Mary’s Meals feeds children in Zimbabwe hunger crisis
School feeding charity Mary’s Meals is reaching 6,000 desperately hungry children in the urban townships around Harare, Zimbabwe, as the COVID-19 pandemic creates immense challenges for highly vulnerable communities.
The Dalmally-based charity, which feeds more than 1.6 million children around the world every school day, is working with Mavambo Orphan Care to deliver an emergency food and hygiene distribution programme to the children, many of whom are living with HIV.
While schools are closed in Zimbabwe, the charity is providing a daily meal of maize porridge for families to cook at home. Good nutrition is essential for all children but especially those living with HIV whose anti-retroviral medication will not function effectively without it.
The pandemic has aggravated an already severe hunger crisis in Zimbabwe, with a recent UN report highlighting the number of food-insecure people in the southern African nation is expected to surge by almost 50 per cent by the end of the year.
With the majority of these 6,000 children’s care-givers already living in abject poverty and relying on small businesses or market trading for survival, lockdown has left struggling parents with no employment options and zero income. At the same time, COVID-19 restrictions have impacted farming and food supply chains, which has led to a surge in food prices and left poor families unable to feed themselves.
While starvation is the biggest risk to these communities in Harare and the Goromonzi district, great care is also being taken to protect them from the spread of COVID-19 while food is distributed. As well as take-home portions of porridge, families are being provided with soap packs and handwashing advice. Trained volunteers are overseeing the community distributions, which take place at open-air pick-up points with clear social distancing and hygiene procedures.
Nicole, 11, from the Highfield
District in Harare, collects her porridge from a distribution centre at a closed school. When talking about the impact of the pandemic, she said: ‘It has really affected me because my mother is no longer employed. Now she is unable to do anything because we are always at home and it was difficult to get food. I now feel happy that
I get [Mary’s Meals] to eat.’ Alex Keay, head of programme partners at Mary’s Meals, said: ‘The situation for these communities is dire and without this programme the children we are helping to support would not be able to eat.
‘We are committed to working together with communities and trusted partners to bring the most effective help to those suffering the effects of extreme poverty and we are incredibly thankful for the support of everyone who chooses to stand in solidarity with the children we serve.’
Daniel Adams, executive director of Mary’s Meals, added: ‘Even amidst the immense challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, we are determined our work won’t stop.
‘The generosity of our incredible supporters means we can keep our promise to the more than 1.6 million children who already rely on our meals, while reaching more children, like those in Harare.’