Last week’s talk was by Jane Wright from Mary’s Meals, a UK based charity working to alleviate hunger in some of the world’s poorest countries.
The story began when two brothers in Scotland decided to fill a truck with items donated by their local community and deliver them to Bosnia. After the trip the donations kept coming in so Magnus decided to take a year off his job as a trout farmer to deliver aid across Europe.
During this time he came up with the idea of funding school meals in areas of extreme poverty all around the world and Mary’s Meals was born. By ensuring children have a nutritious meal, Mary’s Meals not only improves their health, but also the likelihood that they will be sent to school. For this reason, Mary’s Meals also boosts the numbers of children in the community receiving an education which will benefit the whole area in the longer term.
The meals are culturally appropriate and sourced from local ingredients ensuring the project benefits, rather than bypasses, local producers. Local volunteers prepare the meals and the whole operation is so efficient, it only costs around £20 to feed a child for an entire school year.
Incredibly, Mary’s Meals is feeding over 2.4 million children in countries like South Sudan, Ethiopia, Haiti and Malawi. You can find out more at the Mary’s Meals website which includes ways to volunteer and donate.
Thanks to Jane for a very informative talk delivered with an infectious passion for the charity and its work.