Denis lives with his parents, brother and sister in Kawangware, an overcrowded slum in Nairobi, Kenya. Most days the family only eat a very basic breakfast and dinner. Although his mother and father both work long hours, they cannot afford to provide the range of nutritious food their growing children need, and the lunch Denis is provided with at school lacks the important variety of ingredients that many of the students need to stop them from becoming malnourished.

For Denis and his classmates, this shortage of healthy food can make it very difficult to learn. Denis explains:

“I feel weak when I am hungry and sometimes I sleep when I do not get enough to eat. I feel that I can’t write, my stomach hurts and sometimes it roars like a lion does. It is quite hard to listen to the teacher but I am used to it and I try to concentrate.”

Farm Africa believes that children everywhere deserve a healthy diet so that they can grow and reach their full potential. That’s why this #GivingTuesday we are focusing on elementary schools in Nairobi like the one that Denis attends, helping them to turn unused land into urban vegetable gardens that will allow students, teachers and parents to come together to grow nutritious, fresh vegetables. Denis is very excited to be getting involved:

“I would like to work in the school vegetable garden and learn how to farm. Sometimes life in Nairobi is very difficult so it is good to be able to grow your own food to eat.”

“Some children don’t eat vegetables at home so it is going to be good when the school garden is growing because we will all be able to eat healthy food. It is important because it means we can grow healthy and contribute more in class, and I will be able to play more football.”

Give a gift today and your donation could help children like Denis to get the nutritious diet they need to learn and grow, free from hunger.