BASELINE SURVEY FOR THE
USDA McGOVERN-DOLE INTERNATIONAL FOOD FOR EDUCATION 
AND CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMME’S SUPPORT (2013-2015) TO
WFP KENYA COUNTRY PROGRAMME
(Photo: WFP / Mathari Rose Ogola)
Period of assistance: September 2013 – September 2015
Baseline Survey For The USDA McGovern-Dole International Food For 
Education And Child Nutrition Programme’s Support (2013-2015) To
WFP Kenya Country Programme
Program: McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition
Agreement Number: FFE-615-2013/041-00
Implemented by: World Food Programme
DISCLAIMER: This publication was produced at the request of the United States Department of Agriculture. It was 
prepared by an independent third-party evaluation firm. The author’s views expressed in this publication do not 
necessarily reflect the views of the United States Department of Agriculture or the United States Government.
Accessibility Note: An accessible version of this document can be made available by contacting 
fas.monitoring.evaluation@usda.gov
1
1. Introduction
TheWorldFoodProgrammeinKenya,2014-2018
The World Food Programme (WFP) currently carries out 
three large operations in Kenya: two ‘Protracted Relief 
and Recovery Operations’ (one of them supporting food 
insecure households in Kenya’s arid lands to enhance 
their resilience and secure their livelihoods, the other 
supporting refugees in camps in Dadaab and Kakuma), 
and one Country Programme (CP). The CP runs from July 
2014 to June 2018 and focusses on
 Capacity Development to Devolved Government 
Structures
 Supporting the National School Meals Programme
 Agricultural Market Access and Linkages for 
Smallholders and
 Strengthening nutritional outcomes for vulnerable 
groups through increased support to the National 
Nutrition Action Plan.
Supporting the national school meals programme builds 
on the successes of Kenya’s ‘Home-Grown School Meals 
Programme’ (HGSMP) and continues investments in 
enhancing the programme’s implementation and 
sustainable expansion. In line with its Kenya Country 
Strategy 2013–2017, which calls for a shift from service 
delivery to capacity development to address hunger, 
WFP will complement national efforts in the arid lands 
where national capacities are still constrained, 
enrolment and attendance disparities are greatest and 
food insecurity and malnutrition are high.
WFP will continue to complement national efforts to 
provide school meals to vulnerable children in arid 
counties and the unplanned settlements of Nairobi, 
while also working to improve the management and 
implementation of the national school feeding 
programme, and strengthening the capacities at 
national, county and school level to ensure reliable and 
cost-efficient and-effective implementation of school
meals. These activities will be guided by an evaluation 
of the HGSMP carried out in early 2014, and a strategy 
for the expansion of HGSMP into the arid lands prepared 
in 2013.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction................................................................. 1
The World Food Programme in Kenya, 2014 - 2018 ......... 1
The USDA / WFP Partnership ............................................ 2
2. Methodology ............................................................... 2
3. Introduction to baseline findings.................................. 2
4. Increased performance ................................................ 3
MGD SO 1: Improved literacy of school age children........ 3
MGD 1.1.1: More consistent teacher attendance............. 4
MGD 1.2: Improved attentiveness.................................... 5
5. Participation in education ............................................ 5
MGD 1.3 – Improved student attendance......................... 6
MGD 1.3.4 – Increased student enrolment....................... 7
MGD 1.3.5 – Increased community understanding of
benefits of education ........................................................ 8
6. Provision ofschool meals............................................. 8
MGD 1.2.1 Reduced short term hunger............................ 8
MGD 1.2.1.1 – Increased access to food (school feeding) 9
Feed the Future indicators.............................................. 10
7. Increased national capacity .........................................11
MGD 1.4.1 – Increased capacity of government
institutions ...................................................................... 11
MGD 1.4.2 – Improved Policy and Regulatory Framework12
MGD 1.4.4 – Increased Engagement of Local
Organizations and Community Groups ........................... 12
8. Food utilisation and food safety ..................................13
MGD SO 2 – Increased use of health and dietary practices13
MGD 2.2 – Increased knowledge of safe food preparation
and storage practices...................................................... 14
MGD 2.6 – Increased access to requisite food preparation
and storage tools and equipment ................................... 15
The McGovern–Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program (McGovern-Dole program) helps support education, child
development, and food security for some of the world’s poorest children. It provides for donations of U.S. agricultural products, as well as financial and 
technical assistance, for school feeding and maternal and child nutrition projects in low-income, food-deficit countries that are committed to universal 
education.
The McGovern-Dole program was originally authorized by the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. The legislation called for the use of $100 
million in Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) funds to launch the program in fiscal year 2003, with future funding coming from Congressional 
appropriators. The program was reauthorized in the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008. That legislation provides for the use of $84 million in 
CCC funds and allows for annual Congressional appropriations, which has been approximately $100 million annually in recent years. The program is
administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service and is named in honor of Ambassador and former Senator George 
McGovern and former Senator Robert Dole for their tireless efforts to encourage a global commitment to school feeding and child nutrition.
2
The USDA / WFP Partnership
The McGovern-Dole Food for Education and Child 
Nutrition program (MGD) managed by the United 
States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has been 
one of the most important donors to WFP school 
feeding in Kenya since 2004. From its inception and 
until 2014, this partnership has provided access to 
school meals to over two million Kenyan girls and 
boys in primary schools in arid and semi-arid lands.
Sustainability is an important consideration, and 
grantees are expected to work to support 
government and community ownership. In 2009, the 
Government of Kenya started a national ‘Home￾Grown School Meals Programme’ (HGSMP), and by 
the end of 2013 this covered about 600,000 pupils in 
semi-arid areas. WFP continues to support and 
complement efforts through the provision of school 
meals to about 770,000 pupils in the challenging 
context of the arid areas, where vulnerability and 
food insecurity are high. A continuous process of 
handing over schools from WFP’s to Government’s 
programme is on-going.
Most recently, WFP Kenya was awarded a total of US$ 
20 million of support for the period 2013-2015. 
Through this support, WFP provides school meals, 
raises awareness of the importance of education, 
trains stakeholders on appropriate food preparation 
and storage practices, and supports capacity building. 
The objectives include boosting enrolment, 
attendance, literacy, and attentiveness, reducing 
short-term hunger and guaranteeing access to food 
among school children. As far as the schools and 
community are concerned, the project aims at 
enhancing teacher attendance, spreading awareness 
about the benefits of education, engaging local 
organizations and community groups and increasing 
knowledge about safe food preparation and storage 
and providing equipment for this purpose. With 
regards to sustainability, the objectives include 
building government capacity and improving the 
policy and regulatory framework in support of child 
health and nutrition.
Under previous WFP Country programme 106680 
(January 2009-June 2014), the USDA McGovern-Dole 
contribution financed 40 percent of WFP school 
feeding activities. The remaining resources were 
provided by other donors. Grant agreement FFE- 615-
2013/041-00 incorporates 30 specific indicators
against which progress is measured. These indicators 
are additional to those in WFP Kenya’s new Country 
Programme 200680 (July 2014 – December 2018) 
logical framework, while there is some overlap. Annex 
1 provides a complete results framework specific to 
the USDA MGD support.
2. Methodology
The present baseline has been prepared using a 
combination of primary data collection and secondary 
data available from Government records and 
statistics, WFP monitoring and Standard Project 
Reports, etc. Primary data collection for six USDA￾specific indicators was carried out in ten counties, five 
in the arid lands and five in the semi-arid lands.
Data collection was undertaken in May/June 2014 
and report finalised in October 2014. The delay in 
finalisation of the report was caused by challenges 
resulting from a rather lengthy data verification and 
triangulation exercise that was required to ensure 
credible results of the baseline figures.
For primary data collection, 164 schools were visited, 
of which 57 in arid areas) and 107 in semi- arid lands. 
In addition, 562 households were interviewed in the 
arid lands (since USDA food assistance is targeted to 
these vulnerable areas).
The baseline figures and data sources used for each 
of the indicators can be found in the results 
framework in Annex 1. The specific counties visited, 
and methodologies used to sample counties, schools 
and households, are laid out in detail in Annex 2. 
Finally, the tools developed for primary data 
collection are enclosed as Annex 3.
3. Introduction to baseline findings
Education is fundamental to the Government’s 
strategy for socio-economic development. In 2010, 
national net enrolment in primary education was 93 
percent for boys with 88 percent completion, and 92 
percent for girls with 78 percent completion. In the 
north-eastern counties, however, education is often 
disrupted by conflict, drought and flooding. Here, net 
enrolment dropped to 40 percent with 35 percent 
completion, and adult literacy was 8 percent. Girls’ 
enrolment improved from 0.96 in 2008 to 1.0 in
2012, but gender disparities persist.
3
Retention and educational quality are ongoing 
challenges.
The present baseline relates to the USDA Letter of 
Commitment of 2013, and addresses all 30 specific 
USDA MGD indicators included in it. At the same time, 
it fits into the context of the CP 2014 – 2018. The 
present report groups these indicators into five 
thematic areas:
 Increased performance;
 Participation in education;
 Provision of school meals;
 Increased national capacity; and
 Food utilisation and food safety
Each section starts by mentioning the MGD 
performance indicators, and then provides specific 
information for each of them.
In reading the following sections, it is important to 
remember that the present baseline does not stand 
in isolation. While it represents the state of things at 
the beginning of this latest period of support (2013 –
2015), it provides a snapshot of a development that 
has been underway for years and at times decades. 
For a number of indicators, this wider context is 
highlighted or included in the graphics.
For the same reason, two USDA indicators (parent￾teacher associations (PTAS) and school management 
committees (SMCs) contributing to their school; and 
child health and nutrition policies etc. in place) were 
adjusted slightly by deleting the qualification “as a 
result of USDA assistance”. The performance of PTAs 
and SMCs and the preparation of policies are results 
of contributions of many actors, in particular of 
Government, in addition to the support by USDA, and 
are thus not attributable to one actor alone. 
However, USDA support has contributed to these 
achievements as an integrated part of comprehensive 
and coordinated support to the sector.
