Thank you for stopping by to learn more about us.
“Feeding and teaching the world changers of tomorrow” is our tagline. We believe that coming alongside rural Kenyan schools with the unusual combination of food and computers can have an extraordinary impact: Additional students come to school and every student learns more.
This enables students to be the next generation of problem solvers for their communities and beyond.
Here are several key things to know about us:
We are passionate about feeding children.
Over 20 years ago on a New Year’s Day hike, Steve Peifer found himself at the top of Mount Longonot looking over the Great Rift Valley. This was the moment he resolved not to make peace with the fact that there are hungry children.
Steve put a couple of sacks of maize and beans in the back of his car and drove to a rural school to provide meals for the students. That commitment has grown into an organization partnering with 40 communities to feed nearly 25,000 children a daily lunch of githeri.
Githeri: a staple dish of maize and beans.
Many households in these communities subsist from keeping goats or cows, small-scale farming, or running shops or stalls. Food insecurity is a common reality.
If we have learned anything over the years, it’s that we should never underestimate the importance of food in a child’s life. Food has an immediate impact on nutrition and a long-term impact on growth – both physical and academic.
We are passionate about feeding children … in school.
The world agrees – feeding children in schools is essential.
Our experiences in Kenya add to these studies from around the world. We have seen first-hand how schools often double their enrollment in the year after launching a lunch program. We celebrate not just this increased enrollment, but also that our students have the energy to take their lessons, absenteeism tapers off, and kids stay in school longer.
Headteachers eagerly share with us how their students perform better on national exams once their schools have food, which should come as no surprise. Nutrition is foundational for learning.
We believe that school lunches combined with computer education helps raise up future leaders.
For us, the goal of increased learning is to raise up problem solvers who can lead their communities into the future. While those of us who did not grow up in Kenya sometimes have interesting solutions to the challenges communities face, the best ideas about Kenya’s future come from Kenyans.
In addition to robust nutrition, we know that computer skills are essential for future leaders. Our computer program gives students these fundamental skills.
We believe in the power of partnership.
People are often surprised at how economical the KKC program is. Since a hot lunch costs just 10 cents, a single $25 donation provides school lunches and computer education for a student for an entire year.
This is possible because we partner with communities through their schools. The parents in these schools hire the cooks, build the kitchens, and secure the firewood and water needed for cooking. The students bring their own bowls from home to receive lunch. The community is doing nearly everything; our role is to provide the maize and beans for schools to feed their students.
We are careful spenders.
When $25 sponsors a child for a year, we must pause and consider every expense. Any inefficiencies limit our reach, so we strive to be as efficient as possible.
Our overhead is just 7%, enabling KKC to reach more students with food and computer lessons. We leverage every donated dollar to have the largest impact possible.
We are called to act out of God’s love.
There are no strings attached when we add a school to our program. It does not come with an obligation for students to hear a message at lunch or anything else. Yet loud in our ears are many verses like 1 John 3:17:
“If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person?”
Since we have sufficient food, clothing, and shelter, we feel compelled to share such things in love with those around us.
This is the heart of Kenya Kids Can.