School Milk Feeding Program: A tale by Ziwa

Research team: Wairimu Muthike, Shalmali Ghaisas, Marilyn Moin, Violet Moraa, Winnie Kimani

SECTOR

Education | FARM

PROJECT TYPE

Qualitative & quantitative research

DOI

Location

Kenya

BEHAVIORAL THEME

School Feeding

OVERVIEW

School Milk Feeding Program: A Tale by Ziwa is a storybook that presents the history, importance, and functioning of school milk feeding programmes in Kenya through the perspective of a fictional five-year-old character, Ziwa. The publication translates findings from Busara’s research into an accessible narrative, exploring how school milk programmes can support child nutrition and school attendance while reducing household expenditure and easing the responsibilities of primary caregivers. It also examines the structural, social, and behavioral factors that influence the success of community-led school milk feeding programmes.

Research Questions

The publication frames the research around two main aims:

What structural, social, and behavioral factors are crucial to the success of county-led school milk feeding programmes, and what impact do these programmes have on primary caregivers?
What are the knowledge, attitudes, and willingness of key stakeholders to support a community-driven school milk feeding programme in the future?

Methods

The research was conducted in two phases, combining qualitative and quantitative approaches.

Locations: Nairobi and Bomet, which had active school milk feeding programmes, and Nyandarua, which did not.
In-depth interviews: 36 respondents, 12 per county, including ECDE heads, local county officers, and representatives of milk processors.
Surveys: 120 respondents, including female caregivers, dairy farmers, transport personnel, and distributors.
Research tool: A storyboard depicting a school milk feeding programme was used to explore perceptions and attitudes.
Qualitative research: Examined programme roles and responsibilities, perceptions, challenges, enablers, barriers, and recommendations.
Quantitative research: Examined the realized impact of school milk feeding programmes, including nutrition and weekly purchasing decisions.
The storybook itself translates these research insights into a narrative centred on Ziwa, making the research accessible to a broader audience.

THEMATIC AREAS

Key Findings

School milk programmes can support school participation. The publication reports that 80% of respondents considered the programme successful, alongside increases in enrolment and reductions in dropout during periods when programmes were running.
Programme consistency is a major challenge. Half of respondents identified inconsistency as the main challenge. Abrupt interruptions and inadequate communication can contribute to student dropout, while milk quantities may fail to increase alongside enrolment.
Reliable financing and local dairy infrastructure matter. The publication identifies consistent county government financial support, a strong local dairy processor connected to a reliable distribution network, and motivated ECDE teachers as three important conditions for timely and regular milk supply.
Transport infrastructure is an important operational factor. Boda boda operators play an important role in delivering milk to schools, while poor roads, long distances, heavy rains, and limited availability of transporters can disrupt delivery.
Teachers play a wider role than classroom instruction. ECDE teachers frequently coordinate milk delivery and help children consume packaged milk correctly, particularly where schools lack adequate storage facilities.
There is substantial stakeholder willingness to participate. The research found that the majority of dairy farmers expressed willingness to participate in a programme or pilot, while 66.15% of primary caregivers agreed and 26.15% strongly agreed that they were interested in taking on some coordination and distribution responsibilities.
Community participation comes with financing considerations. More than 40% of parents and community members indicated willingness to contribute money and time, while the frequency of payments was identified as a potential challenge.

Implications for Policy or Development

The publication points to the importance of treating school milk feeding as a multi-stakeholder system rather than simply a milk distribution programme.

Strengthen school-community collaboration: Parents and communities should be involved in planning and implementation to encourage ownership.
Improve coordination: Clearer communication between county officials, ECDE teachers, transport providers, dairy farmers, processors, and caregivers can reduce disruptions.
Use data for operational decisions: Milk supply should respond to changes in enrolment, while delivery planning should account for school storage capacity and road infrastructure.
Develop more sustainable financing models: Government and donor support can be complemented by community and other internal financing mechanisms.
Recognise teachers as programme actors: ECDE teachers perform important logistical and facilitation functions and should be incorporated into programme planning.
Create stronger information systems: A centralised system documenting school milk programmes and their impacts could support better decision-making and help identify areas requiring intervention.
Make delivery systems adaptable: Milk quantities and distribution arrangements should be able to respond to changing student enrolment and local infrastructure conditions.