Feed 300 poor children in urban Mombasa

Healthy children have better learning outcomes. It has always been our aim at the Mustard Seed Project (MSP) to ensure that all the children in our school of over 300 have porridge on arrival and a balanced midday meal. Our feeding programme is integral to the success of the school and Nursery. We have excellent teaching staff and good resources with maximum class numbers of 30, unlike many schools in Kenya. Our national exam results are good. It is the adequate diet which helps our children learn well. However food inflation in Kenya has risen very quickly in recent years, partly because of world markets, partly because of severe drought, therefore costs to MSP have risen too. Additionally the Kenyan Government has recently revised the whole of the education system and curriculum which has involved us in a lot of costs, minor ones such as replacing how doors open to major ones such as equipping a laboratory, employing graduate teachers, buying land for sports facilities, play and for agriculture which is now part of the curriculum. Buying land has been very costly for MSP as our school is in a urban area of Mombasa and the price of land is high. We are worried about the knock on effect this may have on our feeding programme. Our families are poor, so much so that some would be very close to starvation without our help. In the past we have provided basic maize meal and beans to the very poorest during the school holidays. There have been parents who have wept with gratitude. For many it is a hand to mouth existence where the main aim of every day is to provide enough food to feed the family. Summer and Christmas holidays are long and for the first time this Christmas we may not have the resources to provide this extra help these very poor families need. The people in our community value education highly, it provides a chance to escape from poverty. Jobs are scarce and many try to make ends meet by running small businesses but it only takes the smallest blip such as illness (healthcare can be very costly, no NHS) to put life in jeopardy. 

Our feeding programme is such an important part of our school and is very important to our community. Those who are able to do so pay a small amount towards costs and are glad to make a contribution for their child/children. They are proud people and it gives them a feeling of ownership, but there are some who cannot afford even the smallest contribution. We desperately need your help at this time, more so than for many years, because of all our extra costs. For those of you who already contribute thank you so much, every penny is put to good use. Thankyou for reading this and if you feel you can help please do, the smallest amount makes a difference. Maize meal and beans for the holidays may sound very little but it means a great deal.