Food support for Kibera's after school Program

Dear Supporters,

Because you chose to show up for the children of Kibera, our kitchen doors have never shut. In just a few months, since the year began, your support has translated into 16,632 meals for an average of 231 children, like Alex. As we share his story of resilience with you today, we also ask for your partnership as we head into a challenging season of holidays and heavy rains.

YOUR IMPACT IN ACTION: ALEX'S STORY

Eleven-year-old Alex doesn’t get to be a child very often. He is less of a student at Project Elimu and more of a silent guardian. While his mother disappears before dawn to work as a house help, Alex is left to shoulder the survival of his younger brothers: seven-year-old Marcel and two-year-old Juan.

At home, the air is often heavy. His father, an electrician, struggles with an addiction that swallows the family’s meager earnings before they can reach the kitchen table. "He kicks the door whenever he comes home late at night and talks about weapons," Alex says quietly. "I try to tell him to be quiet, but my voice is small."

In Alex’s world, hunger is a silent rule. To say "I’m still hungry" after a small meal is a risk; it can lead to a beating or a heavy silence. He has watched his older brother, a Form 2 student, spend his afternoons begging for laundry work from neighbors just to help with school fees. But work is rare, most neighbors don't believe a teenage boy can clean properly.This leaves Alex to face the heartbreaking reality of his youngest brother, Juan. "When Juan or Marcel tell Mom they are hungry, she has to tell them to keep quiet because there is nothing. It breaks my heart." Sometimes, driven by a hollow stomach, two-year-old Juan knocks on neighbors' doors for scraps. Alex watches, feeling a wave of helplessness and embarrassment that no eleven-year-old should ever know.

Last April, a friend told Alex about a place where there was "food and ballet classes."  For nearly a year, Project Elimu has been the only place where the "small voices" of these three brothers are truly heard. Six days a week, Alex, Marcel, and Juan receive breakfast and lunch at Project Elimu. They have full access to the space during program  days . And because Alex still worries about his family, we let him bring back some to their home, feeding not just three boys, but an entire household struggling to survive.

 In a world where Alex must be hard, hypervigilant, and always in control, ballet teaches him something radical: gentleness. He's learning that strength can be graceful, that his body can express something other than survival. Ballet is teaching Alex compassion, for his brothers, yes, but also for himself. 

Through our psychosocial counseling program, Alex meets regularly with a trained Counsellor who provides a safe space to process these challenges. He's learning healthy coping strategies for dealing with family conflict, and most importantly, that none of this is his fault. This consistent emotional support is helping Alex build resilience and protecting his mental health in an environment of chronic stress.

The April Holiday Program and Flooding Crisis

On April 4th, schools across Kenya will close for three weeks. For many children in Kibera, this is a moment of extreme vulnerability. When school gates shut, the government-sponsored feeding programs vanish, leaving a massive nutritional gap in an already fragile community. This year, "holiday hunger" is intensified by a second disaster: ongoing flooding in Nairobi. In Kibera, the heavy rains have destroyed the few resources families have left. Floodwaters seep into low-lying homes, destroying bedding and damaging household resources they rely on for survival. In addition the price of staples like maize and beans has soared, affecting families who already spend 70% of their income on food.

How You Can Help This April

As school gates close and the rains intensify, our April Holiday Program begins. Project Elimu will remain a sanctuary where the kitchen fires stay lit for the children we serve. For 21 days, we aim to provide meals; breakfast and lunch through our feeding program and ease the burden on families. We need your help to raise $2772 (covers the procurement of dry goods, clean water for drinking & cooking, and the logistical costs of operating at full capacity) and sustain this lifeline when many families in Kibra are slowing down.

• $12 – Feeds a child like Alex for the entire 3-week holiday.
• $2772 – Feeds 231 children throughout the 3-week holiday Program.

Every donation you give translates directly into a hot meal for a child in crisis. Your support ensures that for Alex and 230 other children, this April isn't defined by hunger or floods, but by the safety and stability of a full stomach.