Nairobi: The world is today commemorating the Day of the African Child, focusing on the theme ‘Planning and Budgeting for Children’s Rights: Progress since 2010.’ The theme emphasizes the importance of integrating children’s rights into national plans and budgets across African Union member states.
According to Kenya News Agency, the government has been actively involved in school feeding programs, aiming for universal coverage by 2030. The national strategy seeks to expand the School Meals Programme (SMP) to reach 10 million learners, an increase from the current 2.6 million. Food4Education, a Kenyan nonprofit, has called on African governments and global partners to prioritize school feeding in their budgets and agendas.
In collaboration with Kenya’s government and local communities, Food4Education operates high-efficiency kitchens using a hub-and-spoke model. Last year, they opened Africa’s largest green-energy ‘Giga Kitchen,’ a 3,000 m² facility using clean-burning briquettes and steam to prepare 60,000 meals daily. In commemoration of the Day of the African Child, Wawira Njiru, Founder and CEO of Food4Education, highlighted that 90 million African children are enrolled in school, with 50 million attending classes on an empty stomach daily. However, only 14 percent of global school feeding programs are located in Africa.
Njiru stressed the need for child malnutrition and socio-economic growth to be addressed simultaneously. She noted that well-nourished children perform better academically, and when school feeding is locally rooted, it creates jobs, supports smallholder farmers, and strengthens local economies. Research indicates that every Sh130 (1USD) invested in school meals can generate up to Sh2,600 (USD20) in social and economic returns.
In Kenya, Food4Education’s initiatives have boosted enrollment by over 20 percent in counties like Nairobi and Mombasa, while reducing absenteeism and improving academic performance by up to 30 percent in partner schools. Despite 80 percent of African governments allocating budgets for school feeding, operational challenges hinder implementation across the continent, according to Njiru.
Njiru advocates for national government policies to prioritize school feeding programs as a human capital investment and a health, nutrition, and education priority. She emphasizes leveraging technology, such as the Tap2Eat feeding program, which uses NFC-enabled wristbands for cashless school meal payments, to optimize processes, reduce costs, and collect data for informed growth.
Shalom Ndiku, Head of Policy and Partnerships at Food4Education, believes integrated, African-led solutions are key. The organization combines public funding, parent contributions, and philanthropic support, all rooted in local supply chains and green infrastructure. Ndiku asserts that school feeding is infrastructure, economic policy, a climate solution, and a matter of justice.
As Africa reflects on 15 years of progress in children’s rights, the message is clear: no child can learn on an empty stomach. His Majesty King Letsie III of Lesotho, AU Champion for Nutrition and FAO Special Goodwill Ambassador for Nutrition, recently visited Food4Education in Nairobi. He emphasized that sustainable school feeding programs are commitments to human capital development, economic resilience, and food security.
Food4Education, which began 13 years ago in a makeshift kitchen serving 25 children, now delivers over 500,000 hot, nutritious meals daily across Kenya. By sourcing over 100 tons of locally grown food, 80% from smallholder farmers, the organization reinvests in rural economies.
