One of the barriers to learning for kids around the world is a lack of nutrition. Parents can’t afford a balanced meal at home and have to go to work so they send their kids to school on an empty stomach. After a day of hunger pains they go home without learning much and hope their parents have brought something home with they daily wages.
At Chalice, our school lunch programs are changing the narrative by providing a healthy, nourishing lunch each day. A lunch that makes the kids happily skip to school and fuels their learning.
The School Feeding Program continues to play a critical role in enhancing the nutritional status, school attendance and academic performance of pupils at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel School in our Mikinduri site in Kenya. By providing wholesome, balanced meals during school hours, the program addresses both hunger and malnutrition—key barriers to effective learning and child development.
At Mikinduri site, our goal is clear: to support the holistic development of our children by ensuring they receive adequate nutrition, which is essential for both physical growth and mental performance.
“Through the generous support of the Chalice family, we have consistently provided nutritious meals that include: maize and beans, fortified porridge, bananas and boiled eggs,” says site staff. “These meals offer essential calories, proteins, vitamins, and minerals, which have led to noticeable improvements in pupil energy levels, focus in class, and overall health.”
The school has marked improvements including attendance, reduced dropout rates, better concentration for students and a higher enrollment.
But as always, the best endorsement comes straight from the children themselves! Brady, grade 9 said, “I wish the holidays could end faster so I can go back to school and eat the eggs and bananas again. At home, we don’t always have food like that. In school, I eat well and I feel strong to learn.”
While shopping at the local market with her mother, Sharon a grade 4 student happily introduced the school staff by saying, “These are the people who bring eggs and bananas for us at school!”
Such genuine expressions show just how meaningful this support is in the lives of these children.
We are often asked about ways to support Chalice outside of sponsorship and one of the easiest ways is to become a lunch buddy for $20 a month and support our school and community lunch programs. As part of this program you will join with other lunch buddies from coast to coast to support lunch programs. Each quarter you’ll receive a special Kitchen Party email newsletter that shares stories and recipes from our sites to keep you updated on how your support is making a difference to those in need.