Scottish Catholic Observer

Mary’s Meals would like to extend a huge thank you to everyone who reads The Scottish Catholic Observer Advent Appeal updates, shared them with a friend, or donated as a result.

With the annual cost to feed a child every day in school set at just £12.20, a relatively small donation goes a long way to transforming a child’s daily life and future opportunities.

During the course of 2014, the number of children receiving Mary’s Meals in a place of education rose by more than 54,000, thanks to the generosity of supporters from all over the world.

As a direct result of the response from SCO readers during Advent, another 36 children will be able to receive Mary’s Meals and attend school this year.

Poverty and family circumstance mean that many children would struggle to attend school without the support of Mary’s Meals.

In Zambia, where Mary’s Meals recently launched a new school feeding programme, more than 20,000 children are now benefiting from the daily meal, while others are hopeful their schools will be included in the programme soon.

Peligia’s story

Peligia is 10 years old and lives with her elderly grandmother in a rural part of eastern Zambia. Her parents moved to Malawi when she was younger, leaving her and her siblings behind.

“My grandmother is quite old and often can’t do much at home,” she said. “I help her with a lot of the chores such as washing the clothes, sweeping up, fetching water and sometimes cooking. I also have to take care of my young sisters.”

Peligia sometimes misses school, either because she’s too weak to go or she’s helping her grandmother at home.

“Peligia is a good student,” her teacher, Macfallen Moyo explained. “But I know she faces many challenges at home; her family are very vulnerable and hunger often keeps her away from class.”

However, thankfully the school Peligia attends is one of 25 enrolled in Mary’s Meals new feeding programme in Zambia.

“Mary’s Meals will help change the future of children like Peligia,” Mr Moyo said. “Feeding children in class will help increase enrolment and raise education standards. Hopefully their quality of life will drastically improve.”

Peligia’s grandmother says she’s very grateful to the supporters of Mary’s Meals: “I thank God and Mary’s Meals because I won’t have to worry about where her next meal will come from. I can send Peligia to school knowing she’ll be receiving food.”

And it’s not exclusively girls who suffer as a result of family obligations in the Chipata District of Zambia, where Mary’s Meals is now in operation. Boys who would otherwise be working to support themselves and their families now have an incentive to attend school instead.

John and Matthew’s story

Seven-year-old John and his five-year-old brother Matthew have never been to school before. They live with their grandparents in eastern Zambia, one of the country’s poorest regions.

Unlike most children their age, instead of learning or playing with their friends, they spend the day tending to cattle. Their grandparents are so poor the boys have no choice but to work so that they all have enough food to eat.

According to the Zambian government, there are an estimated 595,000 children working in the country. Although child labour is technically illegal, it still remains a huge challenge for Zambia, and poverty is often the root cause.

“It’s a big problem in this area,” one of the local community leaders said. “Poverty prevents children like John and Matthew from coming to school. Boys, especially, are told to work on the farms instead of coming to school.”

But it’s something that’s starting to change, thanks to the launch of Mary’s Meals in the region. This new school feeding programme is already established in 25 schools across Chipata District, reaching more than 20,000 hungry children with a daily meal each day they attend.

“I think this programme will benefit the area tremendously,” the community leader continued. “Now the porridge is here, boys like John and Matthew will come to school because they know they’ll be getting food.”

Thank you for giving children like Peligia, John, and Matthew a chance to go to school and receive an education. In Zambia, and across the developing world, there are still many more children waiting for Mary’s Meals.

Please help us to continue to reach the next child waiting, by telling others about Mary’s Meals,

volunteering your time, or praying for our work. From each one of the 923,572 children currently receiving Mary’s Meals in school, thank you.

— Please note that some of the names have been changed to protect vulnerable children’s identities.

— www.marysmeals.org.uk