Food4Education Founder Wawira Njiru./ Photo : Courtesy
Kenyan social innovator and nutritionist Wawira Njiru has been named the recipient of the German Africa Prize 2026 for transforming school feeding into a model that supports food security, employment and local economic development.
Njiru, the founder and CEO of Food4Education (F4E), was recognised by the German Africa Foundation for developing a locally driven approach that connects nutritious school meals with smallholder farmers, job creation and government investment.
The award comes as food systems globally face growing pressure from conflict, climate volatility and fragile supply chains.
The German Africa Prize jury said Njiru’s work demonstrates how school feeding can go beyond providing meals to strengthen local economies and create lasting systems.
“Wawira Njiru demonstrates that school feeding can be much more than simply providing meals. With Food4Education, she has created a system that reaches children, involves families and strengthens local economic cycles,” said Claus Stäcker, President of the German Africa Prize jury and Director of Programmes for Africa at Deutsche Welle.
The prize will be presented to Njiru on November 4, 2026, at the Allianz Forum in Berlin by Germany’s Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Reem Alabali Radovan.
Njiru founded Food4Education in 2012, initially providing meals to just 25 schoolchildren.
The organisation now serves more than 660,000 children across over 1,900 schools in Kenya, having delivered more than 200 million meals.
Its model combines family contributions, government funding and philanthropy to sustain school feeding while creating opportunities throughout the food supply chain.
About 80 per cent of the food served by F4E is sourced from local smallholder farmers, providing them with a consistent market for their produce.
The organisation also employs more than 6,000 people, most of them women and young people, across its kitchens, logistics, food safety, supply chains and technology operations.
Through its Tap2Eat digital platform and large-scale kitchens, including the solar- and steam-powered Giga Kitchen in Nairobi, F4E has demonstrated how technology and locally sourced food can support efficient school feeding at scale.
With Kenya expected to reach one million children with daily meals through F4E by 2027, the organisation is also sharing its experience with other African governments, including through support for Zambia’s nationally led school feeding system.
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