eexxttrraae-magazine for mary’s meals

supportersIssue no 4 - Nov 2009

MMaarryy’’ss MMeeaallss LLiibbeerriiaaffeeeeddiinngg 1155,,000000 cchhiillddrreenn

wweellccoommeeWelcome to the November issue of the Mary’s Meals Extra, ourquarterly e-bulletin. The Mary’s Meals Extra is designed for those ofyou who want regular news updates from us and is aimed particularlyat those of you who fundraise and spread the word about Mary’sMeals. We really hope this is a useful resource you can draw on.

Feel free to reproduce parts of it for your own publications or to shareit with family, friends and colleagues. However you chose to use theMary’s Meals Extra we hope it supports you in all your endeavours forMary’s Meals. As always we welcome your feedback and ideas on howwe could do things better.

IInn TThhiiss IIssssuueeThis is the last issue of the Mary’s Meals Extra for 2009. It has beenanother year of growth for Mary’s Meals – more supporters havejoined us and, as a result, more children are being given a daily mealin school - new total stands at 376,125!

In this issue you can read about Abeer Macintyre’s (Mary’s Meals LeadFundraiser) first visit to Malawi and journalist, Catriona MacKinnon’s,thoughts on visiting Mary’s Meals projects in Liberia. You can alsoread about a family in Croatia whose experience of receiving gifts ofaid from the UK during the war years has led them to set up a Mary’sMeals support group so that they can help others in need as they wereonce helped.

There is also a round up of the events organised in support of Mary’sMeals that were prompted by the first ever World Porridge Day.

Thank you again for all you have done to support Mary’s Meals in thecourse of this year. I look forward to sharing news from Mary’s Mealswith you next year and I hope you have a very happy Christmas and apeace-filled 2010.

RRuutthh BBllaacckk

PS Don’t forget the Mary’s Meals Open Day on 28th November!

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CCoonntteennttssKKeeyy ffiigguurreessPPrroojjeecctt nneewwssMMaarryy’’ss MMeeaallss UUKK nneewwssGGlloobbaall FFaammiillyy nneewwssWWhhoo aarree wwee

KKeeyy FFiigguurreess

ALBANIA 577BOSNIA 50

BURMA/THAILAND 1422HAITI 12404INDIA 2036

KENYA 7452LIBERIA 15,000

MALAWI 327,394PHILIPPINES 845

ROMANIA 34SUDAN 2666

UGANDA 5839UKRAINE 160ZAMBIA 246

Global Total = 376, 125

Number of children receiving a daily meal in their place of

education at November 2009

Total number of childrenreceiving a daily meal inschool = 376,125

Average cost of Mary’sMeals per child per year= £8.40/€9.78/$13.80

Cost of Mary’s Meals perchild, per year in Malawi= £6.15/€7.16/$10.10

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PPrroojjeecctt NNeewwss

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MMaarryy’’ss MMeeaallss MMaallaawwiiAbeer Macintyre, Mary’s Meals’lead fundraiser, recently visitedNamame under 6 centre, nearBlantyre....more over>

‘AAfftteerr tthheeyy hhaadd tthheeiirr lliikkuunnii pphhaallaa,,tthhee cchhiillddrreenn wweerree bbuuzzzziinngg!!’’

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In most countries, Mary’s Meals provides a meal a day for children ofschool age, because our key aim is to encourage participation ineducation. However, in countries such as Kenya and Malawi, thereality of malnutrition can mean that some young children do notsurvive for long enough to go to school.

Because nutrition and stimulation in the first few years of a child’slife are so crucial to their later development, in these situations weget involved at a much earlier stage, providing likuni phala and otherfoods at centres for the under-sixes. Abeer Macintyre, Mary’s Meals’lead fundraiser, recently visited Namame under 6 centre, nearBlantyre. The group has 148 pupils, many of whom are orphans.

TThhiiss iiss hheerr rreeppoorrtt::I was struck by the children’s size. Children who I guessed were 3years old were in fact 5 or 6. Many were yawning, some were fallingasleep where they sat. It was Monday and I was told they probablyhad had next to nothing to eat over the weekend. Before they werefed they sang a song - "the hope we are getting today is from Godand Mary's Meals".

