How Fabiola’s porridge flour company is fighting malnutrition

In the heart of Kakuma refugee camp, Kenya, where many rely on humanitarian aid for survival, Fabiola Nzoyikorera, founder of Amazing Food Company, is not only tackling malnutrition but also creating employment, promoting education, and fostering dignity among fellow refugees.

Fabiola, a 35-year-old refugee from Burundi, arrived in Kakuma with limited resources but a passion for farming and food production. Between 2022 and 2025, Farm Africa implemented the Displaced and Refugee Youth Enabling Environment Mechanism (DREEM) project in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation and World University Service of Canada (WUSC).

The programme was designed to move beyond traditional aid models which focused on basic survival needs by fostering an enabling environment where refugees and host communities can build resilient, market-driven livelihoods.

“When I arrived, I saw that the porridge flour provided by the World Food Programme (WFP) was not enough,” Fabiola recalls.

“I knew that with the right ingredients, I could create something more nutritious and accessible for the community.”

This insight led her to start Amazing Food Company in 2022. At first, she produced just 60 to 80 kilograms of porridge flour per week, working alone. But as demand grew, she expanded her team, employing four people.

Today, Amazing Food Company has grown into a thriving business producing up to 700 kilograms weekly, employing 14 people, eight of whom are permanent staff.

Fabiola Nzoyikorera with her milled flour.

The company produces two types of porridge flour. Amazing Family Porridge, made from
a blend of maize, wheat, sorghum, sesame, rice, groundnuts, finger millet and soybeans, is designed for children, expectant mothers and breastfeeding women.

The Special Porridge, made from soybeans and sesame, targets adults suffering from chronic health issues like diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

“Both products are fortified with essential nutrients, helping reduce malnutrition in Kakuma,” Fabiola says proudly.

The turning point for Fabiola came when she joined the DREEM programme and improved her business running skills.

The impact of the programme has been farreaching, benefiting not just Fabiola’s household but the broader community.

“With improved income, my three children now attend private schools, access better healthcare and enjoy balanced meals,” she shares.

“I employ women, men, and persons with disabilities. We also collect used plastic bottles through a network of over 300 women. In return, I give them porridge flour for their  children. Many of these children were malnourished; now, they’re strong, healthy and going to school.”

Used plastic bottles collected by Fabiola Nzoyikorera and her team at Amazing Food Company.

Fabiola’s porridge has also been a lifeline for many.

“I am living with an orphaned child whose parents died when he was 10 months old,” says Nahimana Goretti, a mother in Kakuma.

“He was severely malnourished. I no longer receive Bamba Chakula therefore I started collecting plastic bottles to get porridge flour from Fabiola. Just three months later, my child is healthy and has even started walking comfortably.

Fabiola Nzoyikorera and her employees at her Amazing Food Company standing with bags full of porridge flour.

Another community member, Nduwimana Mary, shares a similar story: “I used to suffer from ulcers and high blood pressure. I couldn’t afford hospital visits or food that wouldn’t trigger my condition. Since I started taking Amazing Food’s porridge, I feel full faster, my health has improved and I no longer need to visit the clinic.