In 2022 the World’s 50 Best Restaurant organization recognized a diverse slate of altruists in the culinary space. I had the pleasure of interviewing two prior to the awards in London. Second up: Wawira Njiru.
World’s 50 Best Restaurants Article followed by my interview with Ms. Njiru
Wawira Njiru is making a difference in the lives of tens of thousands of African children by marrying the two things she’s most passionate about: healthy food and education. For her ground-breaking work harnessing gastronomy to support the new generations in Kenya, she is recognised with the Icon Award as part of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2022 programme.
Njiru grew up in Ruiru, where she witnessed first-hand how a lack of adequate meals too often impacted her classmates’ ability to make the most of their primary school lessons. The daughter of clinicians who had transformed their own lives for the better thanks to scholarships, she learnt early on that education can be the key to a better future.
While living in Australia and studying nutrition at university, Njiru decided to create a small fundraiser to help feed kids at the primary school back in her hometown. With the funds, she built a makeshift kitchen and prepared meals for 25 children – but the project awoke in her a desire to make a bigger difference.
On returning to Kenya, Njiru laid the foundation of Food for Education, her social enterprise that provides school meals to 40,000 kids
per day across 41 schools in Nairobi, Mombasa and Kiambu Counties. Her next target is to feed 100,000 school kids per day by the end of 2022, then to work on expanding the model to other African countries.
Food for Education is a 24-hour operation with 200 employees. After the ingredients are sourced directly from farmers, meals are cooked in large quantities overnight at a centralised kitchen according to the healthy eating principles that Njiru learnt as a trained nutritionist – plenty of rice, beans and vegetables, with a higher-than-average ratio of protein to support the kids’ growth. Then, a fleet of vans takes the meals to the schools, ready to be served at lunchtime.
As Food for Education is funded by philanthropy, the kids’ families pay only 15 cents per meal, making the school lunches the cheapest meal in Kenya. To avoid the risk of children losing cash and going hungry, Njiru and her team developed the Tap2Eat technology, which comprises a virtual wallet in the form of a wristband that allows children to pay for their meals with a simple, cashless tap.
When the Covid-19 pandemic cut families’ income and prevented many for being able to afford even the most inexpensive meals, Njiru turned to providing food packages and cash transfers, delivering over two million lunches across the nation.
Having overcome considerable hurdles as a young, Black, female entrepreneur, Njiru received the title of UN Person of the Year in Kenya in 2021 and now follows it up with the Icon Award 2022, as she continues to raise awareness around classroom hunger to make sure to no kid has to go to school on an empty stomach.
Below is a short interview I had with Ms. Njiru in June 2022.
Congratulations on receiving the W50B Icon Award. Have you always had a passion for food?
I have always known the power of food. In addition, I have worked multiple jobs so I understand hustling and worked in nursing
facilities, so I know the fragility of the human condition.
COVID and record droughts in Kenya and neighboring countries. How has the past three years impacted Food for Education?
The past few years have been tough on us and the families we support. Climate change, fertilizer shortage, rising food costs, and supply chain issues have negatively impacted all of us. As a result, we had to go closer to home for supplies. We have seen tremendous growth and the needs of the families we support have changed. Testing and vaccination and finding parents jobs have become a new priority for the organization.
A few weeks ago (May 2022) the Guardian published an article titled Stalked by hunger but fighting obesity: Kenya’s hidden food crisis. It discusses how millions face hunger yet in less than ten years over 1.4 million Kenyan children will be obese. What are your thoughts on that article?
This is not relevant to the children in our program since we are working with public schools. In affluent schools’ obesity might be an issue because fast food is provided as a treat.
A friend who formerly worked at the Chicago Food Depository suggested that I ask how do you define food security because it may vary from ours in the US?
That is a good question. I define food security as having access to affordable fresh ingredients, the knowledge to use recipes for these ingredients, and having the time to cook with them. This is especially true in urban areas where over 60% of households in Kenya make less than $2/day.
The Tap2Eat wristband technology is genius. What role does technology play in the future of your program?
I am not a technology expert yet realize that speed and ease is a priority. I provide ideas and work with the tech teams results in metro cards and microsaving for meals via an e-wallet to the tech teams. I rely on them to discover simple ways to make this happen. Having better, more efficient sourcing platforms is always a priority.
How can we help?
Share our website (https://food4education.org/), donate, and spread the word on the work we are doing.
Done.