Food4Education proposes 4-phased approach to make school meals a right » Capital News

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 16 — A Kenyan nonprofit is urging African governments to adopt a four-phase action plan to make school feeding a right for every child across the continent in a bid to eradicate hunger affecting nealr 60 million children across the continet.

Food4Education made the call on Monday to mark this year’s Day of the African Child which aligns with the African Union’s 2025 theme: “Planning and budgeting for children’s rights: progress since 2010.”

The nonprofit warned that the time for incremental change is over.

“We can’t afford to treat nutrition and economic growth as separate conversations,” said Wawira Njiru, Founder and CEO of Food4Education.

“School meals are a foundation for everything else — learning, dignity, health, and future prosperity.”

Hunger crisis

Despite 90 million children enrolled in school across Africa, more than 50 million attend classes hungry every day, the nonprofit noted.

It further pointed out that only 14 per cent of global school feeding programs are based in Africa — a continent with the youngest population in the world.

The nonprofit noted that with one in four people globally projected to be African by 2050 feeding the continent’s future leaders is not charity — it’s policy, justice, and smart economics.

Kenyan model

Founded in 2012, Food4Education began in a modest kitchen with just 25 meals a day. As of 2025, the organization delivers over 500,000 hot, nutritious meals daily across Kenya through a locally powered, tech-enabled system.

By sourcing 80 per cent of its ingredients from smallholder farmers, Food4Education is not only feeding children but also creating resilient rural supply chains and boosting local economies.

Its Tap2Eat wristband system — an NFC-powered, cashless payment tool — enables real-time transactions and provides vital data to optimize program delivery.

“This is infrastructure. This is economic reform. This is climate resilience. But above all — this is justice,” added Shalom Ndiku, Head of Policy and Partnerships.

The four-phase plan

To close the glaring gap between budget intention and on-ground action, Food4Education proposes a 4-phase approach African governments can adopt sustainable financing and policy integration, support for local economies , use of smark people-centred technology and empowerment of local providers.

Sustainable financing and policy integration, the non profit noted, will ensure school meals are an essential part of education, health, and economic policy — not as charity or temporary relief.

Food4Education also noted that governments must support local economies by anchoring meal programs in community-driven food systems to support job creation whule shortening supply chains.

Governments must also adopt smart, people-centered technology such as Tap2Eat — a simple NFC wristband — wich has transformed how children access meals in Kenya.

Beyond enabling real-time payments, technology helps track student attendance, monitor nutritional outcomes, and help optimize logistics.

The nonprofit also urge governments to empower local providers by reducing red tape and trusting the actors to help accelerate deliver.

Improved learning outcomes

Melvin, a former Food4Education beneficiary, recalls how daily meals enabled her to concentrate in class and rise to the top of her class in primary school.

Scoring 399 marks out of a possible 500, she earned a scholarship through high school and is now headed to university to study engineering.

“Having a full belly meant I could focus and dream bigger,” she shared. “Food4Education didn’t just give me lunch. It gave me a future.”

Food4Education noted 80 per cent of African governments have school feeding budgets, but implementation lags due to inconsistent planning, poor infrastructure, and fragmented systems.

Food4Education says this is the moment to move from pilot projects to permanent policy.

Following a recent visit to Food4Education’s green-energy-powered Giga Kitchen in Nairobi, King Letsie III of Lesotho, AU Nutrition Champion, remarked:

“Sustainable school feeding is not an expense. It is a generational investment in our children, economies, and food systems.”