Our ‘Big Blue Mug’ campaign invites people to get their hands on a bright blue mug – similar to those we use to provide Mary’s Meals to children in Malawi, where we feed over 500,000 children every school day.

The plastic mugs are being offered as an alternative gift for a minimum donation of £7 each, which is how much it costs us to feed a child for a whole school year in Malawi. As well as being able to drink from it, the mugs also have lids that allow them to be used as collecting cans.

“This is a fantastic way to raise awareness of what a difference a mug of porridge can make to the lives of so many hungry children in Malawi who are receiving Mary’s Meals,” says Dermot.

“The beauty of this idea is that not only does drinking from this mug remind people of the important role which porridge plays at the charity’s school feeding programme in Malawi, it can also be used as a way of getting support to feed more children, giving them essential nutrition and an incentive to study.”

In Malawi, where the charity is celebrating a decade of feeding children, 20% of the primary school population receives Mary’s Meals. Each child is given a daily serving of likuni phala – a vitamin enriched maize porridge served in plastic mugs. Each child is responsible for their own mug, ensuring they get a fair portion every school day. Some carry them around their neck on a piece of string to make sure they don’t miss out.

“This alternative gift is symbolic, as it represents the simple mugs which are used to provide over half a million hungry children in Malawi with a life sustaining daily meal, which in turn gives them energy and concentration to learn,” Magnus explains.

“For many children in the poorest parts of the world, they are unable to go to school because they are hungry, begging or working to get the next meal on the table. Mary’s Meals offers them a route out of poverty and the chance to build a brighter future for themselves and their communities.

“The global average cost for us to provide one meal is just six pence – pennies to us, but a lifeline to so many of the world’s poorest children.”

The Big Blue Mugs are available for distribution in the UK.

Largs Academy - Pupils and Staff commit to build Mary's Meals Kitchen

Both teachers and pupils at Largs Academy have committed to raise the funds for Mary’s Meals to build a feeding kitchen in Malawi. This is part of the Mary’s Meals ever popular Sponsor a School initiative. More details at www.marysmeals.org.uk/what-you-can-do/sponsor-a-school. It cost £7,000 to build a full sized feeding kitchen at the Malawian schools where we have feeding programmes. At a recent assembly, Headteacher Arthur Jones praised the pupils for their efforts to date having so far raised £2,500 for the Mary’s Meals project while continuing to provide support for a variety of local charities and good causes. Pictured left is Tony Begley, Mary’s Meals Education Co-ordinator, David Walsh and Margaret McCabe, both members of the local community who work with the school to support their fundraising activities.

Mr Jones went on to explain the many other creative ways in which the school community intend to work together to raise the remaining funds for the kitchen.

Everyone is welcome to attend the day on Saturday, April 21st, which also marks a 10-year celebration of Mary’s Meals.

The family event will include updates on our work, music, and a talk from Mary’s Meals founder, Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow.

The event will be held at The Tabernacle, 35 Powis Square, Notting Hill, London, W11 2AY from 1.30pm to 3.45pm. Refreshments will be available.

RSVP colin.macintyre@marysmeals.org or you can contact our London office on 0207 253 9572. The address is 188 St. John Street, London, EC1V 4JY.

We’ll announce details of our annual Open Day in Scotland as soon as these are finalised.

We are extremely grateful to Mother, a leading global advertising and design agency, which has offered to cover the costs of our 10 year celebration event and also for providing us with use of premises for our Mary’s Meals office in London.

We have been able to keep the costs of providing Mary’s Meals low with the average global cost for this year being just £10.70.

This has increased by £1.30 compared to last year largely due to rising food costs and unprecedentedly high fuel prices which have had a significant impact on transport costs.

In Malawi, where we are now feeding over half a million children, the cost for us to provide Mary’s Meals for an entire school year is £7.

Despite some fluctuations in food costs in the region, we have kept our spending low as the growing volume of hungry children we feed has enabled us to become more cost-effective. We continue to save money in Malawi, and across all our projects, because we obtain resources locally and rely on the input of volunteers.

We work extremely hard to keep our overhead costs low and remain committed to ensuring at least 93 pence of every £1 that is donated goes on our charitable work.

All 45 of our pre-school under six centres have been buzzing with excitement and anticipation which is a time of fun for both children and volunteers alike.

Little girls are all dressed in their best outfits – shiny, shimmery fabric in blues, pinks and whites; little boys in their best shorts or trousers and shirts. Despite the efforts the little ones make, their hardships in life are evident through the little rips and wear and tear of their best clothes. Though all one can see on their dear faces is eagerness and wide smiles.

