By Lucy Anaya                                                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                                                          
The Kenya Tobacco Control Alliance (KETCA), in conjunction with Institute of Legislative Affairs {ILA} held a ‘No smoking stand’ recently during a provincial educational event for form one selection.

It was an annual event spearhead by the Ministry of Education and organized by the Provincial Director of Education (PDE). The venue was at state house Girls High School Nairobi.
This was the beginning of KETCA and ILA project dubbed ‘No smoking in Schools’.  The pilot project will start in Nairobi and extend to other parts of the country where students will be required to participate in co-curricular activities such as soccer, painting essay competitions among others. 
The winner, first and second runners up will walk away with prizes.
 
KETCA team distributed Information Education and Communication (IEC) materials to School principals, teachers, subordinate staff among others. The materials were on Tobacco Vs Health, KETCA Calendars, posters and information Kit containing the Tobacco Control Act 2007, smoker’s body and leaflets on dangers of smoking and statistics on the number of people including children who have been affected by tobacco.

More than 40 schools received the materials and were sensitized about tobacco issues. The principals and their teachers showed interest in supporting anti-tobacco campaigns right from their schools.

Present at the venue was PDE Mrs. Mary Omondi, Director of City Education, Education officers from the Ministry and other relevant departments, Principals of secondary
Schools in Nairobi, Chairman of Association of Secondary School Parents Musau Ndunda, hundreds of teachers, church ministers, book publishers and counselors who welcomed the move.