After their likuni phala (a maize-based porridge) which I had the joyof giving them, they were buzzing. It was like they'd had anintravenous injection. Playtime was as noisy and as mischievous asany school back home. I met 2 year old Grace, who sat in the middleof the kids crowded into their bare and dusty classroom. I was toldher sister gives her a piggyback to the centre each morning beforemaking her own way to school and then comes to pick her up. Shedidn't speak or take part in the chanting of the alphabet or monthsof the year, but at least went home well fed and alert.

AAnn eexxttrraa bboooossttLydia is four and owes her life to Mary's Meals. Orphaned at 6months old her grandmother brought her to the centre begging forhelp. The volunteers took some of the feeding money and boughtsome milk from a local farmer. As soon as Lydia was two, she cameto the centre to eat and learn. They say she comes every day withoutfail and is very bright. As I watched her, she finished her own plateand the leftovers from two of her friends. What an appetite! An extra boost

In Malawi now Mary’s Meals is feeding just under 5,000 children in33 centres for the under-sixes where malnutrition is most acute.Here, the children, because they are at such a crucial stage of theirdevelopment, get two meals a day: Likuni Phala first thing in themorning and Nsima (made from maize it looks and tastes a bit likemashed potato) and beans around lunchtime, just before they headhome.

They are taught by volunteers who have been trained by Mary'sMeals. They are weighed when they start, and each month, to checkthey're growing properly. If they need an extra boost they get aspoonful of sibusiso in their Likuni Phala. The name means ‘blessing’and it's a peanut butter type food supplement; the kids love it!

MMaallaawwii -- aann eeaarrllyy ssttaarrtt ffoorr aa bbrriigghhtteerr ffuuttuurree

The majority of Mary’s Meals backpacks are sent to schools in Africa,but they are as appreciated and have just as important a role to playat one of our projects in Europe.

Cipri, who organises social projects in Romania, explains: “thechildren in Hill Street live in very small houses, with one room. Oftenyou can find three generations living under the same roof,” she says. “The houses do not have utilities - many of the children do not go toschool and most of the parents are not employed. The rate of schoolabandonment is very high and the girls get married at a young age,starting at 13.”

There are a number of reasons that many Roma children do not go toschool, but the largest factor is cost – many parents cannot affordclothing and educational material. “A backpack for them is thechance to have a chance to go to school,” says Cipri.

This year was the fourth Backpack Day, named “One backpack, achance for education.” Arranged for a few days after the start of thenew school year, it has become an event that all the children lookforward to.

“We took 70 backpacks all filled with materials that the children needin school,” says Cipri. “The children were so happy to receive them –our reward was a big smile from each of them,” Cipri says.

“It might be unbelievable that in European countriesthere are still people with great needs and who are

severely disadvantaged both social andeconomically, but to this community, a back packpacked with the needed supplies for school, oftenmeans that for one year their children will continue

to go to school.”

“One more year in school means anothergreat chance for the child to get closer

to a skill, or a profession, that willhelp them get a paid job and willhelp them to provide forthemselves and their families.

One back pack also means forthem that the future is stilloptimistic and that only the sky

is the limit. It is a chance tobelieve again that dreams can

come true!”

BBaacckkppaacckk DDaayy iinn RRoommaanniiaa

BBaacckkppaacckk DDaayy aatt HHiillllSSttrreeeett

Backpack Day is an annualevent for the Mary’s Mealsteam in Romania.

Each September, to markthe start of the new schoolyear, they visit Hill Street, aRoma gypsy community inTargu Mures, and hand outbackpacks filled witheducational resources to thechildren starting school.

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LLiibbeerriiaa tthhrroouugghh aa ccaammeerraa lleennssCatriona MacKinnon, a journalist for BBC Alba - the gaelic TVchannel, travelled to Liberia earlier this year to make a film aboutMary’s Meals projects there. She describes her experience.

Could you tell us about your background?I was born and brought up in Oban, my parents are both from theisland of Barra. I moved to Glasgow in 1999 where I studied Law atGlasgow University, decided I didn't want to be a lawyer so movedinto journalism where I now work as a director on the GaelicEuropean current affairs programme Eorpa. My job takes me allover Europe. From the Crimea in the Ukraine, to Bosnia, Serbia,Montenegro, Portugal, Greece and far north to the Arctic Circle, I'vehad some great experiences met some fantastic people and beento many amazing countries.

