Mary’s Meals has been working in Kenya since 2005.  We provide meals to over 9,000 children attending schools in Njenga, Nairobi, in West Kenya and in Turkana.

School Feeding
Njenga - Kenya’s slums are among the worst in the world, and Mary’s Meals is assisting children in the densely populated Mukuru slums of Nairobi. The highly motivated teachers and volunteers who run the program are dedicated to ensuring that children’s right to education and adequate food is fulfilled. At Kwa Njenga Mary’s Meals is helping to attract children to school and to keep them coming every day making this school one of the best performing in Nairobi, despite its dire setting.

Kiango, Enchoro & Riyabu – Mary’s Meals is providing meals to children attending schools in the Kisii region in west Kenya. It is the only meal during the day for many of these children. The schools are in areas that are very poor and rely on subsistence farming. Children suffer from malnutrition and poor health so school feeding is a great help to them in their quest for an education.

Kaikor and Lodwar – Turkana is a vast, arid region and home to pastoralist peoples whose way of life revolves around finding their livestock food and water. This is proving increasingly difficult as the climate becomes more hospitable and drought more frequent.  More and more Turkana people are drifiting south to settle around towns like Lodwar.  Mary’s Meals is providing meals for children attending nursery centres.  The hope is this early introduction to education will encourage them to continue with school and that the people here will be better equipped to cope with the changes to their traditional way of life.

 

KENYA FACTS AND FIGURES
Population - 39.8 million
% population that is undernourished - 33
% population living below poverty line - 50
Infant Mortality Rate per 1000 live birth - 54.7
Primary Enrolment % - 76
Survival to last grade of Primary of those enrolled % 84

Kenya is in eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Somalia and Tanzania.  Kenya gained independence from Britain in 1963. Politics has been beset by violence.  It is a beautiful country with wonderful wildlife and tourism is valuable source of income however most Kenyans live below the poverty line and the threat of drought is ever-present.