Student-Founded NonProfit Transforms Communities By Feeding School Children In Kenya

The nonprofit empowers community members to get involved in its mission.

A college student from Kenya has turned her education into a mission to feed young scholars.

At just 20 years old, Wawira Nijiru serves as CEO of Food4Education. The international student founded the nonprofit to provide meals to hundreds of thousands of schoolchildren in her home nation in East Africa.

Her passion comes from her own academic background as a nutritionist and food scientist. She wants the nonprofit to address the hunger issue directly in the region. Since its inception, it has given out over 100 million meals to help children avoid hunger.

Nijiru spoke on the CNBC “Changemakers and Power Players” podcast about Food4Education and her homegrown values that help her facilitate this service. The 20-something started the first-ever meal service by cooking it herself. She wanted to do something for her local community, starting with a meal to feed 80 people.

While she remembers the burnt rice, what was launched was a greater purpose to feed her country. Others began donating to her cause, which she believes is the first step toward inspiring others.

“When you give someone food, the first thing, and the first motivation that I have, is to give them dignity,” she said.

Although a nonprofit, she does not run Food4Education as a charity. Instead, she allows parents to pay what they can so they can feel empowered by this system.

“Our kids, our parents, we treat them like our customers,” continued Nijiri. “They’re not beneficiaries, because they do contribute a subsidized amount, and they do have ownership.”

The process works through small digital wallets attached to wristbands that the children wear during lunchtime. During their meal break, children scan their wristbands to pay for meals submitted through mobile platforms.

While parents may not always be able to pay the full amount, the meals are often subsidized through donations and government support. Local kitchens have also chipped in to create the nutritious meals, while parents also clock in as staff.

“They’re treated like heroes, because the people there know that these are the people who bring us food every single day. And I think that local ownership, that being from a place and serving a place is really, really critical,” she added.

However, Nijiru says this level of participation is crucial and makes everyone feel responsible and helpful in ensuring the kids eat.

“The anchor of this financing system is a child. Everyone is participating to make sure that the child is able to eat, and by bringing in smart ways where the government can contribute, parents can contribute. Philanthropy can cover the gaps, we’re really able to shift how school feeding happens,” Njiru said.

Sustainability is another core tenet of Food4Education. The kitchen is part of its ecosystem, aiming to maintain a zero-waste policy, further amplified by the technologies used. The wristband not only keeps things on track financially but also provides crucial insights to keep Food4Education’s operations tight. Nijiru has already seen the results, including less truancy and better test scores.

Kids are attending school more regularly, and then their performance goes up as a result. … they’re healthier, they’re falling sick less often,” she said.

However, the transformation of communities across Kenya remains one of her most significant accomplishments. She now hopes to make more plates for the hundreds of millions of food-insecure school children across Africa.