How did your visit to Liberia come about?I got a phone call one day at work one day asking if I would bewilling to go to film a documentary on the charity Marys Meals. Ididn't have to think twice, I jumped at the chance. I couldn't haverefused the opportunity to go to a country like Liberia and film thework of a charity based on my own doorstep.

What would you describe as the highlights of the visit?Its difficult to highlight one moment, there were so many of them.The people of Liberia are truly inspirational. You often find thatpeople who have had to live through war have a healthierperspective on life and know what is important, having lost somuch.

I think we could learn a lot from the people of Liberia. They arestriving to bring their country to its feet. After 14 years of civil warLiberia was brought to its knees, today there is no mainselectricity, not even in the capital city of Monrovia, neither is thererunning water - however, there is a real sense of determinationabout the people when you speak to them, they are a positivepeople simply striving for a better quality of life.

A huge highlight for me was the trips to the schools. We drove formiles and miles through thick bush on precarious roads andbridges to distribute food and backpacks to the children in theschools. I will never forget the look on the children’s faces as theyreceived backpacks from children their own ages back in Scotland.

The welcome Marys Meals receives whenever the pickups arrive ata school is unbelievable, its not just the school that welcomes thepickups, the villages in their entirety come out and sing and clapas the convoy pulls up.

The effect this charity has is there to see on the faces of thechildren. Their eyes are bright and their minds are ready foreducation.

Without food this would not be the case. It only costs the charity£8.40 to feed a child every day for a school year. For some peoplethat is simply the price of a nice bottle of wine or the price of astarter in a restaurant, for children in Liberia its nourishment for ayear.

LLiibbeerriiaa -- aa jjoouurrnnaalliissttss vviieeww

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Was there anything that surprised or upset you?On our first day in Tubmanburg we visited St Dominics school.There we got the opportunity to sit down and talk to former childsoldiers. I sat and listened to three young boys as they describedhow they were forced to work for the rebels, bear arms and wereshot at as they tried to run away.

One of the boys even had the courage to speak at the Truth andReconciliation Commission (a public forum for hearing thetestimonies of war). It was important that we protected theiridentities as the men who had captured them and forced them towork as child soldiers were still at large.

The young boys showed me their bullet wounds and spoke of howthey had to carry out the atrocities they did as otherwise they wouldhave been killed instantly. They had been robbed of theirchildhood innocence. While boys their own ages back in Scotlandwould be playing computer games or running around footballpitches, these young men were running through the African bushcarrying kalashnikovs and clutching grenades, not gameboys.

There are around 700 young boys at St Dominics, half of whom areformer child soldiers. The stories they have to tell are harrowing.

Do you think that Mary’s Meals work in Liberia is helping to improvethe situation? Because of Marys Meals 15,000 children in Liberia eat a meal everyday. Without such support these children would not attend schooland would be left at home.

Mary’s Meals is investing in the future of the country by providingmeals at schools. The solution is simple but very effective. The facesof the children at the schools we attended showed they are happyand healthy and ready to learn. That is all down to the work ofMary’s Meals.

During an interview with the Community Education Officer for Bomicounty Mr Amos Foley I asked him the question. “What would thiscountry be like if Marys Meals wasn't here?” He looked at me withshock and disgust and responded. “If you take away Marys Mealstoday, the whole country will cry on your name.”

I had to spend several minutes reassuring Mr Foley that myquestion was simply hypothetical, that Marys Meals was in Liberiato stay and he need not have worried. He had thought that I hadcome to tell him that Marys Meals was pulling out of Liberia andsimply couldn't comprehend the effect that would have had. Icontinued with my reassurances and he left safe in the knowledgethat Marys Meals was not going anywhere.

However, his reaction to my question said it all. Marys Meals doesnot simply leave food at the doorsteps of schools and go back toMonrovia to air conditioned offices. The charity has a permanentpresence in the village of Tubmanburg and almost all of those onthe ground are local people, all willing to go that extra mile to makea difference. They don't see the charity as a foreign charity comingto save the day and turn Liberia into a utopia, they see it as theirown charity and therein lies the difference.