Children at under-six Christmas parties

The children chant a few nursery rhymes and show us what they have learnt for the year and at one centre, the head volunteer gives a speech thanking Mary’s Meals for their contribution, without which the centre would not survive. Then it’s time for snacks and a little present.

Each child enjoyed glasses of refreshing orange juice along with packets of corn curls, after which the Under Six team distributed bars of colourful soap to the children. The bars were received with beaming smiles by the children.

The children had already received early Christmas presents at the end of school year parties we threw in July. Each present had been painstakingly packed. Inside the plastic bag each child received were clothes, toothpaste, toothbrush, washing soap, biscuits, crisps, juice, soft toys and a game of some sort.

Attending these Christmas Parties reinforces some of the reasons why people who celebrate Christmas do so – that is of sharing and spreading joy. These Christmas parties help us remember to share with those and appreciate those who are less fortunate.

Certainly, these children embody the love and abundance of joy that is Christmas and after one witnesses their patience and absolute happiness with the most simple of presents – one cannot help but love them all the more.

Hundreds of people have been killed by flash floods triggered by a tropical storm affecting areas including Dumaguete City where we provide food to 2,000 impoverished school pupils and to children living or working on the streets.

Some of the volunteers for Mary’s Meals fled to safety by taking shelter in one of the charity’s feeding centres after their houses were swept away by the torrential floods and landslides. All the volunteers and children receiving Mary’s Meals have been accounted for.

Mary’s Meals, which provides meals to children at three schools in the shanty town area of Dumaguete City and to a community on the outskirts of the city, is responding to requests for funds to rebuild the homes of 10 volunteers.

“Thousands are displaced and all those along riverbanks lost their homes … children’s bodies floated on rivers,” described Virginia Villahermosa, head of Mary’s Meals’ programme in Philippines.

“Yesterday, the volunteers were still digging in the mud trying to retrieve whatever they could. They were wet and dirty and they have no other clothes except what they have on.

“They wanted to put up makeshift tents but they just have nothing at all, even their little possessions were all swept away or whatever they retrieved was all wrapped in mud.”

We have been operating in the Philippines since 2006.

Mary’s Meals chief executive, Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow, said: “We are extremely saddened to hear of the devastation that has swept through the Philippines and which has claimed so many lives, leaving people with nothing.

“Our desire was to take urgent action and respond to the requests of help from our friends. We are continuing to stay in close contact with them so we can support those who are hungry and in need in any way we can.”

Mary’s Meals is sending backpacks to western Kenya where they will be distributed among four schools in Eldoret.

Thousands of children at Kimalel Primary, Langas Primary, Racecourse Primary and Kipkaren Primary will receive the backpacks donated by supporters across the UK. They contain items such as notebooks, pencils, pens, towels, sandals, school clothing, soap and tennis balls.

The children receiving the backpacks have been affected by the crisis in East Africa, where crippling food shortages have put the lives of thousands in immediate danger, drought has destroyed livelihoods, and many families have been forced to leave their land in search of food and water.

Charles Chuma from The Way Christian Ministries, one of our partners in Kenya, said: “I’m sure there will be a lot of joy on many faces upon reception and we can’t wait to see this happen.”

At the Mary’s Meals warehouse in Glasgow, volunteers helped to load the latest container with over 7,600 backpacks which are due to arrive at the schools in February, next year. The container was also packed with three tents to be used for food storage.

Volunteers for Mary's Meals loaded the container with backpacks

Our Backpack Project appeals to schools, clubs and other groups to fill unwanted backpacks with basic educational materials to send to children receiving Mary’s Meals.

Over 250,000 backpacks have been delivered to Malawi and Liberia since the start of the project in 2004.

Mary’s Meals is currently feeding over 18,000 children in Kenya with a daily nutritious meal.

Recently, Duncan Thumbi, the head teacher of a school in Eldoret’s Langas slum, told us that the school roll had risen by over 100 since Mary’s Meals arrived.

He said: “Before, children were constantly fainting due to hunger. Some left to go and find food. It’s extremely dangerous for children to go off foraging on their own. Some have been kidnapped or assaulted.

“Now they come every day and stay until late afternoon. They learn much more, they are safe and happy. Having had a plate of maize and beans, they can concentrate. We are moving up the school league tables and, for this great gift, we are so grateful.”

