MARY’S MEALS TO RECEIVE £1,080,000 FROM THE SNP GOVERNMENT
The announcement comes as Scottish International Development Minister Ben Macpherson MSP was welcomed at Mpangweni Primary School in Dowa Malawi by pupils.
Mary's Meals is now reaching 1,361,586 impoverished children in 17 countries worldwide.
Mr Macpherson in Malawi to strengthen the relationship between our two countries said:
"I've just seen the remarkable difference Mary's Meals is making, feeding over a million children each day, thanks to contributions from across Scotland, including from the SNP Government, helping young people get the best from their education and make the most of their potential.”
Mr Macpherson met staff and the community volunteers who cook and serve likuni phala - vitamin-enriched maize and soya porridge - to hungry children. For many it is their only food of the day. The minister helped serve the dish, visited classrooms and watched lessons taking place, and talked to children, volunteers and staff to find out more about the long-term impact created by Mary's Meals.
Mary's Meals will receive £1,080,000 to provide food in 27 primary and 79 early childhood development centres in Zomba, southern Malawi. It is the latest in a series of awards to the charity from Scottish National Party (SNP) The Scottish Government, dating back to 2005. A co-operation agreement between the governments of Scotland and Malawi was signed nearly 13 years ago.
Daniel Adams, executive director of Mary's Meals UK, added:
"It was wonderful to see the happy, smiling children as they arrived this morning, with their mugs in hand and ready for the day's learning.
"We're delighted that the minister was able to join us to witness the amazing changes that are being created in the lives of so many children across Malawi and beyond.”
Patricia Gibson MP added:
“The SNP Government announced in August that it will provide £11 million to support local projects in Malawi focused on health, education, economic development and renewable energy.
“Malawi is one of the poorest nations on earth and such projects are essential to provide not just the services we sometimes take for granted but the basics like food, shelter, clean water and sanitation. Ensuring children get a square meal helps them learn and ultimately have a better future through education and economic development.”
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