Do you think it is important to broadcast in gaelic?Yes, I am so very proud of the language and I feel it is important thatstories are told in the gaelic language, there is no reason why theyshouldn't be. Gaelic is a living language of the modern day.

WWoorrlldd PPoorrrriiddggee DDaayyRRoouunndd uupp aanndd pphhoottoo ggaalllleerryy

The first World Porridge Day on October 11 broughtMary’s Meals supporters from around the worldtogether.

Coinciding with the world porridge-makingchampionships in Carrbridge in the Highlands, theevent was a chance to draw attention to our projectsin Malawi, where children receive a mug full of maizeporridge (likuni phala) in school every day.

International supporters enjoyed porridge breakfastsin Sweden, Bosnia, France, Ireland and the UnitedStates. In Argyll, porridge breakfasts were part of theOban Mod.

In Carrbridge and Dalmally, guests enjoying porridgewere able to try the likuni phala served in Malawi,alongside their usual oat porridge, an idea that wasrepeated at World Porridge Day in Malawi, wherechildren were able to taste oat porridge for the firsttime.

In Malawi, high profile visitors attended an open dayat which celebrations included a performance fromthe Namiwawa School choir singing a song they hadwritten about how Phala (porridge) was helping themto grow up strong and healthy. Visitors joined ingames and tried different types of porridge andtopping.

Not everyone interpreted the event by eating porridge.Schools and community groups also baked and soldflapjacks – and Glenorchy Girl Guides made their ownoat bath bombs. Jamie MacGrigor MSP even tabled aWorld Porridge Day motion in support of Mary’s Mealsat the Scottish Parliament which was signed by 25MSPs.

Porridge caused a stir in the press too. As well as amention on Terry Wogan’s breakfast show, the eventwas covered by The Telegraph, The Scotsman, ThePress and Journal, BBC Online, the British ForcesBroadcasting Service, and even the Los AngelesTimes.

PPrreessss CCoovveerraaggee

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/8299671.stm

http://news.scotsman.com/scotland/Porridge-Day-celebrations-set-to.5701789.jp

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/6300933/American-wins-world-porridge-title.html

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/dailydish/2009/10/first-american-competes-with-his-oatmeal-in-golden-spurtle-world-porridge-making-championship.html

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6. World Porridge Day in Carrbridge7. World Porridge Day causes a stir at Craig Lodge, Dalmally8. A song and dance over World Porridge Day in France9. Porridge at a Church Feast Day in Muswell Hill, London10. Girl Guides in Loch Awe discover other things to do with oats.

1. This way to porridge in Carrickmacross, Ireland2. Tea and Porridge in Carrickmacross, Ireland3. World Porridge Day at Baird Memorial Primary School4. A special Sunday opening for the Mary's Meals café in Medjugorje.5. Flapjacks in Romsey, Hampshire

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11. Namiwawa School choir wrote a song about the likuni phala porridge they get from Mary’s Meals.12. Staff talk to journalists about the work of Mary’s Meals13. Children line up to enjoy their lunch – on world porridge day they tried oat porridge as well as likuni phala14. Perfoming the Mabulala dance. The boys have cushions stuffed inside their clothes to show how full they are from eating Mary’s Meals15. Children line up to enjoy their lunch – on world porridge day they tried oat porridge as well as likuni phala16. Children at the under six centre prepare to sing for visitors on World Porridge Day

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mmaarryy’’ss mmeeaallss UUKK nneewwss

mary’s meals extra e-magazine

MMaatteerriiaall AAiidd UUppddaatteeCharlotte Peppitt - Material Aid Coordinator“Greetings from a frozen warehouse! It is a busy end of year foreveryone at Mary's Meals and this is definitely the case in theWarehouse. As you read this, a container full of backpacks willbe on its way to Malawi and we will be preparing for the finalcontainer of the year to Uganda. After that the warehouse will looka little empty. However, everyday we are getting sack loads ofpost delivered full of backpacks and backpack extras donated bythe readers of My Weekly. So I am sure the warehouse will be fullagain in no time at all!”

