these absences, more so, the youngest between grade 1 to grade 8 are tied to health problems, mental health. Other problems include lack of safe routes to school and food insecurity. In many cases this problem goes unnoticed because schools and government agencies are counting how many students show up every day rather than examining how many students miss so much school causing them to fall behind. The good news is that Unibrain Industries LTD and The National Council for Nomadic Education in Kenya ( NACONEK) is working throughout the country, establishing that absenteeism caused by food security is a solvable problem.
What works is creating a sustainable food solution through the production and distribution Fortified porridge to schools in Kenya. Porridge that is well equipped with ingredients to compensate for the missing nutrients in a child's diet. Its main ingredients include; Sweet potatoes, Maize, Soya beans, sorghum and sweeteners. Fortified porridge by Unibrain Industries shows great potential with the product receiving good reviews from local schools, teachers and students in Garissa, Bungoma and Nairobi County.
Fortified porridge production is done in Machwele sub-location, Bungoma county has created a local market for farmers around the region. Its raw materials are directly bought from farmers getting funds that will allow them to take and keep their children in school. On the 18th of July 2022, Unibrain Industries LTD and NACONEK had a meeting with farmers of Machwele village, to sensitize on the need for local involvement and deal with potential risks that may impede its production. Key participants of the meeting included Ingredion, Africa Development Bank, Machwele assistant chief and Director of Education Bungoma county and Hikma Foundation.
A potential partnership deal between Unibrain Industries LTD and Africa Development Bank is on the way. With this opportunity knocking at the door, production will increase, not only on the manufacturing process, but farmers will be able to borrow loans that will fund the growing of raw materials like; Sorghum, Sweet potatoes, Maize and Soya beans to be bought by Unibrain. Local farmers see this as a win-win chance as they can produce more due to funding at the same time, profits realized are used to pay off loans acquired from Africa Development Bank. Addressing food security for sustainable development is Unibrain and NACONEK's focus point as the fortified porridge is creating a sustainable education for children by keeping them in school, improving academic performance and compensation of lacking nutrients in a child's diet.