Student-founded nonprofit transforms communities by feeding schoolchildren in Kenya

A student from Kenya has turned her education into a mission to nurture young scientists.

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

Her passion stems from her own academic background as a nutritionist and food scientist. She wants the nonprofit to directly address the problem of hunger in the region. Since its founding, the organization has distributed more than 100 million meals to help children avoid hunger.

Nijiru continued speaking the CNBC “Changemakers and Power Players” podcast about Food4Education and its homegrown values help her facilitate this service. The twenty-something started the very first meal service ever by cooking himself. 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 larger goal of feeding her country. Others started donating to her cause, which she says is the first step in inspiring others.

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

Although she is a non-profit organization, she does not run Food4Education as a charity. Instead, she lets parents pay what they can so they feel empowered by this system.

“Our children, our parents, we treat them as our customers,” Nijiri continued. “They are not beneficiaries because they contribute a subsidized amount and are owners.”

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

Although parents may not always be able to pay the full amount, meals are often subsidized through donations and government assistance. Local kitchens have also done their part to prepare the nutritious meals, with parents also clocking in as staff.

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

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

“The anchor of this funding system is a child. Everyone pitches in to ensure the child can eat, and by coming up with smart ways for government to contribute, parents can contribute. Philanthropy can fill the gaps, we really have the power to change the way school feeding happens,” Njiru said.

Sustainability is another core principle of Food4Education. The kitchen is part of its ecosystem and strives for a zero-waste policy, which is further enhanced by the technologies used. The wristband not only keeps things on track financially, but also provides crucial insights to keep Food4Education’s business operations running smoothly. Nijiru has already seen the results, including fewer truants and better test scores.

Children go to school more often and their performance increases as a result. …they are healthier and get sick less often,” she said.

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

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