LG electronics has today handed over, Makina Self Help Primary, the last project of its three-year partnership with the World Food Program (WFP) Kenya that saw LG contribute about USD 1.3 million to provide meals and construction of schools facilities in Nairobi slums.
LG and WFP Kenya entered into a partnership in 2009 to provide school meals and infrastructure to “LG hope Schools” in the slums of Nairobi. The three faced programme saw LG provide school meals and construct school facilities to increase enrollment, hence pupil performance and promote good nutrition and health.
“The ultimate goal of the LG-WFP partnership was to contribute to sustainable development through the transformation of run-down and under-resourced schools into LGE Hope Schools, which would become community centres that promote opportunities and brighter futures for poor, disadvantaged children,” said Joseph Kim, Managing Director of LG East and Central Africa.
The partnership started with LG providing USD 403,920 to offer meals to 24,715 children in 15 schools in the slums of Nairobi. This donation was received at a time Kenyans were facing high food and fuel prices experienced across the world.
“Schools meals effectively keep children in school and help them learn, especially those who are sadly not getting enough to eat at home. WFP is therefore grateful for the support from LG which helped us provide school meals to children in slums,” said Paul Turnbull, WFT acting County Director.
This collaboration is aimed at alleviating short-term hunger and improve educational performance through providing of school meals by establishing good basic infrastructure for schools in order to ensure schools are able to provide proper hygiene, food storage, supply of water and low cost-cooking.
Makina Self Help Primary is located in the heart of Kibera slum, Nairobi. The school has 480 pupils from kindergarten to grade 8 of which many are orphans or from a single parent home. The school was chosen as a beneficiary because it is located in the poorest catchment area, had the worst infrastructure in terms of education facilities, and inadequate number of classrooms compared to the number of school children enrolled.