What does it take to transform an entire community?
I cannot wait for you, our dedicated Hunger Champion, to journey with us into Southwestern Kenya to see how incredible, holistic change is happening there as you read this.
In June, I had the opportunity to travel to Kenya to visit rural schools, surrounded by farmland, that are enrolled in our Feed for Knowledge project implemented in partnership with Rural Family Hope. My colleagues and I flew into the capital city of Nairobi before boarding a small regional jet en route to the region we serve. Over the coming days, we made our way through remote areas by bus on two-lane roads, flanked by cows and goats, to three of the seven schools participating in the project. At each school, we were greeted by students uniformed in bright, primary colors singing songs of welcome.
The purpose of my trip was to interview project participants, including students (called “learners” in Kenya), parents, teachers, school principals, local farmers, school cooks and more. This gave me — and now you — the chance to hear from members of these communities in their own words about how their lives are changing as a result of the nutrition, education, agriculture and clean water initiatives that make up the Feed for Knowledge Project, even in the face of ongoing resource and infrastructure limitations.
In the coming three months, through four mini-documentaries, you’ll meet:
Judith, a seventh grader who enjoys coming to school because she receives nutritious meals that make her body and bones strong.
Robert Karani, a school principal who understands that “water is life” and that every drop of clean water should be protected.
Margret Mongeri, a school cook who has seen students’ skin conditions clear and attendance rates soar since they began receiving a nutritious breakfast and lunch each day.
Samwel Onyango, a sweet potato farmer who provides his crops to the school where his three children attend and began his career in farming to achieve food security.
Befil, an eighth grader who recognizes at a young age that education is the key to success.
Plus so many more inspiring project participants who are literally sowing the seeds of opportunity and brighter futures for their own schools, families and communities. This is what “community-led” transformation looks like.
Here are just a few of the outstanding results we have achieved together since the project launched in 2022:
- Through our school feeding program, malnutrition rates among students enrolled in the participating schools decreased by 85% in the first year alone.
- More than 500 farmers have received training in climate-smart agriculture and, in turn, provide nutritious produce for school meals.
- New tanks provide at least 20,000 liters of water at each school where water was not previously present, improving hygiene and health.
- School enrollment increased by more than 17% in the project’s first year and dropout rates have declined to nearly zero.
Since returning to the U.S. from Kenya four months ago, I have not been able to stop talking about the people I met and the spirit of collaboration that permeated every classroom, farm and school garden. I hope you’ll experience this same feeling of excitement when you watch our It Starts With a Meal: Kenya storytelling series. It means so much to us to have you join us on this remarkable journey. Thank you, Hunger Champion, for your continuous support that makes projects like this one possible. Stay tuned to our website, Facebook and Instagram pages to watch these mini-documentaries, and make sure you’re subscribed to our newsletter so you don’t miss out!
For now, please watch our 90-second trailer video for a firsthand look at what’s to come.