FFuunnddrraaiissiinnggOur fundraisers have had another busy few months raising moneyfor Mary’s Meals. At the WWeellsshh AAsssseemmbbllyy,, ssttaaffff mmaarrkkeedd WWoorrllddFFoooodd DDaayy on Friday 16 October with a selection of activities, fromoffice lunches where everyone brought a contribution, to bakesales (and healthy fruit kebab sales) a cake-making competitionand fundraising fish and chips.

TThhee nneexxtt bbiigg ddaattee iinn WWaalleess iiss aa ccoonncceerrtt aatt SStt HHeelleenn’’ss CChhuurrcchh iinnCCaaeerrpphhiillllyy, on Friday November 27. The event features theCaerphilly Ladies Choir and soloist Mr Rhys Morris. Entry is £6.15– the cost of feeding a child in Malawi for a year.

LLllooyyddss BBaannkkiinngg GGrroouupp iiss hhoollddiinngg aa mmaajjoorr aarrtt eexxhhiibbiittiioonn at theirheadquarters at The Mound in Edinburgh on Saturday 28 andSunday 29 November. The exhibition, called, ‘A Certain ScottishLight’, will feature the work of John Lowrie Morrison and all theproceeds will go to Mary’ s Meals.

AA ggrroouupp ooff bbooyyss ffrroomm YYoorrkksshhiirree aarree aammoonngg tthhee yyoouunnggeesstt lloonngg--ddiissttaannccee ccyycclliissttss who have raised money for Mary’s Meals.Following in Wainwright’s footsteps, Henry Laird, Jack Bryan,Robert Bickerton, Robert Brunskill, Joseph Ridge and Toby Prattspent their October half term cycling from the east coast to thewest coast of Britain.

A fundraising auction at St Joseph’s Church in Edinburgh raisedover £5,000 for Mary’s Meals and the church’s sponsored school,Limbe Primary in Malawi. Guests at the evening event, on October23, enjoyed a glass of wine, a roll and a tasty bowl of home madeScotch Broth, watching the Wellspring DVD and bidding verygenerously for a range of items, experiences and services(including cooking and a car mechanics) on offer.

The organisers would like to thank Alex Salmond MSP, JohnSwinney MSP, Lord Jim Wallace of Tankerness, John Barrett MP,Margaret Smith MSP, George Grubb, Lord Provost of Edinburghand Ian Craig, MD Lothian buses. A special mention should go tothe St Vincent de Paul Conference, the ladies of St Monica’s Guild,and compere Fr Gianni.

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Jolomo is also donating this painting'Heavy Snow on Todhead Lighthouse, Aberdeenshire' that will be sold at silent auction after the exhibition for Mary's Meals

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AA ssppllaasshh ooff ccoolloouurr ffoorr oouurr sshhooppssAfter the launch of their new Retro and Vintage clothingsection, staff at the Duke Street Shop received a visit fromEmily Chappell, a local artist. She offered to paint a mural onthe inside walls to make them (even more) attractive andexciting.

Staff and volunteers were thrilled with her offer – especiallywhen they saw the funky themed designs. The paintingshould be finished by the end of November, so pop in andhave a look at it – and grab yourself a bargain while you arethere.

The team at the Oban shop on Stevenson Street are just asdelighted about their new sign. After months of beinghidden behind scaffolding from local building work, it canput out a message that is bright, welcoming - and mucheasier to spot. Thanks to donations from supporters andvolunteers’ hard work, the inside of the shop looks beautifultoo.

Mary’s Meals Glasgow Open Day, 28 Nov 2009Anyone interested in the work of Mary’s Meals is welcomeat the Open Afternoon, which starts at 2pm. The eventincludes talks from Magnus MacFarlane Barrow, the charity’sfounder, and Liesbeth Glas, who runs our projects in Liberia.There will be a chance to meet and share ideas with fellowsupporters and fundraisers, to ask questions and enjoysome musical entertainment. Christmas cards, calendarsand other products (raising money for the charity) will be onsale.

