Empowering Students Through Nutritious Meals

At Keko Mwanga Primary School, many children face the burden of hunger and limited resources, making learning an uphill battle. Our meal program provides the nutrition they need to thrive academically, creating an environment where they can truly focus on their studies. When we visited the Keko Mwanga Primary School, we saw the harsh reality many students faced. Keko Mwanga had only 8 run-down toilets to serve around 825 primary school students, along with teachers and staff. On a typical break, that meant over 100 people shared each toilet. It was clear that the facilities weren’t enough to meet their needs.

There was also an old kitchen on the grounds, which had once provided meals, but it had fallen into disrepair. That is when Brave Lights Foundation and Dhruv Management (based in the U.S.) stepped in, offering subsidized meals where children brought 1,000 Tanzanian shillings (roughly 40 cents) each day for a simple meal. However, for many families in this impoverished area, even that small amount was too much. Some children ate while others went hungry, creating deep divisions between them. Seeing this, we knew we had to act. We started by renovating the toilets and building a brand-new kitchen for the school. But we didn’t want to stop there—simply creating a space without ensuring it would serve the children every day. So, we took it upon ourselves to fully fund a meal program, providing healthy, high-quality meals to every child, free of charge. Now, no child is left out, and each of them receives the same opportunity to eat and learn.

Today, we serve 825 meals daily, giving students the energy to focus on their education. But nutrition is just one piece of the puzzle. We envision a future where these students have access to libraries, computer labs, and extracurricular activities. By supporting both their health and their education, we’re building a foundation for lifelong learning and growth.