4. Increased performance
The ultimate measure of success for any support to 
education is the question if students in fact achieve 
higher levels of skills and knowledge. Three outcomes 
were selected for monitoring performance under the 
USDA-MGD/WFP partnership in this respect: one 
outcome representing an actual improvement in 
reading and writing skills, and two
outcomes representing indispensable prerequisites 
to achieve this improved literacy:
 MGD SO 1: Improved literacy of school age 
children,
 MGD 1.1.1: More consistent teacher 
attendance, and
 MGD 1.2: Improved attentiveness.
MGDSO1:Improvedliteracyofschoolage 
children
Three specific performance indicators were agreed on 
for the monitoring of this outcome.
1. Proportion of students who by the end of two 
grades of primary schooling, demonstrate that 
they can read and understand the meaning of 
grade level text.
The non-governmental organisation UWEZO carries 
out annual learning assessment exercises, during 
which volunteers carry out simple tests of reading, 
writing, comprehension and maths among children 
aged 6-16 years old in about 100,000 households in 
all districts of Kenya. They also communicate to 
parents that education of children is the responsibility 
of parents.
Uwezo is Kiswahili for ‘capability.’ The NGO, founded 
in 2010, aims to improve competencies in literacy and 
numeracy through an innovative, citizen-driven 
approach to social change that is accountable to the 
public. The results of its assessments are published in 
Annual Learning Assessment Reports.
The annual learning assessment report 2012 arrived 
at the following percentage of pupils in grade 2 who 
can read and understand a grade level text:
Figure 1: Share of grade 2 students who can read and 
understand a grade level text
Share of grade 2 pupils who can read and 
understand a grade level text
4
As the figure shows, most grade 2 pupils in the arid 
counties do not reach the national average of 48.8 
percent.
2. Number of total individuals benefiting directly 
from USDA-funded interventions and
3. Number of total individuals benefiting indirectly 
from USDA-funded interventions
The direct beneficiaries of the USDA interventions are 
primarily the girls and boys receiving school meals.
entire household is relieved if the school-going 
children receive healthy school meals.
The number of indirect beneficiaries is calculated by 
identifying the number of households benefiting from 
school meals (the average number of school- going 
children per household is 3.53 as established by the 
primary data survey for this report), and then 
multiplying this number with the difference between 
the average household size of 6 minus the average 
number of school going children:
Number of children receiving school meals
3.53
X (6 – 3.53)
Based on these calculations, the number of indirect 
beneficiaries stays consistently at about 70 percent of 
the number of direct beneficiaries.
Figure 2: Number of girls and boys receiving school 
meals in USDA assisted schools
The figure shows the development of the numbers of 
girls and boys enrolled and receiving daily school 
meals in USDA supported schools. There are three 
factors that influence these numbers:
 The continuous hand-over of schools to 
Government’s HGSMP leads to a constant 
reduction in beneficiary numbers in USDA 
assisted schools.
 Increasing population numbers and the reliable 
provision of school meals lead to increasing 
enrolment in USDA assisted schools.
 Periodical crises (droughts, floods, conflicts) lead 
to temporary fluctuations in enrolment and 
beneficiary numbers.
Indirect beneficiaries are primarily the household 
members who do not receive school meals 
themselves (parents, other adults, and out-of-school 
siblings), but who benefit, as the food security of the
Figure 3: Direct and indirect beneficiaries of 
USDA/WFP school meals
In addition, there will be the direct and indirect 
beneficiaries of training (MOEST officers, teachers, 
cooks, etc.) or of the distribution of HGSMP manuals 
(see below). Further indirect beneficiaries are those 
who gain employment and income from the provision 
of school meals, such as local transporters, casual 
labourers and their dependants, etc. However, these 
are difficult to quantify and monitor.
MGD 1.1.1: More consistent teacher attendance
Teacher absenteeism is a great challenge in Kenya as 
in other Sub-Saharan countries. It does not only 
deprive children of the possibility of being taught at 
school, it also undermines efforts of making parents 
and children understand the importance of schooling. 
Regular and high teacher attendance is thus crucial 
for achieving increased participation in education and 
enhanced teaching outcomes. Three
School feeding, direct and indirect beneficiaries, 
2009-2013
1,000,000
800,000
600,000
400,000
200,000
Girls and boys receiving school meals in
WFP-assisted schools
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Girls (actual)
Total (actual) 
Boys (planned)
Boys (actual)
Girls (planned) 
Total (planned)
5
Shareofteacherswithatleast90%attendance
120
100
80
60
40
20
> 95 % attendance 90 - 95 % attendance 80 - 90 % attendance
70 - 80 % attendance < 70 % attendance
Share of teachers perceiving shares of
pupils as inattentive
< 10 11 - 20 21 - 30 31 - 40 41 - 50 > 51
indicators have been selected to inform of the 
developments with respect to this outcome.
4. Percent of teachers in target schools who attend 
school and teach at least 90 percent of 
scheduled school days per year.
The numbers on this important indicator are arrived 
at by WFP calculations based on data provided by 
UWEZO.
