Providing students 12 nutritious meals each week is core to our mission. This has been possible thanks to the immeasurable dedication of our three cooks: Maurine, Caroline and Mary. By 6 a.m. they begin preparing the morning porridge and going to the market for vegetables. They then cook lunch and their work only stops at 5:30 pm when all students are well-fed and back home.
Maurine (left) joined Hands of Love in 2016 as head cook. Before that, she lived with her parents upcountry. She hoped to join college but couldn’t because the family had no money. She decided to move to Nairobi in search of work and go back to school. She lives in the Dandora area and has found meaning in her work at the school. Hands of Love has been a beacon of hope towards meeting her challenge of funding her college studies in hospitality.
Caroline (right) is assistant head cook. Before joining Hands of Love in 2019, she washed clothes and sold food. As a single mother, providing for her daughter, Beryl, remains her greatest challenge. Beryl is part of the school’s Class of 2021. Through her work at Hands of Love, Caroline manages to provide education, food and other basic needs for her small family. She especially likes the healthy meals she prepares for the students and the experience of togetherness at the school.
Mary (middle) is the closest neighbor to the school. She also goes by the name “Mama Kibindu”. She lives with her husband and their two sons. Prior to joining the school, Mary was dependent on casual work. She’d “help her neighbors relocate, clean their homes and clothes” to earn a living. Our learning environment has remained liter-free thanks to Mary. Since 2008, Mary has always volunteered to safely dispose of the school’s garbage. In turn, we continue to support her family in many ways. One of her sons, Kibindu, is a past student. Beginning in 2021, Mary became one of our cooks.