More Than A Meal
Education. Community. Hope.
Mary’s Meals serves nutritious school meals to children living in some of the world’s poorest countries. The promise of a good meal attracts these hungry children into the classroom, giving them the energy to learn.
But the impact of Mary’s Meals stretches far beyond meeting a hungry child’s immediate need for food. Our school meals give children the chance to gain an education, strengthen communities and bring hope for a better future.
How is Mary’s Meals helping communities in Madagascar?
We serve our life-changing school meals to more than 2.6 million children every school day in 16 countries around the world, including Madagascar.
Mary’s Meals has been working in Madagascar, one of the world’s poorest countries, since 2018. Around 76% of people earn below the International Poverty Line ($2.15 a day). Food production is insufficient to feed everyone who lives there, and the island’s location off the coast of Southern Africa makes it very susceptible to cyclones and other climate driven disasters.
More than 88,500 children in Madagascar eat Mary’s Meals every school day. Read on to find out how our school feeding programme in Madagascar is a shining example of how Mary’s Meals is more than a meal.
Mary’s Meals helps children learn in school
In schools where Mary’s Meals are served, hunger is reduced, enrolment increases, attendance improves, and children are happier and more focused.
In Madagascar, education is vital to equip the next generation with knowledge and skills they will need to overcome the challenges the country faces and, as adults, to lift their communities out of poverty.
“What has changed in me since the school feeding [started] is that I am not hungry at school and I can focus during class.” Mickael, Rakotobe Joseph Primary School
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Mary’s Meals strengthens communities
At Mary’s Meals, community is at the heart of everything we do. Teachers, parents and volunteers are the lifeblood that enable our work, as the school feeding programme is run by schools, Parent Teacher Associations and volunteer cooks from the local community.
Our programme brings communities together and can act as a catalyst for other community-led innovations. In Madagascar, inspired and empowered by what they have achieved to deliver school meals for their children, communities have united to improve access to clean water and grow food for schools, while some schools reuse cooking oil bottles to plant vegetables.
Mary’s Meals brings hope
Our life-changing school meals attract children into the classroom where they can gain an education and work towards a better future. By giving hungry children the energy to learn, they can become the men and women who will lift their communities out of poverty in later life.
“My mum passed away early, and my father couldn’t afford my education, so I stopped at grade 11. I want my kids to go further than that so that they can have a better future.”
Jeannine, Light Library Manager, Ranomafana Primary School.
Mary’s Meals is bringing hope for a brighter future. It costs just 10p a day to feed a child with Mary’s Meals. With your help, we can transform the lives of more children, their families and their communities in Madagascar and around the world – please give today, if you can.
Read more about our work
From a daily meal to so much more
For 10-year-old Orimo from Madagascar, Mary's Meals is fuelling a love of learning. Now, he’s gaining the knowledge and skills that will help him have a brighter future.
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Driving change in Madagascar
The impact of Mary’s Meals stretches far beyond a child’s immediate need for food
Read more about Driving change in Madagascar
