Mary’s Meals adds 43,000 children to feeding programme

ARGYLL-BASED charity Mary’s Meals announced this week that it is now reaching 1,230,171 of the world’s poorest children with a nutritious daily meal in school.

This means that, owing to the continued generosity of its supporters around the world, the charity has been able to add more than 43,000 children to its global school feeding programme since September last year.

Mary’s Meals provides support to impoverished communities across four continents, setting up community-run school feeding programmes that encourage children – who may otherwise be forced to work, beg or forage for food – to come to school and receive a meal that helps them to concentrate on their studies.

The charity began by feeding just 200 children in Malawi in 2002, amid a devastating famine. And today it is providing much-needed support in the face of another crisis in East Africa, where drought and conflict have created a humanitarian emergency spanning several countries, including two where Mary’s Meals are served – South Sudan and Kenya.

Across famine-hit South Sudan – where a brutal civil war continues to rage – and drought-stricken Kenya, more than 46,000 children have the certainty of receiving one good meal every school day at this desperate time.

More than ever, Mary’s Meals is not only a powerful incentive to come to the classroom, it is a vital lifeline for these vulnerable children in desperate need of nourishment.

With millions across East Africa on the brink of starvation, Mary’s Meals recently launched an East Africa Emergency Appeal to help lessen the devastating impact of the crisis.

Moses Kopurot Kenyi, who works for Mary’s Meals’ partner organisation in South Sudan, said: ‘Most of the children here are so malnourished and they have a lot of challenges. To keep them in school, we need to provide the Mary’s Meals feeding programme. Without any meals, there will definitely be a very poor future for South Sudan. We thank Mary’s Meals and we thank those who are helping Mary’s Meals.’

Mary’s Meals is committed to keeping its running costs low, with at least 93 per cent of donations being spent on charitable activities. This is only possible because most of its work – from awareness and fundraising activities to the cooking and serving of the meals – is done by an army of dedicated volunteers, including more than 80,000 in Malawi alone.

It costs just £13.90 to feed a child with Mary’s Meals for a whole school year. To find out more or to donate, please visit www.marysmeals.org.uk.