Kenyan social innovator and nutritionist Wawira Njiru has been named the recipient of the German Africa Prize 2026 by the German Africa Foundation for her work reimagining school feeding as economic infrastructure.
Through Food4Education (F4E), the not-for-profit social enterprise she founded in 2012, Njiru has developed a model that connects school meals with local food production, job creation, family participation and economic development.
What began as a programme serving 25 schoolchildren now reaches more than 660,000 children across more than 1,900 schools in Kenya, with over 200 million meals served. F4E is targeting one million children receiving daily meals by 2027.
The organisation sources about 80% of its food from local smallholder farmers, providing reliable markets for their produce, while its operations employ more than 6,000 people, largely women and young people.
F4E’s Tap2Eat digital platform enables families to contribute towards meals using NFC wristbands or cards while supporting more precise planning of food procurement, production and distribution.
The German Africa Prize jury recognised Njiru’s approach to connecting food security with economic participation and strengthening local value chains. The award will be presented on 4 November 2026 at the Allianz Forum in Berlin.
F4E is also expanding its experience beyond Kenya, including supporting Zambia’s government in strengthening a nationally led school feeding system.
