Recipes celebrate local culture with proceeds supporting local nutrition programs
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – CFK Africa, an international nonprofit with offices in the U.S. and Kenya, has published a Kenyan cookbook to mark its 20th anniversary, with proceeds going to the organization’s programs supporting malnourished children in informal settlements in Kenya. Previously named Carolina for Kibera, the organization also announced its new name last week, CFK Africa, in conjunction with its anniversary and as a signal of its continued growth.
“We produced “Karibu Mezani” to mark our 20th anniversary and celebrate the longstanding connection CFK created between North Carolina and Kenya since its inception,” said Beth-Ann Kutchma, the head of CFK’s U.S. office. “Our nutrition program has transformed the lives of thousands of children since starting in 2013, and this cookbook allows us to share that work and generate support for it more widely.”
Meaning “welcome to the table” in Swahili, the “Karibu Mezani” cookbook features traditional Kenyan dishes such as ugali, a stiff maize flour porridge and nyama choma, a type of grilled goat meat. It also highlights Southern-Kenyan fusion recipes, such as a chili-infused dawa cocktail and chai-spiced sweet potato pie. All recipes were contributed by CFK staff, board members, alumni, and partners.
“Karibu Mezani” also includes words and phrases in Swahili, the most commonly spoken language in Kenya, as well as educational nutrition notes, many of which were provided by faculty members at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Global Public Health.
“Much like our work throughout informal settlements in Kenya, this book was made possible by partnerships,” Kutchma said. “We are proud of the connections we have established and maintained both with the university and with hundreds of partners and volunteer alumni since we began in 2001.”
CFK’s nutrition program was established in 2013 to address high rates of childhood illnesses and deaths related to malnutrition. The organization’s nutritionists and early childhood educators lead educational sessions with caregivers and offer an eight-week program for newborns and infants, providing them with three nutritious meals per day, helping them develop social skills, and ensuring that they reach cognitive development milestones. To order CFK’s “Karibu Mezani” cookbook, visit https://bit.ly/CFKAfricaCookbook.
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About CFK Africa
Founded in 2001, CFK Africa improves public health and economic prosperity in informal settlements in Kenya through integrated primary health services, economic development initiatives, and its new Covid-19 vaccine distribution efforts. Using a participatory development approach, CFK works directly with local residents to develop and implement sustainable programs. For more information, visit www.cfkafrica.org.
