School Meals

These life-changing meals attract hungry children into the classroom. It fills their empty bellies so they have the energy and opportunity to learn and gives 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 programs 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.

Around 67,000,000 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.