"Porridge became a symbol of possibility."
A regular serving of Mary’s Meals at his school gave Shammah the power to change the course of his life. This is his story.
Today, Shammah Storah is one of Malawi's best-known gospel musicians, spreading hope and positivity with his music. But he was once a child who relied on Mary's Meals to survive. He tells us how regular school meals helped him to finish his education, discover his talent and take control of his future.
A symbol of possibility
Shammah was just 11 years-old when his father died, leaving his mother to provide for their five children on her own. With work and food scarce, the family fell on particularly hard times. Shammah tells us, “I remember the hunger vividly – going to school on an empty stomach, unable to concentrate, failing my classes, and fearing for my future.”
But then something changed. Shammah began receiving Mary's Meals at school in Blantyre, Malawi. Each school day, he would eat a mug of porridge, which became so much more than just a meal for him and his classmates.
Hear from Shammah
Life-changing school meals
For the first time, Shammah looked forward to going to school and his grades began to improve. School became a joy, and porridge became a symbol of possibility. The school meals fuelled Shammah's learning, eventually helping him to get selected for secondary school, where he fell in love with music.
As Shammah says, the very simple intervention of a meal each school day truly changed the course of his life: “That single intervention of receiving porridge from Mary’s Meals planted the seed for everything that followed.”
What followed was Shammah realising his dreams. He began writing and singing gospel songs and performing in choirs where his voice and confidence grew. He also continued studying hard, and graduated from university with a degree in Industrial Laboratory Technology. And today, he is The Bongo Master, performing across Malawi and doing what he loves.
Shammah is eager to inspire future generations to pursue their dreams, with the help of school meals.
Your support can help children growing up in Malawi today to get an education and realise their dreams, just like Shammah did.
