Mary’s Meals is a simple idea that works. By providing a daily meal in a place of education, Mary’s Meals encourages children experiencing poverty and hunger to the classroom where they gain a basic education that can provide an escape route from poverty. Our vision is that every child receives one daily meal in their place of education and that all those who have more than they need, share with those who lack even the most basic things.
Mary’s Meals feeds 2,429,182 children every day at school in 17 countries, across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Mary’s Meals increases school enrolment and improves school attendance. In schools where our meals are served, far fewer children leave school early because of hunger. The global average cost to provide a child with Mary’s Meals for a whole school year is just £19.15.
Mary’s Meals is a grassroots global movement; an intrinsic part of our work is to involve as many people as possible, recognising that each of us has a unique part to play in this mission. We are looking for people who are committed to our mission, vision and values.
Local communities own and run Mary’s Meals in the countries where the programme operates. Wherever possible, our meals are made with locally sourced food, thereby supporting the local economy. We are humbled and heartened by the support we receive from people all over the world who refuse to accept that any child in this world of plenty should endure a day without a meal. As a result of the generosity and dedication of our supporters, partners, and volunteers – including tens of thousands of volunteer cooks from the communities running our programme – millions of children are sitting in a classroom with a full stomach, learning how to read and write. We firmly believe that the children who receive Mary’s Meals today can one day grow up, well-nourished and welleducated, to become the men and women who will lift their communities out of poverty and end their reliance on aid. We call them ‘Generation Hope’.
