For the past few years, thanks to the supporters of Bread and Water for Africa®, we have been able to provide grant funding to the Seed School located in the slum of Kibera in the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya to enable the school to provide free meals to more than 200 students every school day.

Director Patrick Odongo explains that the school “strives at transforming the lives of these children by offering them hope through education, and giving them regular meals while they are at school.

“The grant came in very handy to support our feeding program for the children whose parents can barely manage to provide food for their children,” he told us.

Because the children receive daily, balanced meals of maize meal (cornmeal which is used to make the Kenyan staple, ugali), porridge, beans, rice, potatoes, onions, tomatoes, green vegetables and fruits, “this has prevented stunting and malnutrition,” he said.

“The feeding program ensures that there is constant class participation throughout the term,” Patrick reported. “When the children are assured of receiving regular meals at school their level of attendance increases.”

Now, with our partnership fully established, we are working to assist the school in a capital campaign to improve the condition of the school building and expand its capacity to increase enrollment and enable even more children the opportunity for an education.

The school building itself is located in the slum, among the largest on the continent of Africa, where “currently the floors of the classes are rough and unfinished.”

In addition to the floors, thanks to our supporters, Bread and Water for Africa®, we were able to provide funding to replaster the interior walls of the building, and eventually, hopefully expand the number of classrooms, dedicated library space and community center.

Patrick noted that the Seed School previously operated its activities in a semi-temporary structure which suffered from damage caused by seasonal flooding “and the structure itself was not conducive for effective learning for the students.

The current project will produce a full-fledged primary school and library for the children attending the school, and additional children from the community.”

But he also pointed out that “the scope of this project will not be limited to the structural transformation of the building but will also be focused on transitioning the reality of a model school with trained teaching staff aimed at transforming and bringing up a future generation coming from a humble background.

“Bread and Water for Africa® has been our lifeline supporting us through this project,” commented Patrick.