Grow
Children learn by planting, watering, nurturing and harvesting.
School gardens • mental health • wellbeing
School gardens.
Food, learning and belonging.
Maggie Kay Foundation works with schools and communities in Kenya to grow food and give children opportunities to learn together. Children plant, tend and harvest crops as part of school life.
36,000+children reached · Foundation-reported
School gardensfood, practical learning and supportive outdoor spaces
Child wellbeingbelonging, participation and supportive relationships
Learning & ResidencyGrand Burnham Hut • volunteer wellness resort in Kenya
Help the work grow
Our approach
Food and learning at school.
Children learn to prepare soil, care for crops and harvest food. Teachers use the garden for practical lessons and shared activities.
The wider wellbeing model considers how qualified support can connect with the garden setting. Availability, professional roles and arrangements should be confirmed for each school or activity.
How mental-health support works →How the garden model works
How the garden supports children.
Nourish
Fresh produce strengthens the school food environment.
Feel safe
The garden offers an outdoor setting for calm, connection and trusted relationships.
Talk
Therapists and counselors can engage children in a familiar, less formal setting.
Build skills
Routine, teamwork and visible progress can strengthen confidence and responsibility.
Measure
MKF tracks participation and is strengthening how nutrition, learning and wellbeing outcomes are documented over time.
Safe spaces for children
Working together in the garden.
For some children, a formal counseling setting can feel intimidating. A garden creates another kind of environment—one where children can move, work with their hands, participate alongside peers and connect with trusted adults.
Learn about safe spacesOur work
Nutrition, education and mental wellbeing are connected.
School Gardens
Locally rooted food-growing spaces that support nutrition and practical learning.
Explore gardens →Mental Health & Wellbeing
A child-centred approach to participation, connection and appropriate support.
Explore wellbeing →Grand Burnham Hut
Accommodation and academic residencies in Ol Kalou, Kenya, for researchers, writers, educators and other visitors.
Explore the residency connection →Learning from the work
What we are learning.
Participation, practical learning and children’s experience each tell us something different. Our impact approach explains the questions we ask and why careful reporting matters.
Explore impact & learningFor partners and supporters
Meet the team, read our visitor expectations and find the right route for questions about governance, finances and program information.
Visit accountability & recordsOur work in pictures
From the first seedling to a shared harvest.
Planting, tending and harvesting: everyday moments from our garden work.
Written by our children
A story of food,
hope and community.
Discover Plants Don’t Need Rain—They Need Water, written by The Children of the Maggie Kay Foundation.
Explore our publicationsSupport our work
Support food, safe spaces and child wellbeing.
Help schools maintain their gardens, train staff and document what children learn. Contact us to discuss a project or contribution.