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Mary's Meals in Haiti
We want to share some exciting news about how our school feeding programme is adapting in Haiti – a country facing significant challenges due to escalating gang violence.
Haiti has one of the highest levels of food insecurity in the world, with over half of the population in need of immediate food assistance. In response, Mary’s Meals started working there in 2006, and we are now feeding more than 180,000 children in over 580 places of education.
However, the recent intensification of gang violence has resulted in a significant increase in the costs and risks of transporting food from Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, to our local partner, Summits Education, in the Central Plateau.
How do we overcome the challenges in Haiti?
For Mary’s Meals, these challenges present several questions:
How do we keep our promise to the children we serve, while maintaining our low-cost approach and the safety of our staff in a landscape which is constantly changing?
The answer – by empowering local farmers through innovation.
What is our goal?
To ensure consistent school feeding for 67,000 children in the Central Plateau region amid rising costs.
How will this be achieved?
As part of our Haiti programme, we are replacing imported beans with locally grown beans. We are doing this by working with local producers, farmers and agricultural associations to produce beans in the regions closest to schools where we serve Mary's Meals.
Why is this approach so important?
It supports
Our school feeding programme is strengthened by reducing the reliance on imported food and the disruption this can cause.
It creates
A predictable market for local farmers is created, which benefits local communities and the local economy.
It's better value
It reduces transport costs and decreases our carbon footprint, all of which is better for the environment!
How can you help our work in Haiti?
Recognising the escalating risks and volatility in Haiti, all of us here understand that we need a different, more adaptive approach.
By supporting our Haiti programme, you can help us continue to work there in an agile way – enabling us to keep our promise to the 67,000 children in the Central Plateau who eat our meals and strengthen regional food systems to support the local economy.