Target
 
Baseline
Figure 4: Share of teachers that attend at least 90% 
of classes
Only 38percent and 13 percent of teachers attend 
more than 95 percent of classes or between 90 and 
95percent of classes respectively. This means that 
only 51 percent of teachers achieve the threshold of 
at least 90 percent attendance. The national average 
teacher attendance (school days) is reported at 84.5
%percent.
5. Number of MOEST officers trained in promoting 
consistent teacher attendance; and
6. Number of trainings in promoting teacher 
attendance conducted for MOEST officers
As the new CP has only started in July 2014, no 
training of MOEST officers promoting consistent 
teacher attendance have taken place at the time of 
the baseline report. The table below shows the (time￾adjusted) targets for these indicators:
Indicator 2014 2015
No. of MOEST officers 
trained 100 200
No. of trainings of MOEST 
officers 2 4
Table 1: Planned training of MOEST officers in 
promotion of consistent teacher attendance
MGD 1.2: Improved attentiveness.
Another indispensable outcome to be achieved if the 
ultimate learning performance is meant to improve is 
the attentiveness of pupils in class. Providing school 
meals is intended among others to relieve pupils from 
short-term hunger, which affects their ability to 
concentrate, be attentive and learn, i.e.: participate 
meaningfully in classes.
7. Percent of students in classrooms identified as 
inattentive by their teachers
Information for this indicator was obtained through 
primary data collection by asking the teachers of the 
sampled schools of their perception of the share of 
students that appeared inattentive in classes. It is 
clear that such perceptions are by nature subjective. 
For this reason, the table below does not just show 
one value, but instead the share of interviewed 
teachers that perceive a given share of pupils as 
inattentive.
Figure 5: Share of teachers perceiving shares of 
pupils as inattentive
As can be seen from the figure, 50 percent of teachers 
perceive 20 percent of students or less as inattentive. 
What is worrying, by contrast, is that 19
% percent of head teachers think that 51% or more of 
pupils are not attentive in class.
5. Participation ineducation
An important intended result of school feeding 
programs is the increased, equitable and steady 
participation of girls and boys in education. The
6
performance of the USDA/WFP partnership in this 
respect is measured by three specific outcomes:
 MGD 1.3 – Improved student attendance
 MGD 1.3.4 – Increased student enrolment
 MGD 1.3.5 – Increased community 
understanding of benefits of education
Reliable and comprehensive data on student 
attendance, completion and enrolment should be 
expected from a national education management 
information system. However, Kenya’s EMIS has not 
functioned fully for a number of years, and MOEST is 
working on establishing a new, National Integrated 
Education Management Information System 
(NIEMIS), parts of which are hoped to become 
operational in 2014. As long as this system is not yet 
in place or does not yet capture the information 
required, data are collected through the School Meals 
Monitoring System run by MOEST and WFP in schools 
where school meals are being provided (both RSMP 
and HGSMP). However, these data are limited, and 
are for several indicators not disaggregated by sex.
MGD 1.3 – Improved student attendance
Two indicators are used to assess if student 
attendance is improving: a direct measurement of 
pupil’s attendance in school, and the proxy indicator 
of the share of pupils starting school who actually 
graduate.
8. Percent of students (girls/boys) regularly 
attending supported schools
The following figure shows both the actual share of 
girls and boys attending at least 80% of classes in 
USDA/WFP assisted schools, and the targets for this 
share established in the Letter of Commitment. As 
can be seen, there was a significant drop in 
attendance in 2013: this can be partly attributed to
Figure 6: School attendance in USDA/WFP assisted 
schools
9. Percent of students in target schools who start 
grade one and complete the last grade of 
primary school
This indicator is not monitored by the School Meals 
Monitoring System. The information for the present 
baseline was therefore obtained from the sampled 
schools, comparing the number of pupils who started 
class one and completed school 8 yearslater.
Figure 7: Share of pupils starting school who 
complete the last grade of primary school
(i) the national elections (March 2013), and (ii) a 
lengthy nation-wide teachers’ strike 21days) both of 
which resulted in school closure and disrupted 
learning. Attendance levels have resumed to 86 
percent since then.
In the sampled schools visited by the baseline
survey, school completion has been consistently 
higher in the USDA/WFP-supported schools than 
under Government’s HGSMP. One reason for this may 
be that in the WFP-supported areas, school meals are 
actually provided on greater share of school days than 
under HGSMP. WFP, with funding from among others 
USDA, will continue providing technical support to 
this national school feeding
120.0
100.0
0.0
Boys Girls Total Boys Girls Total Boys Girls Total
2011 2012 2013
WFP-supported HGSMP Nairobi Target
Share of girls and boys attending at least
80% of classes in USDA assisted schools
94
92
90
88
86
84
82
80
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Attendance rate (actual) 
Attendance rate (target)
7
programme. Completion rates in both arid areas and 
HGSMP schools are higher than the target set for 
USDA/WFP-support –targets will therefore need to 
be revised accordingly.
