Mary’s Meals receives £425,000 funding boost from People’s Postcode Lottery to help transform lives of hungry children

£425,000 funding boost helps Mary’s Meals to transform young lives in Africa

Generous players of People’s Postcode Lottery have raised £425,000 for Mary’s Meals, boosting the charity’s work to transform the lives of hungry children in Africa.

The latest funding awarded to the charity will ensure 10,961 hungry children receive a life-changing meal every day for a whole school year.

Mary’s Meals provides one good meal every school day for children living in some of the world’s poorest countries. The promise of these meals attracts impoverished children to the classroom, where they can gain an education which can help them escape poverty in later life.  

Since 2015, players of People’s Postcode Lottery have raised more than £2.7 million for Mary’s Meals.

The most recent funding will allow Mary’s Meals to reach children in eight African countries including Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Zambia, Madagascar, Uganda, Ethiopia and South Sudan. 

Daniel Adams, executive director of Mary’s Meals, said: “We are hugely grateful to players of People’s Postcode Lottery for their incredible generosity which is helping Mary’s Meals to keep our promise to the children that we serve and allowing us to reach even more children with a precious meal.

“The nourishing food we provide can be a lifeline and for many children may be all they eat that day. With local communities cooking and serving the meals, children from some of the poorest countries in the world are attracted into the classroom, giving them the opportunity to learn towards a brighter future.”

Callum Aitken, international development advisor at People’s Postcode Lottery, added: “We know that children don’t learn as well when they’re hungry and find it more difficult to concentrate and retain information when they don’t know when they’ll next eat something.  

“I’m delighted this latest funding award of £425,000 raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery will help feed 10,961 children so they’re ready to start their school day with a full tummy.”

The funding raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery will also allow Mary’s Meals to develop its work in other areas including a focus on recruiting more volunteers throughout different regions of the UK and the promotion of new and existing campaigns to raise awareness of Mary’s Meals.

As schools around the world closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic last year, Mary’s Meals successfully adapted and provided food to cook at home instead. With some schools now able to open again, the charity is continuing to safely reach the children who rely on its nutritious meals, whether in the classroom or at home.

Mary’s Meals recently announced that it is reaching more than two million children in some of the world’s poorest countries with life-changing meals every school day in 19 countries. 

Zambia is just one such country where Mary’s Meals is making a big difference thanks to player support.   

Every morning before school, 14-year-old Olivia gets up early and goes to work on the family farm. When she gets back from the field, she helps with the household chores before setting off on the hour-long walk to Kawambe Primary School.

Her first meal of the day is a steaming hot mug of Mary’s Meals porridge. Olivia said: “I feel very hungry when I get to school.

“Phala (vitamin enriched porridge) fills me with energy. It helps me to concentrate. School is important, because when I have finished, I will be able to support myself.”

To find out more about the work of the charity, please visit marysmeals.org.uk