Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow: "The starting point of what I do is to live Our Lady's messages".The Nativity of the Virgin MaryFidele PodgaEnd hunger is not a "utopia" : "Putting an end to hunger is not a "utopia".More than three million children around the world now receive a daily meal at a school thanks to Mary's Meals. The charity, founded by Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow in 2002, has reached this historic milestone after expanding its feeding programs in nine countries over the past 18 months, including Malawi, Haiti, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Sudan and Ethiopia.
The achievement coincides with the back-to-school season in the northern hemisphere and reflects the NGO's core belief: the link between education and nutrition is key to breaking the cycle of poverty. Mary's Meals demonstrates, once again, that a simple gesture, such as a daily meal, transforms entire communities.
According to the organization's data, 71 million school-age children do not attend school in the world. However, school meals have been shown to act as a powerful incentive to reverse school dropout.
This is corroborated by Luciano Ngikiri, headmaster of Namingwere Primary School in Malawi: "Because of hunger, many children are sent on errands and other jobs to contribute to the family. We have very low enrollment rates because of hunger and poverty. Those who come hungry do not participate in class. But now, with Mary's Meals, those children who stayed home will attend school in large numbers, and they will be able to be active in class. I feel like I'm floating with joy.
Unprecedented expansion
Growth has been especially significant in countries marked by conflict and climate emergencies. In Ethiopia's war-torn Tigray region, Mary's Meals has increased its outreach sevenfold, from 30,000 (at the beginning of 2024) to more than 245,000 children served today.
In Malawi and Zambia, where the organization has been working for two decades, beneficiaries now exceed one million and 600,000, respectively, despite the droughts and floods affecting these communities.
Even in extremely unstable contexts, such as Haiti, Mary's Meals has managed to sustain and expand its work: more than 196,000 children now receive a daily school meal there.
A faith-driven project
For MacFarlane-Barrow, the growth of Mary's Meals is the fruit of providence and the protection of the Virgin Mary, to whom the work is dedicated: "We have chosen September 8 to celebrate the fact that we feed more than 3 million children every school day, as it is the day on which we celebrate Our Lady's birthday. So, on this day, we give all this work back to her. Mary's Meals is hers! This is our humble birthday gift."
Mary's Meals has maintained a strong Christian inspiration from its beginnings, but its work is universal: "We feel called to be present in those parts of the world where people have no voice".
A mission within everyone's reach
The Mary's Meals model is based on simplicity and the commitment of volunteers from the communities themselves. The cost is minimal: 12 euro cents per meal, about 22 euros to feed a child for an entire school year.
MacFarlane-Barrow recalls that although they produce enough food for everyone, thousands of children are still starving. Mary's Meals invites you to participate in their mission: that every child receives a daily meal at his or her place of education.
