School meals: a social safety net

School feeding programmes are considered to be one of the world’s most reliable social support systems. By providing a reliable source of food for children, daily school meals can help shield families living in poverty from hunger and cushion the impact of rising food prices – making school meals a meaningful form of economic support.

Parents of children who receive a daily meal at school across our programmes in Ethiopia, Haiti, Malawi, Zambia, Liberia, Yemen, and Zimbabwe tell us that they return home less hungry, which helps lower their household food consumption and expenditure. In Haiti, for example, 61% of children reported not having enough food to eat at home prior to receiving school meals. This dropped to 50% after school feeding was introduced. 

“Although they say that the money they save is small,” explains Erin Pratley, our Chief Programmes Officer, “they also say that the food Mary’s Meals provides helps them weather economic shocks and periods of food insecurity and instability better. In Malawi and Zambia, some parents say that the reduced need for food at home is helping them reallocate money to other essentials such as healthcare and school supplies.” 

Similarly, households suffering from hunger in Zimbabwe say that reliable daily school meals ease some of their financial burden, while families in Ethiopia say that school feeding reduces the time they need to spend preparing meals, allowing them to focus on their livelihoods and childcare.

“The programme protects me from the uncertainty of my modest income”

Kidan was widowed during the brutal conflict in Tigray, Ethiopia, which meant that the family lost their main income provider. Without a home of her own, she and her three children live with her mother-in-law, trying to rebuild their lives and overcome the burden of poverty and hunger.

“After my husband died, I struggled to provide for my children. We had days when there was no food at home,” she says. “The situation was desperate. We were forced to send my older daughter to work or sell items just to get money for food. But our economic situation remains fragile and the struggle is constant.” 

Kidan’s three children attend the local primary school where they now receive a meal provided by Mary’s Meals every school day. The meals reduce the financial pressure on Kidan, allowing her meagre earnings to stretch that little bit further.

“By guaranteeing a meal every [school] day for [my children], the programme protects me from the fear of rising grain prices and the uncertainty of my modest income,” she says. “I can now save what would have been their breakfast and serve it for lunch or dinner.”

“Knowing he is fed at school lifts a great burden off my shoulders”

Yemen’s ongoing economic crisis, where the cost of basic food items rises week by week, has forced parents to make the difficult choice between one necessity and another. This lack of financial security is leaving families increasingly vulnerable to sudden economic shocks. 

Talal works at the canteen of a school in Yemen that his seven-year-old son Ahmed attends. 

“With prices the way they are,” Talal explains, “covering even the basics is a daily struggle.” 

The introduction of daily meals at Ahmed’s school has created a vital safety net for Talal. Knowing Ahmed will be fed at school ensures that a tight week at home does not end with a hungry child. 

Daily school meals provide a safety net for families with limited resources

Kidan and Talal’s stories demonstrate how daily school meals served in places of education provide some stability and a safety net that protects vulnerable children and families from food insecurity and economic shocks.

Read our 2025 Impact Report here