MGD 1.3.4 – Increased student enrolment
Promoting the equitable access to school for both 
girls and boys is one of the chief objectives of 
providing school meals. This equitable access is 
reflected in enrolment rates.
10. Percent increase in girls enrolled in schools; and
11. Percent increase in boys enrolled in schools
Figure 8: Rate of change in enrolment in USDA/WFP￾assisted schools
Enrolment in primary schools increased by 8.6 
percent and 8.1 percent respectively in 2011 and 
2012. The reason for this may be found in the fact that 
in these years, the arid lands were seriously affected 
by drought, and witnessed a strong increase in food 
insecurity. The reliable provision of school meals for 
children in this situation would thus have been a 
convincing argument for parents to send their 
children to school.
To calculate ‘change in enrolment’ disaggregated for 
girls and boys, the gender ratio (girls: boys) has been 
applied: a ratio of 1.0 indicates perfectly equal 
participation in school for girls and boys, a ratio lower 
than 1 indicates that girls are participating less than 
boys.
Figure 9: Gender ratio in USDA/WFP assisted schools
As shown by Figure 9, the gender ratio had 
consistently improved between 2009 and 2012. In 
2013, however, the ratio dropped from 0.88 to 0.8. 
Increased efforts will have to be made to address this 
deterioration of previous progress.
In particular in a context of poverty, children often 
contribute considerably to a household’s income and 
livelihood. Letting children participate in school 
instead can thus mean a significant investment on 
behalf of their parents. Cultural perceptions and the 
difficulty of parents to see the benefits of education 
of their children can thus be strong hindrances to 
increased enrolment and participation in school.
These underlying reasons of low enrolment rates can 
be addressed by communication interventions aiming 
at changing such perceptions and promoting 
behavioural change.
12. Number of events, radio spots, and campaigns 
held; and
13. Number of community members benefiting 
from events, radio spots, and campaigns held
No events, radio spots and campaigns had been 
planned prior to the time of the baseline. The table 
below shows time adjusted – targets.
Indicator 201
4
2015
# of events, radio spots and ad 
campaigns held 22 44
# of community members 
benefiting from events, radio 
spots, ad campaigns held
4,40
0 8,800
Table 2: Targets for events, radio spots and add 
campaigns
8
The foreseen events, radio spots and add campaigns 
will aim to contribute to an increased understanding 
of communities of the benefits of education. The 
achievement of this goal will be measure by MGD
1.3.5 (see following sub-section).
MGD 1.3.5 – Increased community 
understanding of benefitsof education
Without parents understanding the benefits of 
education, chances are small that children in the arid 
lands will be allowed to consistently increasing 
degrees than presently. Only this understanding and 
the perception, that increased education of children 
is in their children’s and their own interest, will avoid 
that enrolment rates continue fluctuating in line with 
external factors such as seasonal or periodic increases 
or decreases in food insecurity.
14. Percent of parents in target communities who 
can name at least three benefits of primary 
education
Data on this indicator were obtained through 
interviews with 562 households whose children 
participate in schools supported by RSMP. Only two￾thirds of respondents could name at least three 
different benefits of education.
Figure 10: Share of parents who can name at least 
three benefits of education
The benefits mentioned varied from household to 
household. The following figure shows the share of 
households mentioning each benefit.
Figure 11: Share of households mentioning benefits
6. Provision of school meals
The following section is more directly related to the 
provision of school meals and the access of children 
to food. The performance of the USDA/WFP 
partnership is measured in relation to three specific 
outcomes:
 MGD 1.2.1 Reduced short term hunger
 MGD 1.2.1.1 – Increased access to food 
(school feeding)
 Feed the Future indicators
MGD 1.2.1 Reduced short-term hunger
Short-term hunger of children in school can be 
avoided by either children eating before going to 
school, or by children eating at school.
15. Percent of students in target schools who 
regularly consume a meal before the school day
During the baseline survey, households were asked if 
their children eat before going to school. The figure 
below shows the share of households that answered 
with always, sometimes, or never respectively.
Figure 12: Share of households providing food to 
children before they go to school
3 or more benefits 2 or less benefits
70 
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Self-reliance Becoming Increased Increased Provision of Educating Better
and elimination responsible development in knowledge
of poverty citizens for the community 
employment
assistanceto
family and 
community
others communication
Do children eat before going to school?
20
41
39
9
This means that 59 percent of children in the RSMP 
supported schools risk to go to school without having 
eaten anything. Their ability to concentrate and to 
learn will be seriously affected unless meals are 
provided at school.
16. Percent of students in target schools who 
regularly consume a meal during the school day
Any school meals program will have the ambition to 
reliably provide school meals on every single school 
day. However, this is not always possible. Reasons can 
include pipeline breaks, problems with transportation 
(e.g. during the rainy season, when road conditions 
deteriorate), loss of food due to inadequate storage 
or for other reasons, lack of cooks, etc. Not least, at 
times the planned and provided food does not suffice 
due to sudden increases in enrolment. The figure 
below shows the past record of the USDA/WFP￾supported assistance.
