Nairobi — World Vision Kenya has embarked on a campaign aimed at combating child hunger and malnutrition in Kenya.
Dubbed 'ENOUGH', the initiative launched by First Lady Rachel Ruto seeks to address the alarming prevalence of food insecurity, ensuring every child has access to nutritious food for their well-being and development.
The child-focused humanitarian organization aims to improve the nutritional status of vulnerable children in Kenya through targeted interventions, reducing hunger in the most affected communities over the next three years.
According to Dr. David Githanga, the Board Chair of World Vision, "Our vision is a world where every child enjoys enough nourishing food. Despite advancements, the statistics remain staggering. Globally, up to 783 million people faced hunger in 2022, with Kenya bearing its share of the burden."
The campaign targets to improve the nutritional status of vulnerable children in Kenya through targeted interventions, reducing hunger in the most affected communities over the next three years.
Conflict, climate shocks, rising living costs, and declining food production have all contributed to food scarcity and high prices, exacerbating the situation.
Reflecting on the campaign's significance, Vice President and regional director of World Vision International- East Africa Region, Lilian Dodzo, highlighted, "Children under five years are the main target of the program. Nearly 148.1 million children under 5 are affected by stunting globally. Unfortunately, 30% or 44.4 million of those children are here in Africa."
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During the launch, First Lady Rachel Ruto emphasized the importance of collaborative efforts, stating, "There is no greater indignity than children attending school hungry. We've made significant strides, reducing stunting from 26% in 2014 to 18% in 2022. We must unite to scale interventions in food security, health, nutrition, and finance to reach our goal of less than 5% childhood wasting by 2025."
In addition to the ENOUGH campaign, the government has also taken steps to enhance food security, including introducing upland rice to 1 million rural farmers with an expected harvest of 400 million kilograms this year.
The government has also implemented school feeding programs to ensure children stay in school and receive adequate nutrition.
The ENOUGH Campaign in Kenya focuses on ensuring enough food at home and enough food at school, aligned with Sustainable Development Goal Zero Hunger.
World Vision International has committed US $1.7 billion to address the escalating hunger crisis, targeting to improve the nutritional status of children in 27 vulnerable countries across Africa.
