By Wawira Njiru
Globally, we acknowledge that the communities most vulnerable to climate change are often the least responsible for its causes. The same is profoundly true of children. If we assessed who bears the greatest impact while contributing the least to this crisis, African children would likely emerge as those most burdened on this intergenerational global balance sheet.
On World Children’s Day, we are reminded of the growing debt we owe to the next generation. Repaying this debt starts with addressing their fundamental needs—a mission central to Food4Education, the organization I founded 12 years ago. What began at my kitchen sink has grown into a homegrown school feeding program in Kenya, now nourishing 450,000 children daily.
Through this work, we see the devastating effects of hunger, poverty, social instability, and the climate crisis on children. These challenges are deeply interconnected and cyclical, particularly in Africa, where population growth is set to shape the world’s future.
In the next 25 years, half of global population growth will occur in just eight countries, including Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Ethiopia. One in four people on Earth will be African.
Africa’s children, therefore, are central to our shared future. Their voices matter now. If we fail to listen today, their outcry tomorrow will be impossible to ignore.
Every day, millions of African children face the harsh reality of hunger in schools, affecting their physical health, cognitive abilities, and emotional well-being. Hungry children cannot learn, grow, or thrive—and they cannot become the backbone of the future global economy that we will all depend on to survive and prosper. Investing in their potential is not just a moral imperative; it is in our collective interest.
To build a better future for our children, we need innovative, sustainable, and resilient solutions that make a tangible difference. At Food4Education, we’ve learned that locally rooted school feeding initiatives can effectively tackle childhood hunger while driving transformative change in food systems and bolstering community resilience to climate change.
Feeding children a hot, nutritious meal every day is not just about addressing hunger—it can also be a powerful weapon against climate change. When done sustainably, these programs support small-scale farmers, who are on the frontlines of climate action in countries like Kenya.
The climate crisis is profoundly human, yet it is often abstracted and disconnected from the realities of everyday life. It is impossible to ignore its impact when listening to the hopes and dreams of the children we work with, or the stories of their parents and communities.
Every child deserves the right to an education and a decent standard of living. As we work to scale across Africa, our vision is to make these rights a reality for millions more children. Sustainable school feeding programs uphold vital child rights while preserving our planet for future generations.
By investing in Africa’s children today, we can create a resilient, equitable future for all—one meal and one life-changing opportunity at a time.
The author, Wawira Njiru, is the Executive Director of Food for Education (F4E)
Source: capitalfm
