Coins 4 Kids Overview

Desperate times... No food banks. No soup kitchens. Widespread starvation. The issue of hunger is a profound worldwide problem, especially for children. However, nowhere is the situation more desperate or the need more compelling than in Africa. To assist in the fight against hunger, International Paper has formed a first-of-its kind partnership with the World Food Programme to improve the lives of children by establishing a school feeding program known as Coins 4 Kids.

Require innovative measures... Launched in 2004, the Coins 4 Kids program provides meals in schools for more than 72,000 pre-primary and primary-aged children in poverty stricken areas near Nairobi, Kenya. More than 25 percent of the population suffers from AIDS, and there are nearly 100,000 orphans. Many of these children may go for days with little or no food. School feeding programs provide life-long benefits. They attract and keep children in school, which lifts them out of situations of extreme hopelessness and poverty. For an average of 19 cents per day, or about $34 per year, nutritious meals consisting of rice, corn, beans, lentils, oils, canned fish and sugar can be provided to a child in school, who would otherwise go hungry.

and team commitment... This successful program has already surpassed program goals. In 2006, donations provided a mid-morning snack and lunch to 72,374 children in 93 schools. To prepare the meals, low-cost energy-saving stoves were installed in 67 schools. Nutritious meals in Nairobi are hard to come by. So, it?s no surprise that preliminary data from the World Food Programme indicates a substantial increase in school attendance since the inception of this program. School attendance rates have skyrocketed from 62 percent to 97 percent. We want to help... Coins 4 Kids is funded from a $1 million International Paper Foundation grant, an employee-based giving program (using employee-designed carton banks and other fundraisers), and donations from caring individuals and organizations around the globe. The Coins 4 Kids program is consistent with the IP Foundation's strategic objective of developing a global signature program that could be embraced by employees worldwide. This program also supports the Foundation's education and diversity goals. We hope you will join us in making an impact that is truly life-changing. Can you? You can help in the fight against world hunger. Get your school, organization, group or workplace involved. Click below to make a donation today or e-mail coins4kids@ipaper.com to enroll your organization in the program.