Stories of change.

Mr. Samuel Barasa has been head teacher at Cherang'any Primary for 11 years. He watched generations of children arrive hungry and struggle to learn. When the Lishe Kwa Mtoto program began in January 2024, he tracked the attendance data carefully. By April, the numbers told a story he had never seen before: from 61% daily attendance to 94%, a transformation he credits entirely to the morning meal.

"The children come eager to learn. They arrive early. They stay engaged through to lunch. Teachers are happier because they are actually teaching, not managing hungry, restless children."

Mary Rotich is one of 60 community cooks employed by Lishe Kwa Mtoto across our partner schools. A widow with four children of her own, Mary was struggling to find stable income in Kapenguria, West Pokot, before she was trained and hired as a school cook in 2024.

"I wake up at 5 AM to prepare the porridge. By the time children arrive, everything is ready. I know every child by name. When I see them eat, when I see them smile, I feel like I am doing God's work."

Joseph Wekesa farms 3 acres of maize and soybeans in Kitale. When Lishe Kwa Mtoto approached his cooperative in mid-2024 to supply ingredients for the Lishe Mix, it changed his household's economic trajectory. He now supplies 2 tonnes of maize per month at a guaranteed price, removing the uncertainty of market fluctuations.

"Before, I was selling to middlemen at whatever price they offered. Now I have a contract. My children are also in school, and eating better themselves."

Dr. Asha Mwangi, Director of Education for Trans Nzoia County, has partnered with Lishe Kwa Mtoto since the program's inception. She says the data from county schools is unambiguous: schools participating in the feeding program consistently outperform non-participant schools on attendance, retention and end-of-term assessments.

"When children eat, they stay in school. When they stay in school, entire families break out of poverty cycles. This is not charity. It is the most efficient investment we know in human capital."