Java House has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the World Food Programme Kenya office to raise funds in support of school feeding initiatives across the country.
Under this partnership, Java House will hold a fundraising campaign across its outlets, encouraging customers to donate towards the provision of nutritious meals for underprivileged school children. Every contribution made will be used for WFP’s school feeding initiatives across the country.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Priscilla Gathungu, the Java House CEO, urged customers and well-wishers to support the critical initiative that will go a long way in making an impact on childhood hunger.
“We see this collaboration as an investment in our communities. Kenya already does well in education, and we must continue this trend into the future. As we work together to provide food for the children, we are also giving them hope and a chance for them to compete globally. We are proud to serve close to 20,000 people as a business, and we ask everyone who comes to Java to support the initiative and ensure that no child is left behind,” said Ms. Gathungu.
On her part, Lauren Landis, the World Food Programme Kenya Country Director, applauded the initiative emphasizing the vital role school feeding programmes have in helping children complete their education.
“Universal school feeding in Kenya would mean reaching 10 million school children, which is an ambitious goal. For now, we hope to increase coverage from the current 2.5 million children to at least 3 million children. School feeding can be a platform that not only supports learning but can also have a positive impact on local farming, improving diets, and encouraging environmental education,” said Ms. Landis.
Java House currently provides school lunches to 3,000 children through the Java Foundation.