In January, thanks to the supporters of Bread and Water for Africa^®, we were able to provide a grant to provide two meals each school day to 125 children attending the Seed School in the Nairobi slum of Kibera for the entire academic term.

But that was before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of schools throughout Kenya, including the Seed School, where these children not only got an education, but could count on having breakfast and lunch every weekday.

Seed Foundation director Patrick Odongo explained 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.

However, when midway through the term and the school was shuttered most of the families faced even more difficult times, but with the unused portion of the grant funding from Bread and Water for Africa^®, they were able to provide regular food rations to many of them.

“This helped in feeding the children and keeping them healthy,” he said.

Thanks to our supporters, these 125 children, aged from 3 to 14 whose families are in dire need, not only receive the vital education they need to lift themselves out of unimaginable poverty they arrive at school each day eager to learn and secure in the knowledge they will not go hungry that day.

“In the long term, we are assured of transforming the lives of these children and thus working at breaking the cycle of poverty from the slum-up,” says Patrick.

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.”

“Due to the high poverty levels in the slums of Kibera, most children living there are denied the major basic needs of life, which include a balanced diet and an education.

“The grant from Bread and Water for Africa^® was able to fulfill the gap, feeding all the children in the school and giving multiple households the opportunity to live with lesser tension.

“The support from Bread and Water for Africa^® comes in handy as a Godly-sent gift enabling the transformation of lives the dreams of children to become their reality.”

Thankfully, since Patrick submitted his report in September, Kenyan schools have recently reopened and children are back in class — and once again assured of getting the meals they need to be healthy, and happy.