Our work won’t stop

Our work to feed hungry children won’t stop, despite the coronavirus pandemic causing school closures around the world.

We are having urgent discussions with community leaders and national governments to identify safe ways to reach hungry children at this extremely difficult time.

A new approach has already been agreed for Turkana in Kenya, meaning that tens of thousands of children will receive nutritious food at home until it is possible for them to return to the classroom.

Our UK Executive Director, Daniel Adams, says: “The children we feed are being temporarily denied their education because of the coronavirus pandemic. We are determined that they will not also be denied their daily serving of Mary’s Meals – sometimes the only food they receive in a day.”

We have also started feeding children in a new country – Niger, one of the poorest in Africa. In Niger, more than a third of children (36%) drop out of primary school and only 30% of people aged 15 and over can read and write. Many desperate children have to work, beg or steal to get food and, if caught stealing, they risk being sent to prison.

Daniel continues: “The children we are feeding in Niger are all in prison but very few of them have been convicted of a crime. The majority are awaiting trial for minor offences like petty theft. Our bowls of rice with vegetable sauce and meat, fish or egg are served as part of education programmes, giving these very vulnerable children both vital nourishment and a chance to learn.

“Sharing our news from Turkana and Niger brings me hope and comfort in these uncertain times and is a wonderful reminder of what we can achieve together. We are so grateful to our amazing supporters for everything that they do to ensure we can keep feeding hungry children. Through this global crisis, our work won’t stop.”

We are committed to finding new ways to keep our promise to the children who rely on Mary’s Meals. To do this, we need your support more than ever.