Irish volunteers making a difference for starving children in Northern Kenya

MARYS MEALS Less than €20 can feed a child for a year

More than 150 volunteers across Ireland are making a significant and enduring contribution towards the provision of school meals for thousands of starving children in Northern Kenya where communities are experiencing the worst drought in 40 years.

According to Donegal native, Patricia Friel, Ireland’s Executive Director of global school feeding charity, Mary’s Meals, the support and action of volunteers across Ireland is now more vital than ever.

Following a (self-funded) visit to Turkana, Northern Kenya, Patricia witnessed devastating scenes where, for many children, the daily school meal provided by Mary’s Meals would be all they ate that day. She says: “We are all feeling the pinch of the cost-of-living crisis, but the scenes I witnessed in Turkana were nothing short of heart-breaking.”

Each school day, Mary’s Meals serves nutritious meals to more than 2.2 million children in the world’s poorest communities across 20 countries. The school feeding programme would not be possible without the dedication of volunteers all over the world. According to Patricia, the support and action of those who freely give their time and skills is crucial. Whether it’s volunteers in Ireland spreading word of the charity’s work and arranging events to raise vital funds, or community members giving up their time to cook and serve the meals for children, their contribution enables Mary’s Meals to keep running costs low and commit to at least 93% of all donations being spent on charitable activities.

The charity recently expanded its successful school feeding model to primary schools across Turkana, enabling a further 60,000 children to benefit from a daily meal in their place of learning. This news is especially heartening given that the region is reported to be on the brink of famine, following four failed rainy seasons that resulted in crop failure and low-yield harvests, further compounded by the spiralling cost of living worldwide. The resulting food insecurity means children rely on school meals for their very survival.

Until recently, Mary’s Meals had only been able to serve meals to very young children, mainly of pre-school age, in Early Childhood Development and Education centres (ECDEs) across Northern Kenya.

“It was heartbreaking to visit the ECDEs and to see how protective these tiny little children were over their bowl of food. But then to look towards the primary school and see those older boys and girls longing to have that same bowl of food; that was a truly heartbreaking scene. It was a scene that I felt totally helpless in, so that is why today is such a wonderful day”, says Patricia.

Mary’s Meals is delivering the programme in partnership with local communities, and volunteers – often parents of the schoolchildren – who take turns to cook and serve the meals with guidance and support from the charity. Patricia continues to be inspired by the work of the Irish fundraising volunteers too, people from all walks of life, united by the belief that no child should endure a day without a meal.

One such volunteer, Anna Conroy from County Cavan, says: “Just €18.30 feeds a child for a whole school year with Mary’s Meals.

"I can do simple fundraisers, like making pots of jam to sell or raffling a Christmas hamper, and I know that the lives of so many children will benefit from me giving just a little of my time.”

This year, Mary’s Meals is inviting people to set a place at their virtual Big Family Christmas dinner table. A gift of €18.30 will set a place in your own name or in the name of a loved one and serve nutritious, locally sourced daily meals to a child in a place of education for an entire school year.

For other ways to give with Mary’s Meals this Christmas, visit the website to view a selection of Christmas cards and digital gift cards: Christmas gifts | Mary's Meals Ireland (marysmeals.ie) To find out more about Mary’s Meals’ Big Family Christmas campaign, please visit the website: Big Family Christmas | Mary's Meals (marysmeals.ie)