The German Africa Foundation has awarded its 2026 German Africa Prize to Kenyan social entrepreneur Wawira Njiru for her work transforming school meals through the social enterprise Food4Education. The independent jury selected Njiru from dozens of candidates, citing her success in building a functioning school-feeding system that reaches children, engages families, and strengthens local economic cycles.
Njiru founded Food4Education while still a student, initially providing meals to 25 children with a goal of reaching 100. Today the program serves more than 660,000 children at over 1,900 schools across Kenya. For many of these children, the school meal is their main source of nutrition for the day.
The program sources approximately 80% of its food from small-scale farmers, creating a reliable market for local agricultural produce while ensuring fresh ingredients for school kitchens. This model extends the traditional funding mix of parental contributions, donations, and government support by integrating local supply chains.
Claus Stäcker, chair of the Africa Prize jury and director of programs for Africa at Deutsche Welle, described the Food4Education approach as "an African solution to a global problem." He noted that the jury recognized Njiru as an extraordinary young woman who tenaciously pursues her convictions and serves as an example for innovative Africans.
Njiru, 35, said the award provides encouragement for work that has required significant dedication and perseverance. She described herself as stubborn in pursuing her vision, adding that the organization has developed a solution tailored to African realities. Food4Education now also assists other governments in planning similar school-feeding programs.
The German Africa Foundation is a nonpartisan organization dedicated to promoting a nuanced view of Africa in political circles and among the German public. Since 1993, it has awarded the prize to individuals from African countries whose ideas inspire solutions to global issues beyond their countries of origin. Recent recipients have come from Zimbabwe, Cameroon, and Sierra Leone.
The awards ceremony is scheduled to take place this fall at the Allianz Forum in Berlin.
German Africa Prize goes to Kenyan social entrepreneur
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