Figure 13: Percent of school days on which school 
meals are actually provided
The figure shows that in 2012/2013, school meals 
were only provided on 70 percent of school days due 
to delays experienced in food transportation from the
Government Warehouses and a teachers’ strike that 
took place during the school term. However, the 
figure also shows that the number of days can also be 
above 100 percent of planned school days as 
happened in 2009 and 2011 when WFP provided 
meals during the August holidays in response to a 
severe drought A recent evaluation of HGSMP 
revealed that under that program, the share of school 
days when school meals are actually provided is lower 
than in for the WFP-supported schools
(mainly due to government resource limitations and 
delayed transfer of funds to schools).
MGD1.2.1.1–Increasedaccesstofood(school 
feeding)
This outcome is determined by the actual provision of 
food to pupils through school meals, which in turn 
depends on (a) the food provided to schools, (b) the 
share of students actually participating in school 
meals, and (c) the diligent storage and preparation of 
food at school.
17. Total quantity of commodities provided for 
school meals provided to students as a result of 
USDA assistance
Commodities provided to school meals are reported 
by WFP in Standard Project Reports (SPRs), which are 
not prepared separately for each donor. The 
commodities planned and actually provided in the 
period 2010 – 2013 are thus the total provided 
through WFP-supported school feeding, including the 
contributions from other donors. The figure below 
illustrates this information, and includes also the 
targets for USDA contributions set in the Letter of
Commitment.
Figure 14: Commodities provided to WFP-supported 
schools
As mentioned earlier, the USDA contribution to 
RSMP in the previous program represented about 40 
percent of total contributions.
18. Number of students receiving school meals as a 
result of USDA assistance
The following figure summarises the planned and 
actual number of girls and boy who received food 
under the previous operation (2010 – 2013), WFP’s
Percent of school days on which school
meals are provided
100
50
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Actual Target
Commodities provided to WFP-supported
schools (mt)
5,000
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Planned Actual USDA Target
10
planning figures for the new operation (2014 – 2018) 
as well as the USDA targets included in the Letter of 
Commitment. The information on planned and actual 
number of girls and boys was obtained from the 
corresponding series of WFP SPRs, and the planning 
figures 2014 – 2018 from the project documentation 
of the new CP.
Figure 15: Number of pupils receiving school meals 
in WFP-supported schools
As can be seen, far greater number of girls and boys 
received school meals in 2010, 2011 and 2012 than 
had been planned. This is the result of additional 
schools that were included in the programme to 
address the temporary food security crisis in that 
period. Planning figures going forward expect steady 
increases of pupils enrolled in schools in the arid 
areas, but a continuous decrease in overall numbers 
as schools continue to be handed over to 
Government’s HGSMP.
project. Similarly, in the unplanned settlements in 
Nairobi, all children in schools targeted for support 
receive meals. The answer to this indicator will 
therefore invariably be 100%. A different question is, 
if school meals are provided on all school days (Figure 
13), and if full rations are always provided. Figure 14). 
Both is not always the case, as the mentioned figures
indicate.
20. Number of trainings provided in food 
preparation and storage practices and
21. Number of teachers trained in food preparation 
and storage practices
The reduction of food losses and the preparation of 
nutritious meals depends on a good supervision of 
food storage and preparation. This supervision is the 
task of designated teachers at each school in charge 
of school meals. The following table provides the 
number of planned trainings and teachers trained, as 
well as the actual numbers for 2014.
2014 2015
# of trainings in food preparation and 
storage practices (target) 11 11
# of trainings in food preparation and 
storage practices (actual) 54 -
# of teachers 
preparation and 
(target)
trained 
storage
in food 
practices 600 600
# of teachers 
preparation and 
(actual)
trained 
storage
in food 
practices 3,455 -
Table 3: Number of planned and actual trainings and 
teachers trained in food preparation and storage 
practices
Feed the Futureindicators
Finally, the relevant Feed the Future indicator for the 
USDA support to the new CP concerns participation of 
beneficiaries in productive safety nets.
22. Number of social assistance beneficiaries 
participating in productive safety nets as a result 
of USDA
19. Percent of students in targeted schools 
consuming daily meals (lunch)
All children attending schools in the arid Counties 
are targeted to receive school meals under this
In this respect, RSMP providing meals at primary 
schools is seen as a productive safety net, where 
children receive food and build sustainable assets in 
the form of their education. The number of social
Number of pupils receiving school meals in 
WFP-supported schools
1,000,000
500,000
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Number of girls (planned) 
Number of girls (actual) 
Number of boys (planned) 
Number of boys (actual)
Total number of students (planned) 
Total number of students (actual) 
USDA targets (girls)
USDA targets (boys)
11
assistance beneficiaries thus corresponds to the 
number of pupils receiving school meals. These 
figures are provided by the following table.
