Nicholas from Zambia

Malnutrition among students is a global problem. Studies show that students lacking proper nourishment are more likely to have diminished health and protein deficiency, low grades, and high dropout rates. A child can't learn on an empty stomach, yet in Zambia, where over 30% of the population is undernourished, some children barely eat a daily meal.

Kids Alive Zambia Academy is confronting the problem. The children enjoy a nutritious lunch daily. For some children, that’s their only meal of the day, keeping them in school instead of roaming the streets looking for a way to survive.

As a result, children can focus on an education that helps break the poverty cycle. Fueled with healthy food, the children studied math, science, history, technology, home economics, and moral instruction. Students also join clubs, sports teams, and other social groups that instill leadership and productive activities.  

One such leader is Nicholas Katongola, 16. He comes from an impoverished family and walks three miles to school daily. Nicholas’s behavior is dignified and mature, and his grades are exceptional, among the top in his class. He wants to become a medical doctor to help his community stay healthy. Angela, his mother, says the Kids Alive programmes empower her son to overcome generational poverty.