Ethiopia
Mary’s Meals feeds more than 110,000 children in Ethiopia and has been operating in Tigray since 2017 in partnership with a trusted local organisation.
Published onEthiopia is one of the poorest and most drought-prone countries in the world. Almost a third of the population lives below the International Poverty Line ($2.15).
Many children and their families face a daily struggle for survival, particularly in rural areas where most Ethiopians live. Recurring periods of severe drought and unpredictable rainfall make it almost impossible for people to grow enough food, causing widespread poverty and hunger.
A two-year civil conflict in Tigray devastated the people of the region and destroyed infrastructure, leading to food and fuel shortages. More than 150,000 destitute and traumatised people – including children who had lost their parents – sought refuge in the region’s capital, Mekelle.
Even before the recent conflict, school drop-out rates were high with more than 60% of children failing to complete their primary education. Girls are particularly disadvantaged and around two thirds of the primary school-age children who are missing out on school are female.
Mary's Meals in Ethiopia
Mary’s Meals has been serving school meals in Ethiopia since 2017.
We work with a trusted local partner to provide meals to marginalised and disadvantaged children in the impoverished Tigray region in the north-east of the country, close to the Eritrean border.
The Tigray region has been torn apart by major conflict since November 2020, leaving close to two million people displaced from their homes, and making it more challenging for us to reach the hungry children we serve.
- When did we start working in Ethiopia?
Since 2017.
- How many children do we feed in Ethiopia?
We reach more than 110,000 children in schools in Ethiopia.
- What meal do we provide?
Kinche (cracked wheat) and chickpeas, or maize and beans as part of the school feeding programme.
- Where are we based/where do we operate?
Tigray region, in the north-east of Ethiopia.