Mary’s Meals provides life-changing meals to some of the world’s poorest children every day they attend school. We now feed more than 2 million children each day.

SCHOOL MEALS:

These life-changing meals attract hungry children into the classroom. The food fills their empty bellies so they have the energy and opportunity to learn, giving them the chance of a brighter future. The meals also support families struggling to feed their children while boosting the country’s wider economy.

Our school feeding programmes are owned and run by community volunteers in the countries where we provide food. For example, there are over 80,000 volunteers in Malawi who take turns to prepare, cook and serve the daily meal in each school.

School feeding committees – made up of parents, teachers and volunteers – are crucial to our work and one of the first things to be established in any new area receiving Mary’s Meals.

Our monitors work closely with these committees. They regularly visit schools to ensure the precious ingredients we provide are cooked and served correctly and to offer training and encouragement to the community volunteers.

Wherever possible, we serve locally produced food. This supports the local community and its farmers as well as the wider economy.

Research has proven that school feeding has a range of positive impacts, since children who are not suffering from hunger are able to make the most of their education.

More than 58 million of the world’s hungriest children do not attend school. In order to survive, they have to work or beg. Even if they do make it into the classroom, hunger affects their ability to learn.

WHERE WE WORK:

During 2021, Mary’s Meals is working to feed children in 20 countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe and the Caribbean. 

Countries where we are helping: Benin, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Haiti, India, Lebanon, Liberia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Myanmar, Nigeria, Romania, South Sudan, Syria, Thailand, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.