By Muskan Singh | Reporting Team
Warm Greetings from Team RKF!
In our last update, we celebrated the milestone of serving 1,000,000 meals, sharing the journey and impact we’ve achieved together through our Meals Program. Thanks to your continued generosity, we are reaching even more communities, providing hope and opportunity—one plate at a time.
Extending our Support: Odienya Primary School
Earlier this year, RKF extended its Meals Program to Odienya Primary School, a rural school on the outskirts of Kisumu in Nyando with approximately 550 students. The community faces a significant challenge: seasonal flooding due to its proximity to Lake Victoria. The majority of the workforce rely on agriculture, fishing, or informal, low-income work to earn a living.
We first engaged with the Odienya community during a mobilisation and introduction effort in October 2024, which revealed an urgent need for a school meals program. Many students had been displaced, were living in evacuation camps, and faced long journeys to school—making regular access to meals extremely difficult. In February 2025, RKF officially launched the Meals Program at the school. The response from students, parents & teachers was positive, with visible improvements in classroom participation.
After a short break during the school holidays, the program resumed with the start of Kenya’s second school term. In just the first week, we served 1,750 hot and nutritious meals, including both breakfast and lunch, ensuring students had the energy to focus and thrive throughout their day.
Since the program began, we have served 11,620 meals at Odienya. This is more than just a number—it represents one of many small, impactful steps toward our 2025 goal of serving 500,000 meals, and a future where no child learns on an empty stomach.
Cooks & Interns Roundtable
Every plate of food served through RKF’s Meals Program is powered by a dedicated team of school cooks and interns. While cooks bring consistency and care to every meal prepared, our interns manage daily logistics, ensuring meals are served safely and adhere to hygiene standards.
To build on our progress and strengthen operations, we hosted our first Cooks & Interns Roundtable of 2025, a space for honest reflection and practical problem-solving. Together, we revisited lessons from the previous term, discussed daily challenges, and explored ways to improve efficiency and impact in the months ahead. Though the session focused on serious insights, it was also a time of connection, with moments of storytelling, shared laughter, and even a spirited game of musical chairs. One cook shared a moment that stayed with us:
“A student told me, ‘The food was so good, I wish the term were longer!’”
Moments like this reaffirm that meals are more than nourishment—they are a reason to show up, stay engaged, and feel cared for.
The Impact Beyond Classrooms
Beyond the classroom, the Meals Program quietly strengthens the community itself. The program doesn’t just feed children, it creates meaningful local employment. By hiring cooks and interns directly from the community, we provide income opportunities for parents and caregivers, many of whom face limited formal employment options locally. This approach not only ensures cultural familiarity and trust in the program but also channels economic support directly back into the very households we aim to uplift. In this way, every meal served carries a ripple effect—nourishing students, empowering families, and building a more resilient community from within.
You can uplift communities like Odienya by ensuring no child goes to school on an empty stomach.
A donation of $25 or Kshs. 3,250 will provide 200 hot meals to students, helping them stay focused, healthy, and ready to learn. Your support goes beyond just food, it’s an investment in their future and a step toward a stronger, self-sustaining community.
You can donate securely online by clicking here or through M-Pesa via Pay Bill: 744040, Account No: SchoolMeals2025.
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