Net4kids - Food Forest Learning Program (Kenia)

Focus area alignment

Poverty Reduction: Africa


Duration of support

??


Theory of change

Instead of depleting nature, children and their families learn how to work with nature by creating food forests. Anyone who learns how to grow sustainable food as a child carries that knowledge with them for the rest of their life and passes it on to the next generation.


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🔗 net4kids.org/projecten

Children in Kenia helping to grow food

Learning to work with nature

Due to extreme drought, water shortages, and a heavy reliance on monoculture, families in Kilome subcounty in Kenya are trapped in a vicious cycle of food insecurity and poverty, causing children to frequently go to school hungry or stay home. At the same time, valuable knowledge about sustainable agriculture and resilient ecosystems is being lost.

The After School Food Forest Learning Program combines learning, doing, and sharing through practical training and workshops, such as cooking classes, food forest planting, and education on biodiversity and sustainable agriculture. The project strengthens local communities by integrating food forests into the landscape, thereby contributing to a sustainable and resilient food system.

Additionally, the program aligns with global efforts to combat climate change and restore ecological balance. By involving farmers and their children in the planting and maintenance of food forests, the program strengthens both environmental awareness and the long-term resilience of the community.

Impact

The program directly reaches 60 children and their families, around 300 people in total. Within two years, 70 percent of participating families establish their own food forest, resulting in greater food security, improved health and additional income. In this way, a sustainable food system is created that makes families less dependent on drought and failed harvests. The strength of this model lies in its simplicity and scalability.

What’s the partnership with Alphatron Foundation like?

We have found a strong partner in Alphatron Foundation for the project of our partner organization, Feedback to the Future. The collaboration is based on shared values ​​and a joint ambition to make a sustainable impact. A special moment was the meeting between founder and ‘local hero’ Benedetta Kyengo and the board of Alphatron Foundation. This personal exchange was very inspiring and strengthened commitment to the project. It is precisely these kinds of direct connections that make the collaboration valuable and ensure that the support aligns well with the local context.

🔗 net4kids.org/projecten

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