If you can come, please call 0800 6981212 to register.Address: The Couper Institute, 86 Clarkston Road, GlasgowG44 3DA (near Cathcart Station). Click on map belowfor interactive map link

OOnnlliinnee CCoommmmuunniittyy ffoorr MMaarryy’’ss MMeeaallss FFuunnddrraaiisseerrssMary’s Meals has a new fundraising bloghttp://www.marysmeals.org/Fundraising.Whether you are a committed and experienced supporter,raising money for the first time, or just thinking aboutgetting involved, this is the place to come forinformation, advice and resources.

As well as photographs, stories and downloadable copies ofMary’s Meals DVDs, it includes a forum wheresupporters can swap ideas and tips, a page of key facts andfigures, and a calendar where you can look for forthcomingevents and publicise your own.

The blog is a work in progress and we would appreciate yourfeedback on what works and what other content you wouldlike to see. E-mail fundraising@marysmeals.org

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MMaarryy''ss MMeeaallss CChhrriissttmmaass GGiiffttss && CCaarrddss

All our Christmas products are now instock and available to order by phone0800 698 1212 and online at www.marysmeals.org

CChhrriissttmmaass ccaarrddss,, ££55 ppeerr ppaacckk: This year’s Christmas cards come in packs of 10and feature two designs – each a photograph ofchildren at our projects.

GGiifftt ccaarrddss,, ££1100 ddoonnaattiioonn eeaacchh::Our gift cards are based on a nativity scene designmade from banana skin by local artists in Haiti.The gift card can be given as a present, and con-tains the message “This Christmas card is a gift toyou, this Christmas card is a gift to them”.

22001100 ccaalleennddaarrss ££88..4400::Our new calendars feature striking photographsfrom Mary’s Meals projects around the world, withan inspiring quote for each month.

Both our Christmas Gift Cards and our calendarswere designed, produced and donated by a sup-porter, which means that there is no cost to Mary’sMeals. Every penny we make from their sale cango straight where it is needed most.

nneewwss ffrroomm tthhee gglloobbaallmmaarryy’’ss mmeeaallss ffaammiillyyZZeelljjkkaa MMaarrkkiicc iiss tthhee ffoouunnddeerr ooff tthheeMMaarryy’’ss MMeeaallss ffuunnddrraaiissiinngg ggrroouupp iinnCCrrooaattiiaa.. SShhee ffiirrsstt ccaammee aaccrroossss tthheeoorrggaanniissaattiioonn ((tthheenn SSccoottttiisshh IInntteerrnnaattiioonnaallRReelliieeff)) dduurriinngg tthhee BBaallkkaann ccoonnfflliicctt,, wwhheennvvoolluunntteeeerrss wweerree ddeelliivveerriinngg aaiidd ttoo aapprroojjeecctt nneeaarr hheerr hhoommee iinn ZZaaggrreebb.. HHeerreesshhee eexxppllaaiinnss hheerr jjoouurrnneeyy..

My husband and I are doctors and havefour sons who love football. Besidecooking, cleaning and screaming, I runthe family company and courses in familyenrichment.

I am 44 and like travelling, skiing andlearning languages. I do a bit ofjournalism now and then, assisting onthe production of a BBC radio piece onwar crimes in Bosnia. My husband and Iare attending dancing lessons, butalthough our technique is getting better,he is getting even better at avoidingopportunities to dance.

EEaarrllyy iinnvvoollvveemmeennttI learned about Scottish InternationalRelief during the war in 1993 or 1994. Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow, his wife Julieand their friends were bringing in lorriesfull of food, clothes and other things tohelp refugees, people in the war zonesand young families with small children inCroatia and Bosnia and Hezegovina.

The charity was responding to the needsof people at that moment. Aid wascoming in very practically packed shoeboxes and included hygienic items,soaps, shampoos, toothpastes andclothes.

At the time I helped to distribute thesegifts to families. I still remember howmuch joy and encouragement thatassistance brought. At Christmas therewere packages from Scotland. It was notonly gifts that counted, we all felt thatwe were not alone, that there werepeople who, although they didn’t knowus, understood that we suffered andwere willing to share what they had.

I still remember the faces of refugeemothers who were preparing forChristmas away from home, with theirhusbands in the war, and withoutmoney to spend decorating a Christmastree. It meant a lot when we broughtthem beautifully packed presents for thechildren that we had received fromScotland.

