For 25 years, Live and Learn in Kenya International has been doing far more than teaching children to read and write. We have been feeding them—day after day, year after year—because we know one simple truth: a hungry child cannot learn.
Our children come to school hungry for knowledge—but very often, they simply come hungry.
In the slums of Baruti and its surrounding communities, food at home is never a guarantee. Many children arrive at school having eaten nothing since the day before. Hunger weakens bodies, clouds concentration, and quietly robs children of their potential. At LLK, we refuse to let hunger decide a child’s future.
That is why, for a quarter of a century, LLK has provided hundreds of thousands of nutritious meals to the children in our care. Today, every child at our Education Center receives two freshly cooked meals a day, six days a week, and children in our partner schools, colleges, and universities receive at least one warm lunch daily. No child is turned away. No child is asked whether they have paid. Dignity comes first.
The result is visible everywhere you look: children who are strong, healthy, energetic, and ready to learn. Our students grow up with the kind of balanced, nourishing meals that even wealthy Kenyan families value—meals rich in protein, vegetables, and variety. Hunger does not sit in our classrooms. Joy does.
Meals at LLK begin early each morning. A warm breakfast—often porridge or tea with bread—gives children a calm and steady start to the day. At lunchtime, they gather again for filling meals such as rice and beans, githeri, vegetable stew, ugali with sukuma wiki, milk, fruit, and meat once a week. Everything is cooked fresh in our modern on-site kitchen by a trained cook and a devoted team of “mamas” who begin their work at sunrise. The dining hall fills with chatter, laughter, and the comforting smell of real food.
This program has grown steadily over 25 years. Today, more than 600 children are fed every school day, Monday through Saturday. That means approximately 1,800 meals a day, over 10,000 meals each week, and more than half a million meals every year. These are not just numbers—they are children who can concentrate, grow, and thrive.
Our meals are carefully planned to build health, not just fill stomachs. Beans, eggs, milk, meat, and legumes provide protein. Rice, maize, chapati, and potatoes give energy. Fresh vegetables—kale, cabbage, carrots, tomatoes, onions—and seasonal fruit supply essential vitamins. Clean, filtered water is available throughout the day. Whenever possible, ingredients are sourced locally, supporting nearby farmers and strengthening the local economy.
Food at LLK is also education. Children wash their hands before every meal, help keep the dining area clean, and learn about hygiene and nutrition in the classroom. Older students sometimes assist in the kitchen, gaining practical life skills. Through our school gardens, children help grow vegetables themselves—learning where food comes from and what it takes to nourish a community.
Meals are never rushed. They are moments of safety, belonging, and peace. For many children, this is the most secure and joyful time of the day—the moment when they feel fully cared for.
The impact speaks for itself. Since the introduction of the full-time meal program in 2001, malnutrition among our students has dropped dramatically. Attendance has improved, especially among younger children. Illness has decreased, physical development has normalized, and children have the strength to run, play, and learn. Food is medicine. Food is stability. Food changes everything.
Behind every plate is a kitchen team that works tirelessly and with heart—cooks, assistants, and helpers who know every child by name and serve every meal with care. They are the quiet heroes of LLK.
Feeding more than 600 children every day is a huge responsibility. It requires tons of rice and beans, hundreds of liters of milk, endless crates of vegetables, clean water, firewood, and constant planning. And yet, it costs as little as €6–10 per child per month—around €0.40 a day—to ensure that a child is nourished, focused, and ready to build a future.
For 25 years, supporters like you have made this possible. Every bowl filled, every plate scraped clean, every healthy smile exists because someone cared enough to help.
You are not just feeding children.
You are feeding minds.
You are feeding dreams.
You are feeding the future of Kenya.
From every full belly and every joyful lunchtime at Live and Learn in Kenya:
Asante Sana – Thank You.
With gratitude and pride,
Brique Zeiner
