Nairobi Partners with Food4Education for Africa's Largest School Feeding Program

Nairobi, Kenya, is set to launch the largest school meals program in Africa this August, aiming to combat hunger and its associated stigma. With ten new kitchens currently being constructed, the initiative will provide 400,000 daily lunches for children in 225 primary schools and Early Childhood Development centres in the Kenyan capital. The program, a collaboration between Nairobi County and the Kenyan non-profit organization Food4Education, will commence on August 28, coinciding with the start of the autumn term, and will generate employment for 3,500 individuals.

Valued at $8.6 million (£6.7 million), the program expands upon Food4Education's existing efforts, which already supply meals to 150,000 primary school children in Nairobi. Speaking at the program's launch, Kenyan President William Ruto emphasized the nation's commitment to eradicating hunger, stating, "We must eliminate the shame of hunger in our country. We will be deliberate and focused on ensuring the successful implementation of the school feeding program. The greatest indignity is for our children to go to school and fast because of lack of food."

Malnutrition is a significant concern in Kenya, with 26% of Kenyan children experiencing stunted growth due to inadequate nutrition, according to Save The Children. President Ruto announced that the government has allocated 5 billion Kenyan shillings ($36 million) to expand the current national feeding program from serving 1.6 million children to 4 million. Ruto also pledged to increase the allocation further if additional counties contribute, promising to match their contributions.

Suzanne Silantoi, the county executive of Nairobi city county, highlighted the detrimental impact of child hunger on learning, school enrollment, and attendance. Recognizing the crucial link between nutrition and education, Silantoi expressed optimism that the school feeding program would improve attendance and academic performance in public schools.

Food4Education, founded in 2012 by Kenyan nutritionist Wawira Njiru, started with a modest kitchen employing one cook and providing lunch for 25 children at Ruiru primary school. Over time, the program grew exponentially, and Njiru's ambition expanded to feed 1 million children. Now, with the partnership with the city government, the number of children served daily will increase to 400,000. Further collaborations are anticipated to reach 500,000 children, possibly by the end of next year, bringing Njiru closer to her goal of feeding 1 million children daily.

“With this new partnership [with the city government], the number of children served a day will increase to 400,000. Furthermore, as additional partnerships are formed, we anticipate reaching 500,000 children, possibly by the end of next year. These developments bring us significantly closer to achieving the one million children a day goal,” Niru said.

The kitchens in the program will operate on green energy using steam gas technology and eco-briquettes. Technology has also played a vital role in Food4Education's growth, as each child receives a Tap2Eat wristband linked to a virtual wallet, enabling parents to pre-pay 15 shillings ($0.11) for each meal.