Feeding hope and belief in Zimbabwe

Tanaka is 12 years old. She lives with her aunt, uncle, and three siblings in a village in Zimbabwe’s Matabeleland North Province and attends Gonye Primary School.

In 2024, the community where Tanaka lives – like many parts of Southern Africa – was hit by a severe drought. Food became scarce and her uncles had to work tirelessly to provide for the family: “I was deeply moved by their struggles and the challenges they faced,” Tanaka explains. “They openly shared with me the hardships they endured, describing the hunger as unbearable and life as incredibly tough.”

The impact of daily school meals

Everything changed when Tanaka learned that her school would be introducing the school feeding program, serving nutritious daily meals provided by Mary’s Meals. The news brought what she describes as a “sense of relief and lightness”.

The impact was immediate and has continued in the months after. Thanks to the provision of a daily bowl of porridge, Tanaka’s concentration has improved, and she has the energy to participate in lessons: “The drought made school a real struggle. But since the school feeding program started, I've noticed a huge difference. School has become more manageable. My focus and concentration have improved dramatically.”

The boost it provides has not only given Tanaka the energy she needs to keep up with her studies and strive for better results, it is also giving her energy to have fun with her friends. She says: “The porridge has brought me immense joy by alleviating the hunger that was affecting me. Knowing that the porridge is there to support me lifts my spirits and makes me happy.”

Motivating children to go to school

Miss D Ncube is a teacher at Gonye Primary School and is tasked with overseeing the school feeding program, making sure that things run smoothly with volunteers cooking and serving daily meals to the learners. Before Mary’s Meals was introduced at Gonye, she says that a lack of food at home meant that children had little or no motivation to attend. Those who did attend were lethargic or would leave early in search of food: “If you ask the learners, why didn’t you come yesterday to school, they say: ‘Granny says I must not come to school because there is no food at home’,” she explains. “But things changed the moment that Mary’s Meals was introduced. Now learners come to school. They are happy. They now enjoy coming to school. They participate. They concentrate. Mary’s Meals motivates learners to come to school.”

Mr Ncube, a senior teacher at the school, agrees and anticipates the performance of the learners will also begin to improve: “Before Mary’s Meals started school feeding [at Gonye], learners had many challenges. They were sleeping in school because hunger makes them tired and absconding to try and find food during the day. Now they are happier and want to come to school – and in time this will help improve exam results.”

Transforming a child’s future

Tanaka’s ambitions reach far beyond the classroom. She is determined to pass her exams, continue her education and one day become a college principal – a position she views as one of influence and respect. She is passionate about learning and believes that education is the foundation for a better life. For Tanaka, the bowl of porridge she receives each day is more than just a meal – it’s the hope and belief that she will be able to achieve her ambitions.

It costs just $31.70 to provide a child with daily meals for an entire school year. Mary’s Meals is now reaching more than 3 million children with a nutritious daily meal in their place of education. While we celebrate this milestone, many millions of children still in desperate need around the world. With your support, we can reach many thousands more children waiting for our daily meals.