Pupils from Our Lady of Muswell Hill show off the Backpacks collected

Two London primary schools have shown themselves to be conscientious global citizens by working hard to support the education of less fortunate children in developing countries.

In addition to raising funds to help feed children, they have been participating in the Mary’s Meals ever popular Backpack Project, which encourages pupils to work together to fill old backpacks with some basic essential; clothes, a toy, toiletries and educational materials such as pens, pencils, jotters, etc which will help in school.

Backpacks galore!!

Our Lady of Muswell PS collected and filled 151 backpacks -a fantastic effort by the whole school community. Four boys; Thomas, William, Harry and Sam very generously gave up their pocket money and to add to this they produced their own comic which they sold to further raise money to support Mary’s Meals schools feeding programme.

Thomas, William and Harry

Safi and Xavier sport their Marys Meals T shirts and show off their certificates

At Muswell Hill PS they managed to gather 56 backpacks full of essential educations basics and also managed to fill two big sacks with extra bits and pieces of educational materials to send out to schools supported by Mary’s Meals. This project was pupil led. In fact it was originally suggested and organised by two enthusiastic pupils Xavier and his friend Safi.

Hutchie's Mealometer

Since adopting Mary’s Meals as their chosen  charity for this school session the school community, driven on  by their charity committee, have embarked on a variety of imaginative fundraising ventures.  They are well aware that every £6.15 raised will enable Mary’s Meals to provide some of the world’s  poorest children  to have a meal each day at school and the opportunity of a life changing education.

Just to mention a few of the ventures:
- A  Wonderful competitive though fun packed -Sponsored Cross Country Run….
- Pizza Night…
- Hutchie Staff and Pupil karaoke…
- Lunchtime Crepe sale…..
- Christmas fair…
- and many more

Also, Hutchie have been collecting their Pennies in a large jar which has so far raised the amazing sum of £480 and counting… this alone will feed and keep 78 children at school for one year.

To keep track of their efforts the school have developed their own Mealometer which is used to track the number of meals the monies raised would buy. To date the school has raised over £10,000. Remarkable!

In addition to the fun and fundraising, the school are using the lives of the children they are supporting as a context for learning in a number of subjects. The J8 group are conscientious pupils who actively promote justice and fairness and as such are interested in the developing world. At present they are looking at possible locations for schools they may support as part of Mary’s Meals Sponsor a School initiative.

	Hutchie Penny Jar
Reps from School J8 Group	Mary's Meals Backpack Launch

Maya , Annie , Issie Antonia reps of Hurlingham's Mary's Meals Committee present cheque

Hurlingham School began fundraising for Mary’s Meals last year with the aim of raising £6,000 to sponsor a school in Malawi.

The fundraising at Hurlingham has been led by a Mary’s Meals committee made up of pupils, teachers and parents.
They have held a variety of fun fundraising events, including the Change Challenge, a PTA dinner and a hugely successful Mary’s Meals auction which had some amazing prizes!

In November 2011, they proudly announced that they have far-exceeded their original target and have now reached the amazing total of £20,500!!
This cheque was presented to our London Co-ordinator, Colin Macintyre. With this incredible total they now intend to pay for the building of two Mary’s Meals kitchen/shelters through our popular Sponsor a School scheme.

Mary's Meals Assembly

The schools are at Mwaye School and Chisoka School schools in Malawi.
At Mwaye School, Hurlingham are funding the building of their kitchen shelter as well as the feeding of all the children for one year. Mwaye is in the district of Balaka, in the southern part of the country.
The school currently has 977 children enrolled and Mary’s Meals began feeding here in early September 2011. At the moment the children are being fed from a temporary kitchen shelter structure, which will be replaced by the permanent kitchen shelter building Hurlingham are sponsoring.

At Chisoka School the Hurlingham donation will be used for the building of their kitchen shelter. Chisoka is located in the Thyolo District, in the southern part of Malawi and currently has 2045 children enrolled. As with Mwaye School, the children at Chisoka are currently being fed from a temporary kitchen shelter structure, which will be replaced by the permanent kitchen shelter building that Hurlingham are now funding!

Hurlingham are continuing to support Mary’s Meals and have set a target for their additional fundraising in the New Year and are now embarking on the ever popular Backpack Project which in addition to being educational can be great fun.

Mary’s Meals wishes to thanks Hurlingham School for their amazing fundraising efforts which will ensure that 3,000 children will be fed every day at Mwaye School and Chisoka School schools in Malawi.

Colin Macintyre our London Regional Co-ordinator can be contacted at  colin.macintyre@marysmeals.org