This archive report was first published on 26 November 2019.
Curbing libido? Why boarding schools serve paraffin-soaked food ¶
Published on November 26, 2019
For many students in Kenyan boarding schools, the smell of paraffin in food is a familiar and unwelcome experience. But what's behind this practice, and does it actually work?
According to several students who attended boarding schools, paraffin was often added to food, particularly in the middle of the term, to reduce libido. The practice was allegedly used to prevent students from engaging in pre-marital sex.
One student, Mildred, recalled that paraffin was a major ingredient in food during her time at a public school in Kisumu. 'It was always like some kind of ritual,' she said. 'Every two or three days before a school outing or on weekends, I would always faintly taste kerosene in my githeri.'
Another student, Joshua, who attended a seminary in the Rift Valley, said that paraffin was added to food to reduce libido. 'Paraffin did not make us desire sex any less,' he said. 'It was the fact that I was in an all-boys' school that made it difficult for us to meet and hit on girls that often.'
But does paraffin actually work? The answer is unclear. While some students claim that it reduced their libido, others say it had no effect. One student, Liz, a graphic designer, remembered tasting paraffin during her time at a primary boarding school for girls. 'There could be something to it because in high school, four of my classmates came back to school after the December holiday pregnant,' she said. 'Maybe that was because they were not getting paraffin in their meals at home and their hormones went haywire!'
However, not all students agree that paraffin is effective. Mildred, for example, said that she only learned about the supposed effects of paraffin from her schoolmates. 'But truth, in my view, it is our inexperience and lack of opportunity that made us lie low,' she said.
Despite the unclear effects of paraffin, the practice continues in some boarding schools. A deputy principal of a senior boys' high school, who spoke to Crazy Monday on condition of anonymity, said that they still doll out paraffin to 'tame the animal.'
But is this practice based on a silent order from the Ministry of Education or a tradition that has been passed on from cook to cook? The answer remains unclear. What is clear, however, is that the use of paraffin in boarding schools is a topic that needs to be explored further.
