Kenya’s children holiday hunger: How school holidays leave slum families struggling to survive

In many informal settlements, the daily struggle for survival forces parents into difficult and undignified routines.

Scavenging through heaps of waste for recyclable plastics, collecting anything that can be sold for a few shillings, and even begging for food have become common realities for families living in the slums.

For these parents, such activities are not choices—they are desperate measures to ensure their children have something, however little, to eat. It is a harsh existence, shaped by poverty, limited opportunities, and the constant pressure to provide, even when resources are painfully scarce.

Sarah Kiarie, a long-time resident of Digo and mother of three young children, sits outside her small fruit stall as she speaks about the school holiday period.

While she enjoys having her children home—listening to their laughter, helping with chores, and spending time together—the holidays also bring a heavy and stressful responsibility.

Without the support of school feeding programmes, the burden of providing three full meals each day rests entirely on her shoulders.

Kiarie earns a living selling fruit by the roadside. Her business is modest, and her income is never guaranteed. Some days she makes enough to cover basic needs; on others, she goes home empty-handed.

“There are days I sell a few fruits and manage something small,” she says, “but there are also days I get nothing at all. On such days, I even end up eating part of my stock to keep going.”

School life slightly easier

During the school term, life is slightly easier. Her biggest concern is providing breakfast before the children leave and dinner when they return. The school feeding programme often ensures that the children do not go hungry during the day.

“When they are in school, they can eat with just five shillings each. For the three of them, that’s only fifteen shillings, and it saves me so much,” she explains. “Sometimes they even come back home still full because they were given food at school.”

But when the school holidays begin, everything changes. The cost of keeping her children fed rises sharply. She estimates that to provide proper meals—breakfast, lunch, and dinner—she needs at least 400 shillings each day.

“Most days I cannot raise that amount,” she admits. “So we focus on whatever is available.”

Their daily meals become simple and repetitive. Breakfast is usually strong tea and mandazi. Lunch is often the same, particularly on slow business days when income is limited. Dinner typically consists of ugali and vegetables—the most affordable combination she can afford.

“That’s how we survive the day,” she says, her voice soft but steady. “We do what is possible.”

Other Topics To Read

• National
• food insecurity
• school feeding programme
• informal settlements
• child malnutrition
• slum communities
• child protection risks
• Kenya slums
• school holiday hunger
• Kenya’s children holiday hunger: How school holidays leave slum families struggling to survive
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Pressure to provide

The emotional weight of trying to provide for her children is something she carries quietly.

“The pressure is high to provide,” she says. “But the funds are not available. We just try our best.”

Hunger also drives some children into risky behaviours such as begging, scavenging, or taking on odd jobs in unsafe environments. Many return to school in January malnourished and struggling to learn.

Joyce Banda, a resident of Sofia who collects plastic for recycling, often witnesses the harsh realities faced by children in her community.

“Every day, I see children coming here, hoping to find something to sell or even just to eat,” she says.

Many spend hours scavenging through heaps of waste, picking up bottles, scrap, or any recyclables they can sell for a few shillings. Others, driven by hunger, go further, searching through bins for leftover food.

“It breaks my heart,” Joyce adds. “These children are just trying to survive, but what they face every day is so harsh.”

Intensifying challenges

The challenges intensify during school holidays. With no access to school meals, many children return home to find little or no food waiting for them.

Parents, particularly mothers, often leave early in the morning to work and return late in the evening, sometimes without earning enough to cover the day’s meals.

“When parents leave early and come back late, children are left alone with barely anything to eat,” Joyce explains.

Faced with hunger and long hours of idleness, children become resourceful in their search for food or small ways to earn money.

“I’ve seen kids roam the streets, looking for food or odd jobs, anything to survive,” she says.

Range of dangers

Unfortunately, this exposes them to a range of dangers—from road accidents to abuse, and even risky behaviours as they try to fend for themselves.

Joyce emphasises, “No child should have to go through this. Hunger shouldn’t be part of their childhood, but for many here, it is a daily reality.”

Acute malnutrition remains at alarming levels across the region, with 11.4 million children aged 6–59 months acutely malnourished in seven member states. Among them, 3.1 million urgently need life-saving treatment for severe acute malnutrition. However, due to significant funding cuts, an estimated 1 million people could be left without access to this treatment.

Dr Esther Mwaura, a seasoned health practitioner with years of experience working in low-income communities, stresses that hunger is not merely a short-term discomfort for children—it is a serious health condition with far-reaching consequences. She explains that a child’s body is in a constant state of growth, repair, and development. When that body is denied adequate food, every aspect of a child’s physical and mental health is put at risk.

Micronutrient deficiencies

Mwaura notes that the danger becomes even more severe when chronic hunger is paired with micronutrient deficiencies.

Essential nutrients such as iron, zinc, iodine, folate, and vitamin A are critical for brain development, immune function, and growth. When these nutrients are lacking, the body cannot function at its optimal level.

According to Mwaura, children who lack these micronutrients are more vulnerable to a wide range of health problems. Iron deficiency can lead to anaemia, causing chronic fatigue, weakness, and impaired concentration. Vitamin A deficiency increases the risk of night blindness and severe infections. Zinc deficiency affects growth, immune function, and wound healing. Iodine deficiency can impair brain development, leading to learning difficulties and reduced IQ.

She emphasises that children living in poverty often face a combination of these deficiencies, making their health outcomes even worse.

“They become frequent visitors to clinics,” she says. “We see repeated cases of coughs, diarrhoea, skin infections, and respiratory illnesses—conditions that are greatly amplified because the child’s immunity is already compromised.”

Emotional and cognitive well-being

Beyond physical health, Mwaura explains that hunger affects a child’s emotional and cognitive well-being. A child who has not eaten properly may become irritable, withdrawn, or unable to focus in school. Over time, this can lead to poor academic performance, behavioural difficulties, and a lack of confidence.

“When a child’s brain is undernourished, they cannot learn effectively,” she notes. “We often interpret this as laziness or poor discipline, but in reality, the child is battling nutritional deprivation.”

She also points out that the long-term consequences can follow children into adulthood. Stunted growth, weakened immunity, and delayed brain development can limit future opportunities, trapping families in a cycle of poverty.

“For many of these children,” Mwaura explains, “hunger today becomes poor health tomorrow, and reduced opportunities in the years to come. Nutrition is not just about feeding a child—it is about protecting their potential.”

She calls for stronger community support systems, expanded school feeding programmes, and increased awareness to ensure that no child is forced to suffer the silent but devastating effects of hunger.

According to the 2025 Global Report on Food Crises, 42 million people face high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above) across six IGAD member states—Djibouti, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, the Sudan, and Uganda.

In five countries with comparable data since 2016—Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, the Sudan, and Uganda—the number of people facing high levels of acute food insecurity has tripled, rising from 13.9 million in 2016 to 41.7 million in 2025.