In July, we welcomed our partners from Lesaffre Kenya to visit two of our Shamba Letu school farms at Mlimani Primary School in Nakuru County and Chesirimion Primary School in Baringo County.

The visit gave the team the opportunity to see first-hand how their support, and the support of Lesaffre’s ECHO Solidarity Program, is transforming school communities through sustainable agriculture. Meeting students, teachers and school leaders brought to life the impact that thriving school farms are having on nutrition, education and community resilience.

Growing Food. Growing Futures.

At So They Can, Shamba Letu (Our Farm) is about much more than farming. By helping schools establish sustainable farms, we’re improving nutrition, increasing school attendance, strengthening learning outcomes and equipping students with practical agricultural skills.

With climate change making food production increasingly difficult across Kenya, drip irrigation and climate-smart farming are helping schools become more resilient while ensuring children have access to nutritious meals every day.

Mlimani Primary School: Better Nutrition, Lower Costs and More Children in School

At Mlimani Primary School, Lesaffre’s ECHO Solidarity Program supported the installation of a drip irrigation system, enabling year-round vegetable production despite unreliable rainfall.

The school is now harvesting kale, spinach, onions and cabbages for its feeding programme, saving approximately KES 59,400 in food costs in just four harvest cycles.

The results speak for themselves:

• Student enrolment has increased by 15%, from 1,063 to 1,222 students.
• School attendance has remained at 100%.
• Students are receiving healthier, more nutritious meals.
• Learners are developing practical skills in climate-smart agriculture and irrigation farming.

“The availability of fresh vegetables has really improved our feeding programme and learners are now more active in class.” — Teacher, Mlimani Primary School

Chesirimion Primary School: Food Security Driving Educational Success

The visit also highlighted the progress at Chesirimion Primary School, where Lesaffre Kenya supported a drip irrigation system across the school’s 3.5-acre farm.

During the first growing season, the school harvested 720kg of beans, supplying nutritious meals throughout the first two school terms.

The impact has been significant:

• 87 additional students enrolled — a 17% increase — thanks to the availability of school meals.
• Attendance and retention have improved, while dropout rates have declined.
• Around 20% of learners progressed from below expectation to meeting expectations academically.
• Students are gaining practical farming skills while strengthening food security for the whole school community.

“Your support has turned our school into a place of growth, learning and opportunity. Thank you for standing with us.” — Teacher, Chesirimion Primary School

Partnerships That Create Lasting Change

Seeing these projects in action was a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when businesses and communities work together.

Lesaffre’s support is helping schools feed more children, reduce operating costs, strengthen resilience and create brighter futures through sustainable agriculture.

To everyone at Lesaffre, thank you for partnering with us to help children learn, thrive and realise their full potential.