Four years ago, Kara, a friend of our ministry, got to experience the joy of kids helping kids across the world. Kara is the children’s director at a church in Ohio, and she loves seeing children engage in compassionate service to others.

Kara’s project was simple: the children collected spare change to purchase lunches for kids in Kenya. It was such a valuable experience for all of us that we wanted to share it with you, along with resources to recreate this project in your home, neighborhood, or church.

Here is Kara’s story:

“We first heard about Kenya Kids Can from our good friend, Mark Daubenmier. He was sharing how this ministry helps feed school children a lunch called githeri — basically a mixture of corn and beans. For some kids, this is their one meal for the day.

I’m the children’s director at our church, and every year our Vacation Bible School chooses a ministry our VBS and community kids can support. All week long we run a contest between the boys and the girls to see who brings in the most money, all in pennies, to send to that ministry.

I’m the children’s director at our church, and every year our Vacation Bible School chooses a ministry our VBS and community kids can support. All week long we run a contest between the boys and the girls to see who brings in the most money, all in pennies, to send to that ministry.

I knew Kenya Kids Can would be a great ministry for our kids to get involved with, because it’s something they could relate to. Each day of VBS we had a missionary moment, where our kids learned about kids in Kenya, and how their lives were similar in many ways, but also pretty different. Our kids loved this. They got really excited about helping other children.

Kenya Kids Can was fabulous in providing us with pictures, videos, and other material. Our VBS kids saw children coming to school with their bowls for lunch, and children playing with jump ropes made from clothing tied together, or with balls made from bundles of trash.

At the end of the week, we had a big finale. We announced the grand total of money the kids had raised — well over $3,000. Our leaders and directors were amazed, since we’d doubled our typical amount, and our kids were excited about how many meals we could provide for children in Kenya.

It’s important for kids to have a tangible way they can help others. I encourage other children’s ministry leaders, VBS directors, and parents to consider supporting a ministry like Kenya Kids Can, where kids are helping kids, and they’re able to do a lot with just a few pennies. A project like this allows children to give of themselves, and to show Jesus’s love to kids and their communities in other parts of the world.”

The price of githeri has escalated.

Dear friends, a severe drought hit Kenya the first quarter of the year, raising the cost of maize and beans by more than 30%. It’s in seasons like this that we clearly see the value of a guaranteed lunch. Your support now provides ongoing meals for children at a time when food is growing scarce.

Kenya Kids CAN

Upon the request of several friends, we’ve made available the resources described in Kara’s story. We hope that you too will involve your children, community, and church in providing meals for kids in Kenya.

The Kenya Kids CAN campaign is our new, year-round program kit that turns a simple food can into a container of hope for thousands of Kenyan students. Please take a moment to visit our resources page and browse the activities and tools that can turn a few coins into life-sustaining nourishment.