2013 2014 2015
Number of students 
(planned)
600,500 815,000 791,000
Number of students 
(actual)
767,100
USDA targets (total) 609,000 584,000
Table 4: Number of social assistance beneficiaries 
participating in productive safety nets
7. Increased nationalcapacity
WFP, with the support of among others USDA, will 
strengthen national capacities to further improve 
HGSMP’s performance, to continue taking over 
schools from RSMP, and to better perform the 
national and local tasks with providing school meals 
under both programs. The following three specific 
outcomes are pursued by the USDA-WFP partnership:
 MGD 1.4.1 – Increased capacity of 
government institutions
 MGD 1.4.2 – Improved Policy and Regulatory 
Framework
 MGD 1.4.4 – Increased Engagement of Local 
Organizations and Community Groups
MGD1.4.1–Increasedcapacityofgovernment 
institutions
The capacity of government institutions can be 
measured in many ways. With respect to a 
strengthened national home-grown school feeding 
program, it is crucial that schools and districts are in a 
position to carry out adequate, transparent and 
accountable food procurement procedures and have 
the required infrastructure for this. This means that 
School Meal Management Committees (SMMCs) 
have been established and trained in carrying out 
food procurement, that these committees are in fact 
working, and that there is the local infrastructure 
(traders, roads, warehouses) that will ensure that 
food is being delivered in the right quantity, good 
quality and at the right time to schools.
23. Percent of districts in which food procurement 
and distribution procedures and infrastructure 
are in place.
The 85.4 percent of districts with procedures and 
infrastructure in place include all districts where 
HGSMP is being carried out. In addition, in its 
preparation for continued hand-over of schools from 
RSMP to HGSMP, WFP has already trained officers 
and SMMCs in Isiolo, and will continue further 
training and other capacity strengthening in RSMP 
districts throughout the new CP. Traders are active in 
all HGSMP and RSMP districts, however, due to at 
times weak market integration, food prices can be 
expected to be higher in some of the more remote 
areas presently covered by RSMP. Also road 
infrastructure is a challenge in some areas.
24. Number of MOEST officers benefiting from 
home-grown school feeding manuals distributed
Furthermore, national education officers, including 
teachers, sub-district inspectors, district and national 
managers must be aware of the principles, 
procedures and best practice of home-grown school 
feeding as laid down in the national HGSMP 
guidelines.
Figure 16: MOEST officers benefiting from HGSMP 
manuals
In 2013, MOEST and WFP trained a total of 3,836 
persons involved in implementing HGSMP in the use 
of the HGSMP manual thus far exceeding the target 
figure of 1,500. These results were possible due to 
additional support from USDA which also helped to 
print 1,770 copies of the revised HGSMP for 
distribution to schools. For the coming years, it is
 
 
12
foreseen that an additional 4,000 MOEST officers will 
be trained and receive HGSMP manuals.
MGD 1.4.2 – Improved Policy and Regulatory 
Framework
A sound policy and regulatory framework is the 
foundation which any national programme requires 
for a reliable implementation, including the 
coordination with other national priorities and 
programmes, and the provision of sustainable 
funding from national sources.
25. Number of child health and nutrition policies, 
regulation and/or administrative procedures in 
place
There are several policies, regulations and strategies 
in place with relevance for HGSMP.
The Food and Nutrition Security Policy (FNSP) of 
2011 provides an overarching framework covering 
the multiple dimensions of food and nutrition security 
improvement. Among others, the FNSP focuses on 
improving and expanding school meals programmes 
to target pre-schools and boarding schools in 
collaboration with local communities, as well as 
provision of micronutrients to address specific 
micronutrient deficiencies in school-age children, 
particularly iodine and iron.
The National Social Protection Policy of 2011 
mentions school feeding programs as one of the 
promotive measures Government will pursue to 
reduce households’ susceptibility to social risks.
The National School Health Policy of 2009, 
developed jointly by the Ministries of Health and 
MOEST, pursues the goal of enhancing the quality of 
health in the school community by creating a healthy 
and child friendly environment for teaching and 
learning. The policy proposes among others that 
school feeding shall provide balanced meals for 
children in all schools.
The draft National Education Sector Programme 
(NESP) 2013/2014 – 2017/2018 pursues the over￾arching goal of Enhanced Quality Basic Education for 
Kenya’s Sustainable Development. It identifies six 
priority investment areas, among them access to free 
and compulsory basic education, which includes 
HGSMP.
A draft National School Health, Nutrition and 
Meals Programme Strategy attempts to bring 
the existing policies and guidelines a step closer 
to actual implementation guidance. A 
comprehensive evaluation of HGSMP of 2014 
made a number of specific recommendations for 
the review, finalization and formalization of the 
draft strategy.
Finally, WFP sponsored the elaboration of a (draft) 
expansion strategy of the HGSMP into the arid lands, 
which is a prerequisite for the continued hand-over of 
schools from RSMP to HGSMP.
WFP will further support government and promote 
the finalisation and formalization of the NESP, the 
National School Health, Nutrition and Meals 
Programme Strategy, and the HGSMP Expansion 
Strategy.
26. Number of Home-grown feeding manuals 
printed and distributed
As mentioned above (indicator 24), 1,770 copies of 
the HGSMP manual were printed and distributed in 
2014. Another 4,000 copies will be printed and 
distributed during the remainder of the CP.
