By 
About Mary’s Meals
More than 20 years ago, Mary’s Meals Founder Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow travelled to Malawi as part of an aid mission. There, he met 14-year-old Edward, the oldest of six children gathered around their dying mother. When asked about his hopes, Edward’s simple yet heartbreaking response changed everything: “I would like to have enough food to eat and to be able to go to school one day.” And so, with the words of a child, Mary’s Meals began.
Today, Mary’s Meals serves nutritious school meals to more than 2.6-million children in 16 of the world’s poorest countries. The promise of food brings hungry children into classrooms, giving them energy to learn and hope for a better future. Mary’s Meals delivers the school meals programme in partnership with local communities. And thanks to the charity’s focus on good stewardship, it costs just £19.15 (or $25.20) to feed a child for a year with Mary’s Meals.
Emergency in Southern Africa
As Southern Africa faces its worst drought in a century, the need for Mary’s Meals is more urgent than ever. Crop failures, rising food prices and livestock losses have led to widespread hunger, with an estimated 21 million children suffering from malnutrition. In response, Mary’s Meals has launched an emergency appeal to bring relief to families in Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe with the promise of school meals, ensuring children can eat and continue to learn despite the desperate conditions.
For 13-year-old Desire from Malawi, his daily school meal is a lifeline. Without it, hunger leaves him lethargic, unable to focus and forced to leave school early in search of food. He says: “Finding food is hard, I often sleep on an empty stomach. I feel weak and [have] pain in my body when I don’t eat… Sometimes I would have to leave school to go and try to find food.”
Supplied
Since the introduction of Mary’s Meals at his school, Desire has regained his energy to study and help his mother at home.
Desire continues: “I like the porridge, and it helps me concentrate. At home I now have energy to help my mother and do chores around the house.”
To support children like Desire, a team of 30 cyclists took on the 109-kilometre Cape Town Cycle Tour on 9 March, ahead of the GTR Africa conference (13-14 March), in aid of Mary’s Meals. With a goal to raise £20,000 – enough to provide life-changing school meals to more than 1,000 children – the group has already raised just over £13,000. To help them reach their target and transform more young lives, visit the JustGiving page and donate today.
For more information about Mary’s Meals and how you can help the charity reach the next hungry child, please visit www.marysmeals.org
Comments