Addressing Malnutrition with Climate-Smart Kitchen Gardens
Picture this: A child under five weakened by malnutrition, and another over five counting the hours until lunchtime at school — not for the lessons, but for a single meal that may be their only source of nourishment that day. Even then, that meal—often githeri, a mixture of maize and beans—lacks essential nutrients, including vitamins, minerals (such as iron and zinc), adequate proteins, and healthy fats, all of which are vital for healthy growth and development.
Even when households and schools have land, it can still be hard to grow a variety of nutritious foods because of poverty, limited know-how, and unpredictable weather. Many gardens lack the variety needed for lasting nutrition, and during dry seasons, plates are often empty or filled with available alternatives, usually starchy foods such as potatoes, bananas, maize, cassava, or rice, which provide little to no essential nutrients, leaving children undernourished and limiting their potential.
In Kenya, one in five children (21%) are stunted due to poor nutrition (KDHS, 2022) — a reality that deeply affects the children and families in the communities we serve.
As we mark 25 years, our goal is clear: to address malnutrition and empower communities with sustainable, lasting solutions. We aim to raise $ 8,000 (Ksh. 1, 024,000) to equip and empower 200 vulnerable households with children under five and 200 underserved schools with the tools, knowledge, and confidence to grow nutritious food — nurturing healthy children and resilient communities that can thrive beyond poverty and the challenges of a changing climate.
Our Solution: Climate-Smart Kitchen Gardens
We believe lasting change begins at home and in schoolyards. That’s why we are introducing Climate-Smart Kitchen Gardens, a hands-on, practical solution that tackles child malnutrition and household food insecurity while building resilience against climate shocks. Families and schools learn to grow diverse, nutrient-rich foods using environmentally friendly methods that save water, improve soil fertility, and make the most of limited space.
In 2023, we took our first steps to combat child malnutrition and build climate resilience through the Fruit for Life Initiative, supporting 20 schools with 126 avocado and mango seedlings. Schools have since embraced the initiative, establishing kitchen gardens that now provide fresh fruits such as mangoes and avocados, and vegetables like spinach, kale, and carrots. These enrich school meals, improve children’s nutrition, promote better health, and contribute to environmental sustainability.
“With fresh fruits and vegetables now part of our school meals, absenteeism has dropped, and our students are happier, more active, and focused,” says Stella Mugambi, Headteacher, Kalewa Primary School.
In 2025, we extended support to households of children attending our nutrition clinic, supporting them to establish kitchen gardens by providing vegetable seedlings, hands-on training on proper nutrition, and follow-up visits.
“This initiative has enabled us to continue managing 222 cases of malnutrition recorded this year, from which we have so far successfully discharged 60 children, improving their health through access to home-grown, nutritious foods,” says HopeCore Nutritionist Lindah Mukami.
While these successes demonstrate the potential of combining nutrition-focused interventions with sustainable farming, our reach remains limited. Many children still face malnutrition and food insecurity. Scaling up these interventions is essential to ensure more children benefit from nutritious, home-grown food, and entire communities gain the knowledge and resources to build long-term resilience.
Our Goal: Scaling Up for Lasting Impact
Our goal is to break the cycle of poverty, unpredictable weather, and irreversible child malnutrition by transforming small plots of land into resilient, high-yield food sources.
These gardens are more than a source of food — they are tools for empowerment, learning, and resilience. Families and students will be trained in water-saving, space-efficient techniques, such as drip irrigation with recycled greywater, keyhole and vertical (sack) gardens, and nutrient-rich compost tea, which will help them grow nutritious food and break the cycle of malnutrition.
Community Health Promoters (CHPs) will support households by identifying children at risk, providing training and follow-ups, and distributing climate-smart seedlings from their own farms. Twenty peer-support clusters, each comprising 10 families, will learn high-yield, sustainable gardening techniques to enhance food security at home.
In schools, teachers and health club members will be trained to maintain productive gardens, supported by 2–3 central nursery beds supplying diverse seedlings. This holistic approach equips households and schools with the skills, resources, and knowledge to grow nutritious food sustainably, creating lasting impacts on child nutrition and food security.
How Your Support Makes a Difference
Every gift to the 200 schools and 200 households sows hope, strengthens resilience, and nurtures healthier futures for children. Your support equips families and schools with the tools, knowledge, and resources to grow nutritious food all year round.
$100 (Ksh. 12,800) – Procures all the certified, drought-resilient seeds and materials needed for one of 20 Community Health Promoter nursery beds. Each bed becomes a local hub supplying seedlings to vulnerable families.
$250 (Ksh. 32,000) – Funds a hands-on training session for a cluster of 10 vulnerable caregivers. It covers trainer costs, materials, and lessons on vertical gardening and greywater reuse to make every drop count.
$500 (Ksh. 64,000) – Fully equip and establish a Climate-Smart garden in a school. Your gift provides seedlings, vertical structures, and essential tools for students and teachers to grow nutritious food together.
$1,500 (Ksh. 191,200) – Establishes one of three central, climate-controlled school nursery beds supplying diverse seedlings to up to 70 schools. It also supports travel and logistics for our training teams to reach remote areas.
$2,500 (Ksh. 320,000) – Covers the full package for a cluster of 10 families—training, tools, seedlings—and funds six months of monitoring and evaluation to track nutritional progress for malnourished children under five.
Join Us in Growing Hope
Your gift does more than feed a child — it empowers families and schools, nurturing children and a generation of healthy, resilient children.
Donate today. Grow hope. End malnutrition. Nourish a generation.
Watch to learn more about our Fruit for Life and Kitchen Garden Initiatives:
