Nutrition & Education
Lishe Kwa MtotoA Ray of Hope Kenya Initiative
Lishe Kwa Mtoto
No child should learn on an empty stomach. Lishe Kwa Mtoto delivers nutritious daily meals to schools across Kenya's Arid and Semi-Arid Lands, so hunger never gets between a child and their education.
1No Poverty2Zero Hunger3Good Health & Well-being4Quality Education10Reduced Inequalities17Partnerships for the Goals
30+
Schools reached
11,400+
Learners impacted
90kg
Lishe Mix bag size
5
Ingredients in every batch
The challenge
Why this program exists
Born in 2024 from a simple belief: no child should learn on an empty stomach. What began as a single outreach quickly revealed a deeper challenge — children arriving at school without breakfast, relying on a single school meal for nutrition all day. Lishe Kwa Mtoto grew into a structured school feeding program reaching Kenya's Arid and Semi-Arid Lands, where food insecurity affects thousands of families. Today it advances SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) by ensuring nutritious meals, SDG 3 (Good Health) by supporting healthy growth, and SDG 4 (Quality Education) by keeping learners in class and able to focus.
- Maize 45kg
- Millet 13.5kg
- Sorghum 13.5kg
- Cassava 9kg
- Soybeans 9kg
Our response
What this program does
Lishe Kwa Mtoto (Swahili for 'nutrition for the child') is BintiCare Foundation Kenya's school feeding program. It supplies schools in food-insecure regions with a fortified porridge flour blend, giving children a reliable, nutritious meal that keeps them in the classroom and able to concentrate.
"When children are fed, they can focus. When they focus, they can learn. When they learn, they can lead."
What we're working to achieve
- 01
Eliminate hunger as a barrier to learning
Ensure every enrolled child has access to at least one nutritious meal during the school day.
- 02
Improve child nutrition outcomes
Provide a fortified blend of maize, millet, sorghum, cassava and soybeans to support healthy growth.
- 03
Keep children in school
Reduce absenteeism and drop-out linked to hunger, especially in ASAL regions.
- 04
Build community ownership
Work with school committees and parents to sustain feeding programs long-term.
How it works
How the program runs day to day
- 01
Bulk procurement of Lishe Mix
Sourcing maize, millet, sorghum, cassava and soybeans and blending them into a nutrient-dense porridge flour.
- 02
School kitchen support
Providing cooking equipment and training to school kitchen staff for safe food preparation.
- 03
Daily meal distribution
Coordinating with teachers and volunteers to serve meals to learners every school day.
- 04
Monitoring & reporting
Tracking attendance and nutrition outcomes to measure the program's impact over time.
Impact
What this program has achieved so far
30+
Schools reached
11,400+
Learners impacted
90kg
Lishe Mix bag size
5
Ingredients in every batch
Photo story
Lishe Kwa Mtoto in pictures
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FAQs
Common questions
Which schools does Lishe Kwa Mtoto work with?
We partner with primary schools in Kenya's Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL), prioritising areas where food insecurity is most acute and where a daily school meal has the greatest impact on attendance.
What is in the Lishe Mix porridge flour?
Each 90kg batch blends maize, millet, sorghum, cassava and soybeans — a locally-sourced, fortified mix designed for balanced child nutrition.
How can my school apply to join the program?
School administrators can reach out through our Contact page. We assess need, capacity and community support before onboarding a new school.
How is the program funded?
Through individual donations, community partners and organisations who sponsor feeding at specific schools. Every gift is tracked against the schools it supports.
Contact
Questions about this program?
Lishe Kwa Mtoto, Programs Desk
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