Setting up Mary’s Meals in CroatiaI decided to set up Mary’s Meals inCroatia because I was very impressed bythe simplicity of the model and itsefficacy. I saw many aid and NGOorganisations working in Croatia and

The gifts that are giving backBosnia and most of them were spendingmore money on their own expenses thanon supporting those who needed help(and for whom the donations were given).The dedication of its founders showed thatScottish International Relief was different.Their goal was to help those in need, notto drive in expensive cars and earn afortune.

The same is valid now for the Mary’s Mealsproject. I am sure that Mary’s Meals ishelping in Africa, Central America and Asiain the same way that SIR was in Croatia. And we want to be a part of it. We receivedhelp when we needed it and now, when weare better off, we want to share withothers.

Plans for Mary’s Meals CroatiaWe are at the very beginning and there is alot of work ahead of us, but the earlyresponses have been very good. Our firststep was to contact our friends and family– many of whom benefited from SIR’sassistance during the war in Croatia.

I called a couple of people and said: “Doyou remember the organisation that sentnappies and food for our babies during thewar? Now they are now feeding children inAfrica - I think we should help them.” All ofthe people we contacted told us that wecould count on them.

We founded Mary’s Meals Croatia in thesummer and have been working onprinting a brochure and cards. We plan tohave our first collection over Christmas.

Our family has funded the building of akitchen in a school in Malawi. Now, ourgoal is to fundraise to feed all the childrenin that school for the next year, andhopefully to open more kitchens.

I hope that through Mary’s Meals we willhave the privilege to share what we havewith our brothers and sisters who sufferinjustice and poverty, and the opportunityto return the goodwill and love we receivedin the past, when we needed it.

hhttttpp::////wwwwww..mmaarryyssmmeeaallss..hhrr ccoommiinngg ssoooonn!!

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wwhhoo aarree wwee??IInn ccaassee yyoouu aarree rreeaaddiinngg tthhiiss wwiitthhoouutt aannyy pprriioorr kknnoowwlleeddggeeooff tthhee cchhaarriittyy aanndd wwoonnddeerr wwhhoo wwee aarree,, hheerree iiss aa bbrriieeffssuummmmaarryy .. .. ..

Mary’s Meals is a movement to set up school feeding projects incommunities where poverty and hungry block children from gainingan education. This movement is administered by the charity ScottishInternational Relief (SIR). SIR came into being during the Bosnianconflict in 1992. Two brothers, Magnus and Fergus MacFarlane-Barrow, were so moved by the scenes on TV that they decided toorganize an appeal for blankets and food in their local area, Argyll, Scotland.

They quickly gathered a jeep load and joined one of the convoysleaving the UK and delivered the aid to Medjugorje in Bosnia, a placeof international pilgrimage they had visited with their family yearspreviously. Believing their good deed done they returned to Scotlandexpecting to resume their jobs as fish farmers. However they camehome to discover the public had carried on donating aid in theirabsence filling their parents' garage with goods. Magnus decided togive up his job for a year to drive the aid out for as long as the publickept donating. The public did not stop and it soon became necessaryto set up a registered charity.

The charity began to work in Romania, building homes forabandoned children, and in Liberia, helping returning refugees bysetting up mobile clinics, while continuing to deliver material aid toCroatia and Bosnia. In 2002 Magnus met a family in Malawi that ledto a whole new area of work. The mother was dying of AIDS and lyingon the floor of her hut surrounded by her 6 young children

When Magnus asked her oldest son what he hoped for in life, hisstark reply was, 'To have enough to eat and to go to school one day,"This encounter prompted the campaign, Mary's Meals, that aims tohelp children like this by providing a meal a day in school. In thisway the children are encouraged to gain the education that can liftthem out of poverty in later life.

This simple but effective idea has gathered momentum and todayprovides daily meals for over 375,000 of the world’s poorest children.Our headquarters is still situated in the grounds of Craig Lodge,Argyll, but support groups are springing up around the world.

Mary’s Meals HQ Craig Lodge, DalmallyIn Scotland

mary’s meals extra e-magazine for supporters page 15

oouurr vviissiioonnIs that all those who have more than

they need, share with those who lack even the most basic things, and that

every child receives one daily meal in their place of education

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