MGD 1.4.4 – Increased Engagement of Local 
OrganizationsandCommunityGroups
The sustainability of school meal programs depends 
to a significant extent on the local ownership and the 
willingness of parents and community members
to support 
the program. 
This is
reflected in 
parents 
participating 
in School 
Meal 
Committees 
(SMCs) and
contributing to their schools.
Figure 17: SMC under RSMP (photo: 
WFP/Peter Haag)
13
Share of SMCs actively contributing to
their school
2014 2015
Active SMCs Target
27. Number of PTAs and SMCs contributing to their 
school (use percentage)
 70
Figure 18: Share of SMCs actively contributing to 
their school
Under HGSMP, all SMCs make significant 
contributions to their school. Without their work, 
which includes the procurement of food in a 
transparent and regular way, the programme could 
not be implemented. The 2014 HGSMP evaluation 
revealed that as SMCs under the HGSMP have the 
possibility to procure preferred food for their 
children, and have actual decision-making power, 
their enthusiasm and willingness to engage has 
increased significantly. In some schools, SMCs have, 
in addition to their basic role, also rallied the support 
of the community to provide food when funds for 
food procurement were delayed.
Figure 19: SMC members in Turkana (photo: 
WFP/Peter Haag)
Also under RSMP, SMCs are active. However, their 
role is smaller. Furthermore, RSMP functions in areas 
with more widespread poverty, which makes rallying 
support from the community – beyond providing 
occasional labour – difficult.
It is expected that the introduction of cash-based
school feeding also under in WFP-supported schools
– done in preparation of hand-over of schools to 
HGSMP – will further increase the share of SMCs 
actively contributing to their school.
8. Food utilization and food safety
The last thematic area covered by this report 
concerns the utilization and safety of food. Three 
specific outcomes are pursued by the USDA/WFP 
partnership in this respect:
 MGD SO 2 – Increased use of health and 
dietary practices
 MGD 2.2 – Increased knowledge of safe food 
preparation and storage practices
 MGD 2.6 – Increased access to requisite food 
preparation and storage tools and equipment
MGDSO2–Increaseduseofhealthanddietary 
practices
The storage and preparation of food inherently 
entails health risks, unless food managers, preparers 
and not least consumers practice adequate 
precautions.
Figure 20: Practicing hygiene (photo: 
WFP/Narok Rein)
14
Good storage depends on the training and 
understanding of school-level food managers 
(normally a designated teacher) as well as funds for 
proper infrastructure.
28. Percent of schools in target communities that 
store food off the ground
Figure 20: Share of schools that store food off the 
ground
While the condition of infrastructure varies 
considerably, schools are making good progress in 
practicing the storage of food off the ground, often 
using whichever means available. WFP focuses more 
on improved stores, which encompasses more than 
raising food from the ground and included, properly 
aerated food stores free from vermin and pests etc. 
67% of schools presently provide of such improved 
food storage.
Figure 21: Food storage off the ground (photo: WFP/ 
Peter Haag)
MGD2.2–Increasedknowledgeof safefood 
preparation and storage practices
29. Percent of food preparers at target schools who 
achieve a passing score on a test of safe food 
preparation and storage
Food preparers – i.e. cooks – are crucial for ensuring 
that the food eaten by pupils is healthy and nutritious. 
Their understanding of safe food preparation and 
storage is thus decisive.
Figure 22: A local cook distributes a school meal 
(photo: WFP/Rose Ogola)
A test to determine the level of knowledge on safe 
food preparation and storage was administered to 
cooks in 84 schools across nine counties. Out of total 
cooks interviewed 87 percent of them scored at least 
50 percent.
As expected there were regional disparities on levels 
of knowledge with Nairobi presenting the highest 
level of knowledge on food preparation and storage.
Figure 24: Average score by cooks on food safety and
storage
Food Safety and Storage Test
Average Score (%)
56 66 72 78
58 69 69
54 63
Percent of schools in target communities
that store food off the ground
150
100
50 67 75
2014 2015
Baseline Planned Target
15
MGD2.6–Increasedaccesstorequisitefood 
preparation and storage tools and equipment
Finally, in order to ensure the safety of food (and to 
avoid wastage due to water infiltration, pests, etc.), it 
is important that schools actually have adequate 
infrastructure for storage and preparation.
The infrastructure for food storage and preparation in 
RSMP as well as HGSMP schools varies considerably. 
Funds for storage and cooking infrastructure are 
partly provided by MOEST, but are often not 
sufficient. In some schools, the head teacher 
mobilises additional funds from local sources.
30. Percent of target schools with improved 
food preparation and storage equipment
Figure 23: Percent of schools with improved food 
preparation and storage infrastructure
Percent of schools with improved food
preparation and storage infrastructure
80
70
60
50
50 50
40 60 67
Kitchens Food stores
2014
Baseline Target
16
Figure 24: A kitchen demolished by storm in 2013
(photo: WFP/Peter Haag
Figure 25: A kitchen under RSMP (photo: WFP/ Peter
Haag)
Figure 26: Improved storage (photo: WFP/ Peter Haag) Figure 27: Improved kitchen and stoves (photo: WFP/ 
Peter Haag)