…former beneficiaries urged to give back
Millions of Malawian children are going to school hungry, with about 3.4 million still waiting for a daily school meal.
Thus is according to Mary’s Meals Malawi which is currently feeding about 1.3 million children every school day, but says millions more remain without food at school, exposing them to risks ranging from dropping out to teenage pregnancy.
Speaking during the launch of an initiative targeting former beneficiaries of Mary’s Mealson Monday in Blantyre, the organization’s head of growth, Monalisa Bandawe, said the campaign seeks to mobilize alumni to help reach children who are still waiting.
“The estimation is that right now, about 3.4 million children are still waiting to get a school meal,” Bandawe said.
Bandawe said the initiative has been inspired by former beneficiaries who have gone on to become productive members of society.
She said some people currently working with Mary’s Meals also benefited from the programme when they were in primary school.
“We see a lot of people coming up to us and say, ‘I benefited from Mary’s Meals. I once benefited from Mary’s Meals.’ And those people are productive,” Bandawe said.
The campaign will target former beneficiaries across the country, with Mary’s Meals calling on them to raise awareness, make donations or sponsor children.
Bandawe said the initiative does not have a specific financial budget or target district, as it will rely on existing resources and support from alumni across Malawi.
“We are reaching the entire Malawi. We’re not specific to any region or district,” she said.
Mary’s Meals says the 3.4 million figure represents children who currently have no school feeding support, separate from the 1.3 million children it feeds and the additional children reached by other organizations.
Bandawe warned that hunger at school can have serious consequences for children, particularly those from poor households.
She said some children may fail to complete their education because they cannot concentrate or attend school while hungry.
For girls, she warned that the situation could expose them to exploitation and early pregnancy as they seek support from men.
“The risks are high,” Bandawe said.
She called on Malawians to work together to ensure children have something to eat at school, regardless of which organization provides the meal.
Bandawe said Mary’s Meals will continue feeding children through its existing programmes, while also fundraising for additional resources to expand its reach.
She said the organization already has structures and supplier contracts in place to continue its current feeding programmes despite the difficult situation facing many households.
According to Bandawe, feeding one child for an entire year costs about K43,708, which the organisation rounds up to K44,000.
She said people willing to help can therefore sponsor a child and contribute towards ensuring that more children receive a meal at school.
