Wawira Njiru, the founder of Food4Education and winner of the first-ever Global Citizen Prize: Cisco Youth Leadership Award, is United Nations Person of the Year in Kenya in recognition for her contribution towards the distribution of relief food to school-going children.
“I could not be more proud to help amplify the innovation, power, and dedication of Wawira Njiru,” said the World Food Programme’s country director for Kenya, Lauren Landis. “One school meal can change the course of a life and a country.”
Happy #UNDay!
The @UnKenya family of agencies celebrate by honoring #changemakers in #Kenya.
I could not be more proud to help amplify the #innovation #power and dedication of @wawiranjiru @Food4Education.
One #schoolmeal can change the course of a life and a country. 🇺🇳🇰🇪 pic.twitter.com/hwX7Pde4qt
— Lauren Landis (@LaurenLandis1) October 24, 2021
Commenting on the UN recognition, Wawira Njiru said, “I am really grateful for the recognition, such things are never taken for granted. The time is now for every Kenyan child to have access to nutritious meals in school.”
Honored and grateful to receive this year’s UN Person of the Year Award by the @unitednations Kenya.
I didn’t start @food4education with much and it’s wild to me that we’re here. I’m very excited for what’s next and very thankful for the journey. #FeedingTheFuture pic.twitter.com/J29DELMVbo— Wawira Njiru (@wawiranjiru) October 25, 2021
Food4Education was founded in 2016 to deliver meals to schoolchildren in Kenya. Njiru began by preparing, cooking, and serving 25 meals per day.
She is able to source fresh food from smallholder farmers and use Tap2Eat digital platform to design a sustainable way to deliver high-quality nutritious meals.
Today, the organisation feeds over 33,000 children.
The 2021 @UN Person of the Year @wawiranjiru was accompanied by her relatives and her team at @Food4Education to receive her award pic.twitter.com/4y6fxzfopv
— UN Kenya (@UnKenya) October 25, 2021
