Serving our communities

It is no secret that the work of Mary’s Meals relies on our incredible volunteers across the globe. Their small acts of service combine to create life-changing impacts, not just for the children they serve but for entire communities. Their dedication ensures that hungry children eat nutritious meals, enabling them to focus on their education and build brighter futures.

Take a moment to discover some of the extraordinary volunteers who rise early every morning to help us keep our promise of a daily school meal to more than 2.4 million children around the world.

Saugina from Mozambique 

Saugina lives in Mozambique and plays a crucial role as a volunteer delivering our school feeding programme.

The severe drought affecting Saugina’s country has left her family’s land nearly impossible to farm. In her remote community in the Mabalane district, extreme weather – drought, floods and cyclones – has created immense hardship. Hunger and a lack of access to clean water are persistent challenges, affecting the growth and wellbeing of Saugina's children and many others.

Despite these struggles, Saugina finds immense joy in volunteering as a cook for Mary’s Meals at the primary school her three youngest children attend.

“I find a joy in contributing to my community,” she says. “It has also become a lifesaver for us. The school meals are often the children's only reliable source of nutrition. Although they sometimes arrive at school hungry, they do so with hope, knowing a meal awaits them.”

Saugina adds: “It gives them the strength to face their day with happiness and determination.” 

Eliane from Madagascar 

Eliane is a dedicated member of a team of parents who cook lunches for students in the Mary’s Meals canteen at her daughter’s school in Madagascar.

Before becoming a volunteer, Eliane faced tough choices. Earning just $1 a day, she had to return home at lunchtime to feed her daughter, making it impossible to work full-time. Providing enough nutritious food for her family felt like an uphill battle.

The introduction of Mary’s Meals at her daughter’s school transformed her life. She says: “Now I can go to work every day. Since my child has meals here at school, I no longer have to go home at midday for lunch. So, I can increase my work hours and earn more money.”

With her increased income, Eliane is not only improving her own family’s future but is also committed to giving back.

She continues: “I love participating in the school canteen. It is a delight to prepare meals for the children. It is not difficult since I do the same at home. And when I get home in the evening, I can now prepare a good dinner for my family, since I have earned a lot of money.”

Fatness from Zambia

For the past decade, 61-year-old Fatness has been a dedicated volunteer cook at Kapara Primary School in Zambia. Having experienced school hunger first-hand, she is determined to prevent today’s children from enduring the same struggles she once faced.

“I dropped out of school in Grade 7,” Fatness recalls. “Coupled with other family problems, hunger was my biggest challenge while in school. Before Mary’s Meals came, I saw that my children were also grappling with hunger. As a struggling widow, knowing that my children could enjoy a meal in school gave me peace of mind and strength to focus on other things to make ends meet.”

Fatness became one of the first volunteers when Mary’s Meals launched in Zambia in 2014. “I was overjoyed when I was told that there was an organisation coming to feed children,” she says. “The joy and commitment I saw in learners, and in my own children, urged me to become a volunteer.”

Today, Fatness sees the transformation in the school’s environment as her own children thrive from the feeding programme. Her nieces, nephews and grandchildren also continue to benefit from Mary’s Meals, all hopeful that it will bring positive change to their families in the future.
 

The Chaone volunteers