Mary’s Meals comments on international aid budget cuts

Mary’s Meals currently reaches more than 2.4 million children with daily school meals in some of the world’s poorest communities, giving hungry children an opportunity to gain an education that can be their ladder out of poverty. 

In the past few years, Mary’s Meals has received UK government funding, which has allowed us to work alongside communities in feeding hundreds of thousands of hungry children in Liberia, Zambia and Malawi. Currently, Mary’s Meals receives no funding from the UK or any other government. Rather we are supported by a growing global movement of generous supporters, including many thousands of individuals, foundations, and corporate donors. 

While recently announced aid budget reductions will not impact our funding directly, they will undoubtedly have a devastating impact on the communities we serve. 

Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow, Founder and CEO of Mary’s Meals, says: 

“These cuts to aid budgets are happening at the worst possible moment, whilst the world’s poorest communities are already suffering extreme hunger as a result of conflicts and climate change. In Southern Africa alone, more than 21 million children are currently malnourished. I met some of the children who receive our meals in Malawi recently; children who told me that the food we provide them in school is the only proper meal they are eating each day. 

“Even in this fast-changing and sometimes frightening world we continue to produce more than enough food for all of us. There remains no good reason why any child should suffer hunger and malnutrition in this world of plenty or that any parent would be forced to leave their homeland in a desperate bid for their children’s survival. 

“Mary’s Meals has always been a movement of people who will not wait for governments to act whilst children starve or miss school because of poverty. Regardless of our own political views or decisions being made by our elected leaders, all of us can continue to make our own choices. We can decide to act in response to the suffering of children currently being deprived of the most basic things necessary for life. Or we can turn our backs. It’s our choice.” 

In Southern Africa, which is facing its worst drought in 100 years, our school meals are providing vital relief to families in four of the worst-affected countries: Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The promise of Mary’s Meals means they know their children will eat at school and they can stretch the little food they have at home further. 

We are currently reaching 1.5 million children in Southern Africa with our nutritious school meals. But there is more we can do. It costs Mary’s Meals just 10p per meal – £19.15 to feed a hungry child for a whole school year – representing incredible value for long-term, life-changing impact. If you can, please donate today so we can help many thousands more children and families in the region through this devastating time.