We believe that every child has a right to a daily meal in their place of education. And we believe that there is no good reason why we cannot make – and keep – this promise to children experiencing hunger and poverty all over the world.

We have more than enough resources in the human family to do this. Today it costs Mary’s Meals, on average, $25 to serve one child with daily school meals for a whole school year. To serve every child who is currently without school meals in the world’s lowest income countries would cost just over $3 billion per year. Set that against the recent figures estimating that US households would spend $3.9 billion on Halloween candy alone this year (the overall US Halloween spend was projected to be over $13 billion for 2025).

And school meal programs do not need to remain reliant on outside aid for ever – in fact, by supporting the emergence of an educated young workforce, they play a key role in setting communities free from dependence on aid and helping to build economies that can eventually support their own provision of school meals.

Mary’s Meals works alongside those living in areas of great need to set up community-led school feeding programs that reduce child hunger and increase enrolment and engagement in education, as well as supporting children’s wellbeing and offering some relief to food-insecure households. This World Children’s Day, we remember that all children have the right to live in a world where their health, development, safety, and education are not only protected but prioritised, and we propose that children also have the right to hope – hope for a better future where they can achieve their full potential.