Giving girls in Yemen the chance to dream
How daily school meals are essential in helping girls in Yemen access education
Saleha is seven years old and in grade two at school in Yemen – where more than half of the population don’t have enough to eat. The deadly civil war in the Middle Eastern country has been ongoing since 2014 and at least one in four schools in the country have been destroyed, damaged or are no longer in use for education.
Conflict and poverty in Yemen are preventing children from attending school and fulfilling their potential. Around 30% of children fail to complete their primary education, with many being drawn into child labour and other dangerous situations.
Girls in particular face tremendous challenges when it comes to accessing education in Yemen and typically attend less than three years of schooling in their lifetime.
Saleha’s primary school is located in the Al Mansoora district in northern Yemen, an area which is home to many internally displaced people and other marginalised populations, who experience high levels of hunger. The UN estimates that three-quarters of the 4.5 million displaced people in Yemen are women and children*.
In this context, our daily school meals are absolutely essential to helping girls like Saleha to access her education.
The presence of Mary’s Meals at her school has helped her focus on her love of learning, gaining the skills she needs to fulfil her ambitions, rather than the hunger she used to feel throughout the day. She says: “I felt more encouraged to go to school after we started receiving the meals. I love school and I especially love that I am learning to read and write.”
“I hope to be a doctor when I grow up. I want to help people.”
As well as being empowered by her learning, Saleha has also witnessed the profound effect that Mary’s Meals has had on her peers and says: “Many other students don’t have money to buy food on their own. These students come to school now, after the meals distribution came.”
We believe education is for everyone and are committed to giving girls opportunities that they otherwise may not have.
Our school feeding programmes encourage all children to attend school and girls make up 50% of the children in school across our global programme.
There are 129 million girls out of school worldwide. But, together, we can change their future. By supporting Mary’s Meals, you can help to empower the next generation of women, like Saleha.
*Source: UNSDG | Learning when displaced: Yemeni women and girls find empowerment in education
