Charity reaches landmark total in Malawi, the country where it all began in 2002
One million of the world’s poorest children are now being fed every day at school by a Scottish charity.
Mary’s Meals, which began feeding just 200 children in Malawi in 2002, announced today that it has just achieved the landmark figure.
The charity, which works in 12 countries across four continents, sets up community-run school feeding programmes, which encourage children – who may otherwise be forced to work, beg or forage for food – to come to school, where they can receive a nutritious meal that helps them to concentrate on their studies.
Speaking from Malawi, Mary’s Meals founder and chief executive of Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow said it was a remarkable achievement that so many children are now eating Mary’s Meals every school day.
“The extraordinary ways in which this work has grown and developed have continually surprised me and filled me with a sense of mystery and awe,” MacFarlane-Barrow said.
The extraordinary ways in which this work has grown and developed have continually surprised me and filled me with a sense of mystery and awe
“It would not be true, though, to say that I never expected our work to grow so big. I have long felt that the vision of Mary’s Meals – that every child receives a daily meal in their place of education – is so compelling, and people of goodwill so numerous, that it must be fulfilled.”
Last night a celebration event was held at Chirimba Primary School in the Machinga district of Malawi – where the expansion of the charity’s school feeding programme has enabled it to surpass the million threshold.
Government education officials and village chiefs were entertained by speeches, songs and theatre pieces, all written and performed by the pupils and community volunteers.
Pupil, 14-year-old orphan Marita Wyson, who lives with her frail grandmother Doris after her mother died giving birth to her younger sister, said: “We are so happy to be receiving this food in school!
“It makes me feel strong and I am able to understand what my teachers are telling me. My grandmother doesn’t have to worry so much about how she will provide food for me and my sister.”
