The Government of France has renewed its support for
Food4Education, enabling the school feeding programme to expand into Kisumu,
Mombasa, and Kakamega counties.
The partnership will provide daily nutritious meals for more
than 19,000 vulnerable learners across Kenya for the next school year.
The programme will now reach 7,600 learners in Nairobi,
5,000 in Mombasa, 4,000 in Kisumu, and 2,503 in Kakamega.
Many of these children come from food-insecure households,
where inadequate nutrition has been shown to limit brain development, affect
school attendance, and reduce long-term learning outcomes.
School meals programmes such as Food4Education’s are proven
to improve concentration, retention, and academic performance.
According to the World Bank, interruptions in feeding
programmes are directly linked to increased dropout rates.
Food4Education Founder and CEO Wawira Njiru welcomed the
renewed partnership:
“This support from the French government goes beyond meals.
It restores dignity and creates opportunity for children who would otherwise
struggle to learn on empty stomachs. Expanding into Kisumu, Mombasa, and
Kakamega means thousands more learners will get the nutrition they need to stay
in school, focus in class, and thrive.”
French Ambassador to Kenya Arnaud Suquet said the
initiative reflects France’s long-standing commitment to education and equity:
“No child should be hungry at school. We have already seen
in Nairobi how daily meals boost attendance and engagement. Extending the
programme to three more counties will transform even more young lives. This is
an investment in Kenya’s future and in our enduring partnership with its
communities.”
The announcement coincided with the launch of
Food4Education’s second central kitchen in Mombasa County, located in
Changamwe.
With capacity to
serve 20,000 meals daily, it complements the county’s existing facility that
already provides 25,000 meals each school day.
Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir hailed the
collaboration as a driver of both education and local development:
“Our school feeding programmes have reached 25,000 learners
daily, served over 9 million meals, created more than 145 jobs, and supported
local farmers. With this expansion, the impact will be even greater.”
Since 2021, France has co-chaired the School Meals
Coalition, investing over €140 million globally in feeding programmes.
In Kenya, the French Embassy has partnered with
Food4Education since 2023 to support expansion of its locally led school meals
model.
