Video showing the situation at Kakuma Refugee Camp

My name is Anthony Ilalio Mbunju, author of Never Settle for Less and co-founder of the Never Settle for Less Foundation. I grew up in a humble background and know firsthand how lack of opportunities can limit young people with so much potential. My life has been shaped by the kindness of others who believed in me, and today I am dedicated to giving back by empowering disadvantaged youth to rise above circumstances and build solutions for their communities.

A Shop, A Meal, A Future: Youth in Kakuma Are Fighting Hunger with Dignity

In the sprawling sands of Kakuma Refugee Camp — home to over 200,000 displaced people — hunger is not just a problem. It’s a daily crisis.

Families walk for miles under the hot sun in search of affordable food — often returning empty-handed or forced to pay prices they can’t afford. Children go to bed with growling stomachs, and hope, little by little, begins to fade.

But amidst this reality, something incredible is happening.

The Never Settle for Less Foundation, together with a group of brave, visionary students from Kakuma, is saying: enough.

They’re not asking for a handout.

They’re building a solution — one that feeds, uplifts, and empowers.

The Vision: A Local Shop With a Big Impact

With the mentorship and support of the Never Settle for Less Foundation, these students are launching a community-run shop inside Kakuma that provides staple foods like maize flour, beans, cooking oil, and rice — at affordable prices, sourced with integrity, and run with the heart of the camp in mind.

✅ Fair prices for struggling families

✅ Youth-led operations, creating jobs and skills

✅ Transparent, community-first values

✅ Reinvested profits to grow impact

This shop won’t just sell food.

It will restore dignity, ignite opportunity, and spark hope in a place where all three have been in short supply.

Why It Matters

This shop is more than a business. It’s a lifeline.

For mothers who skip meals so their children can eat.

For young people yearning to work, lead, and matter.

For families choosing between food and medicine.

For a camp community tired of waiting for outside help.

Through the Never Settle for Less Foundation, this project proves that solutions don’t have to come from outside. They can come from within — from the very people who know the pain and the potential of their own community.

Where Your Donation Goes

Your support through this GoFundMe will help the Never Settle for Less Foundation and Kakuma youth launch and sustain the shop:

Stock the store with affordable, high-demand staples

Equip the space with shelves, scales, and storage

Train youth in business, finance, and customer service

Partner with ethical suppliers for consistent inventory

Build a model that can be scaled across the camp