From hunger to hope: Faith’s story of overcoming food insecurity in Kenya

When Faith arrived at school each morning in Bamba, Kenya, she carried more than her books.

For a long time, she carried hunger, too.

“When you arrive at school and you have not eaten at home, sometimes you get into class, and attend one lesson and the following lesson you feel sleepy. Because of hunger,” Faith explains.

Faith is 15 years old and, for her family and community, food insecurity has shaped daily life. Some days there was simply nothing to eat. Hunger made it hard to concentrate in class, hard to stay awake. Many days it was too strenuous to make the long walk to school on an empty stomach.

“I feel bad,” Faith shares, “I even go to sleep without reading.”

What does food insecurity mean?

For Faith, food insecurity means not having reliable access to enough healthy food because of money problems or difficult living situations. It affects individuals, families and communities and can make it hard to live a healthy life. Learn more about food insecurity in this article.

According to The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2025, 2.3 billion people experienced moderate or severe food insecurity in 2024. And, 8.3 per cent of the global population faced hunger. That’s approximately 673 million people whose basic needs weren’t met with sustainable solutions.

What are the causes of food insecurity?

Food insecurity is driven by interconnected factors, with poverty as the root cause.

• Poverty traps people in hunger by limiting access to food, farming resources and income. This perpetuates a self-reinforcing cycle of malnutrition and economic hardship.
• Climate change exacerbates hunger by increasing extreme weather events that damage agriculture, especially in regions highly dependent on climate-sensitive farming systems.
• Conflict and instability fuel hunger by disrupting food systems, displacing populations, inflating prices and restricting access to humanitarian aid.
• Economic crises and rising costs make food unaffordable for millions, becoming a leading driver of acute food insecurity worldwide.

What are the effects of food insecurity?

Just as the causes of food insecurity are complex and interconnected, the effects of food insecurity follow suit.

• Physical health: Food insecurity undermines physical health by worsening chronic diseases, weakening immunity and contributing to poor nutrition and oral health.
• Mental and emotional health: Lack of reliable food access increases stress, mental health disorders and social isolation.
• Children’s development: Food insecurity harms children’s growth, behaviour and cognitive development.
• Long-term and socioeconomic: Ongoing food insecurity leads to higher healthcare costs, poorer educational outcomes and increased risk of early death.

Food insecurity feeds child poverty

Without proper nutrition, children don't get the fuel they need to learn. In areas of poverty, it’s not just children’s health that suffers, it’s their education, too.

Faith’s experience is not unique. Around the world, poverty affects more than 1.1 billion people. And children bear the greatest burden.

Globally, more than 412 million children live in extreme poverty, surviving on less than US$3 a day. Although children make up only about 30 per cent of the global population, they account for more than half of those living in extreme poverty.

Faith’s food insecurity in Kenya: a community under pressure

Bamba is located just a few hours from the coastal city of Mombasa, but its dry, dust-filled landscape tells a very different story. Rainfall here has always been unpredictable, but prolonged drought over recent years has pushed families to a crisis point.

When the rains failed again last September, the impact was devastating.

Crops failed. Livestock suffered. Elephants from a nearby national park came searching for food. They left a trail of devastation in their wake—destroying what little crops families were able to grow.

By January, many parents had no choice but to leave home for days at a time to cut trees and make charcoal to sell at the market. It’s a dangerous and exhausting job that rarely earns enough to meet a family’s basic needs.

“We would force ourselves to cut trees while feeling hungry,” Faith explains.

As hunger deepened, children paid the price.

Illness increased. Malnutrition worsened. And many children stopped attending school altogether, unable to face the long walk without proper sustenance.

Across drought-affected regions of Kenya, food insecurity and water shortages are closely linked to rising absenteeism and school dropouts, disrupting children’s education and long-term wellbeing. In fact, in Kenya’s areas prone to droughts and floods, the total rate of school enrolment is 30 per cent lower than the rest of the country.

The hidden cost for girls

In Faith’s community, food insecurity and hunger also created risks that extended far beyond the classroom—especially for girls.

“In fact, girls are the ones who struggle most to get food for dinner,” Faith shares. When families have nothing, some girls are forced to leave school to support their families. Others are pressured into prostitution or early marriage in exchange for money or food.

Globally, poverty and food insecurity significantly increase the risk of early marriage and school dropout for girls. Their education is cut short, their future opportunities are limited and they get stuck in a cycle of poverty and abuse.

Faith saw these risks around her and wanted something different.

Solutions to food insecurity

Leaders, governments and non-profit organizations must band together and empower communities to grow or buy their own food. Together, we can ensure families have enough food now and in the future. Though food insecurity is a multi-faceted issue, these are some essential solutions we focus on:

• Sustainable agriculture: Changing how the world grows, shares and uses food can help feed the millions of people who go hungry.
• Climate resilience: Stronger farming systems and emergency support help communities handle climate change and natural disasters.
• Focus on women: Supporting women farmers helps families grow nutritious food, earn income and reduce hunger.

A meal that changed everything

For Faith, a solution to food insecurity began with something simple, but powerful: a meal at school.

In January, support from World Vision donors made it possible to launch a school feeding program across 12 schools in Bamba. Each day, children receive a nourishing meal made from maize, beans and cooking oil. Generous donations are providing the energy children need to learn, grow and stay in school.

“For me, the food has helped us,” Faith says.

Before the program began, she often had to leave school to look for food, losing valuable learning time. Now she stays at school for the whole day. She can concentrate better. And she knows she will be fed.

“I come to school because now, at lunch time, I will get food,” she explains. “If you stay home, there is no food.”

Evidence shows that school feeding programs improve attendance, concentration and learning outcomes—particularly in communities facing severe food insecurity. The impact was immediate. School attendance increased by around 40 students in the first term, as children who had stayed home due to hunger returned to the classroom.

Provide food, healthcare and education for children in need

For children like Faith, Canadians’ donations provide a practical way for them to be nourished and educated.

A simple one-time gift or monthly donation to Where Most Needed meets basic needs like food and proper nutrition. But it does so much more than that—it sets children up for success. Partnering with World Vision Canada enables children to break free from poverty, attend school and experience life in all its fullness. With you, children can rise above poverty and step into a better future.