Lunch on Wednesday at Alpine Elementary probably looked better to students than ever before.

That's because hundreds of students here got to see how students at their sister school in Kenya eat -- and those Kenyan students, all orphans attending the Candle Light charity school, will be assured of having lunch in upcoming weeks thanks to donations from Alpine Elementary student fundraising.

Three Kenyan educators visited Alpine Elementary on Wednesday to thank the students for their donations and to give students a look at Kenyan culture.

As part of the school's goal of being safe, fit and kind, Alpine Elementary students are walking to raise money for the Candle Light orphans. Using fundraiser money, the school will donate 40 cents for every 10 miles each Alpine student walks.

So far, students have walked enough to earn a quarter of their $1,000 goal. That $250 is enough to feed 625 students a typical Candle Light School lunch of corn flour porridge, sardines and cabbage for a week. The school, run by volunteers, educates 350 orphans.

Alpine Elementary has been encouraging students to walk to school not only to increase their health but to curb the number of cars on the streets, said Principal David Stephenson. Students can also walk at school during recess and lunch, and Stephenson reminded students on Wednesday that 22 laps around the gym, or four laps around the school's outdoor field, equals a mile.

Inside-out Learning, an Alpine-based humanitarian organization that works with schools in Kenya, paid to bring a Kenyan school superintendent and a Kenyan government curriculum specialist to Utah for two weeks to study schools here. The team, along with the charity's in-country director, spent part of the day at Alpine Elementary on Wednesday, not only visiting classrooms and having lunch, but putting on two assemblies to teach the students about the life of students at Candle Light, their Kenyan sister school. The Kenyans have visited more than a dozen schools while in Utah.

"They have happy moments like you, and sad," Evelyn Jepkemeie, senior assistant director of education for Kenya, told Alpine students about Kenyan students.

Jepkemeie showed a slideshow of photos from Candle Light, including the sardine lunches, students working on plank benches in classrooms with tin roofs, and students walking to school with no shoes.

"You notice our food portions are very small," she told the students. "That is to make it go around so everyone can get something to eat."

Jepkemeie also told the students that while the plight of the Candle Light students is deplorable, it is not the norm in Kenya. It is important to know that other students live more normal lives and eat well, she said.

She also introduced the students to Kenya's culture and geography, showing pictures of rhinos and warthogs, and spoke of taking pictures of Utah's snow to show to Kenyan students who have difficulty imagining the concept of snow.

Showing photos of a hippopotamus, she said, "I think they are ugly animals, that is my opinion. They come out at night and can be quite dangerous."

In an interview, Jepkemeie said she is working with Inside-out Learning to expand Kenya's curriculum, especially looking to build character in students rather than just focusing on testing, which most Kenyan schools now do.

Stephen Abere, a superintendent over 50,000 students, accompanied Jepkemeie. His district, where the average teacher has 80 to 100 students, will be the pilot program for the new Kenyan curriculum developed with Inside-out Learning. If the program is a success, Jepkemeie will recommend that the Kenya government expand it across the country.

"Our emphasis is to use Inside-out Learning to increase creativity, critical thinking and moral values," said Marilynn Clark, founder of the humanitarian organization and Alpine resident.

Anyone interested in making a donation to Alpine Elementary School's Kenyan lunch program can call the school at 756-8525.