The Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services first issued a heavy rainfall warning in mid-March, forecasting persistent rains across the southern, central and lakeshore regions. A few days later, the alert was escalated to a severe rainfall warning as sustained downpours were recorded across most parts of the country and are continuing into April.

Reports from local media indicate that the rains have affected many parts of the country, with Malawi’s southern region bearing the brunt. Districts such as Zomba, Chikwawa, Balaka, Mchinji, Salima, and Blantyre have experienced widespread flooding, leaving thousands of households affected, infrastructure severely damaged, vital crops destroyed, and entire communities cut off.

Schools have also been affected, with some forced to suspend classes as conditions worsen, interrupting both education and access to essential services. Many already fragile roads are now waterlogged or completely impassable because of mud.

Among the affected areas are communities where Mary’s Meals Malawi provides vital meals to children every school day. The ongoing rains not only present significant logistical challenges for the team but they are directly affecting the delivery of these daily meals.  

In Zomba, a mudslide from Ndangopuma Mountain destroyed part of a key access road, cutting off movement for nearby residents. Lydia Suwali, a Mary’s Meals Malawi School Feeding Officer for Zomba District says: “The mudslide happened about 500 metres from where I stay. It damaged the road I use.”

In Chikwawa District, one of the worst-affected areas in the Shire Valley, flooding has forced the temporary closure of Sekeni Primary School in Nchalo. As a result, children who are counting on their daily meal provided at school were left without this vital support.

Even in areas where schools remain open, access challenges are making the delivery of essential food items for the Mary’s Meals school feeding program increasingly difficult. In Blantyre Rural, roads became nearly impassable. When a Mary’s Meals Malawi School Feeding Officer was unable to deliver the corn and soya blend porridge to a particularly hard-to-reach school, members of the local community stepped in to help carry the supplies to the school.

Beyond the physical damage, the rains are intensifying humanitarian risks by disrupting livelihoods and heightening concerns over food insecurity and disease outbreaks. With many households in Malawi already vulnerable to hunger and poverty – there 6.8 million people in Malawi with insufficient food consumption – the loss of crops, restricted mobility, and damaged infrastructure place additional strain.

With heavy rains persisting, the situation remains uncertain. For Mary’s Meals Malawi, the priority is clear: to continue supporting children with daily school meals while adapting to rapidly changing conditions.

This latest disruption highlights a stark reality: when schools close, meals stop – and for many children, that meal is the reason they come to school in the first place. In communities already facing hardship, the combined effects of flooding, food insecurity, and interrupted education are deepening vulnerability.

Children as young as eight are being recruited into gangs. Many are forced to join. Others are lured by the promise of food and money and are then often paid in drugs It is thought that up to half of all gang members are minors and once a child joins, their future is lost.

“We know that gangs are always trying to target children because they are the most vulnerable. They are the most in need of assistance.

“You cannot get out once you get in [a gang] It's either you die or your family dies. Or you stay in.

“We’ve already lost those from 15 to 30 years old. That’s why we need to work more towards those children from three years old to 14. They are the ones that we should focus on, those little ones. They need us to guide them differently.”

The struggle to survive

Human rights violations against children have surged, including abductions, killings, rape and other sexual assaults. The number of displaced children has doubled, particularly in residential areas in Port-au-Prince, the capital, where armed gangs control over 90% of the city. Many families are now living in desperate conditions in internally displaced camps in the city.

Added to this, there is record hunger, with 51% of the population - 5.7 million people - facing acute hunger. Again, children are most at risk, with over 1 million estimated to be facing emergency-level food insecurity and child malnutrition has doubled in just two years. These figures are likely to rise further when the lean agricultural season - the time between planting and harvesting when food availability is at its lowest - begins in March.

That’s why Mary’s Meals support is vital, even though delivering the school meals program in Haiti is increasingly complex. Gangs control most of the routes around the country, making transporting goods, particularly food and medicines, nearly impossible and dangerous. Thousands of schools and businesses have been forced to close due to ongoing violence. But amidst this turmoil, Mary’s Meals and BND are still serving school meals wherever possible, with the safely of children and staff our priority.

The need for Mary’s Meals

As the crisis deepens, Emmline believes an educated young population is important to lead Haiti to a better and brighter future.

“If we want those children to be good people when they grow up, we need to counteract the impact those gangs have on them.

“This new generation needs our support. It needs Mary's Meals assistance for them to focus on what is the most important, which is their education, and a better future for the country and for themselves.”

Standing with the children of Haiti

She is urging for more support for Mary’s Meals because she knows it is the promise of a daily school meal that gets children to school – a place where they feel supported and accepted.

“When you are a child that has been displaced, with no access to clean water, with the everyday risk of being raped, would he or she wake up in the morning and go to school? They would not be motivated. The motivation comes from the fact that they know there is that school meal waiting for them.

“The first thing that you're thinking of is your survival, if I need to survive what do I need? First is the food.

“You see them being happy while at school, they're playing, you see their smiles when they have that meal. It's a good sign, it’s a sign of hope.”

Haiti’s children are running out of options. Hungry and surrounded by violence, many are being recruited into armed gangs – lured by the promise of food.  

School meals give them a lifeline, and a donation of just $31.70, will help us to continue providing life-saving nutrition to children in a safe place of learning. Together, one meal at a time, we can restore their belief that a life beyond the chaos is possible. 

Emmline Toussaint works for BND, one of our partners in Haiti. BND helps to ensure successful delivery of our school feeding program in and around Port-au-Prince and in Centre department, a remote area that is experiencing heightened levels of gang violence. 

One example of the far-reaching benefits of Mary’s Meals’ school feeding program is the support for farmers in Zambia through long-standing partnerships with local suppliers that promote conservation and work with cooperatives made up of smallholder farmers.

Erin Pratley, Chief Programs Officer at Mary’s Meals International, says: “We source maize and soya beans for our school meals in Zambia from cooperatives practising conservation farming. This means our Zambia school feeding program boosts local production capacity, farmer incomes, and gender inclusive leadership. You can’t even imagine how far 16 cents (the worldwide cost per meal) goes.”

Our suppliers’ traceability systems which track from source to delivery and continuous training of farmers further enhance supply‑chain reliability and sustainable agriculture in Zambia. Together, this reinforces Mary’s Meals’ contribution to sustainable, multi‑sectoral development across agriculture and education, enhancing livelihoods and community resilience.

School meals = Gender inclusivity

The ingredients for meals served in Mary’s Meals’ Zambia school feeding program were supplied by over 22,000 smallholder farmers – more than half of whom were women. These smallholder farmers belonged to 16 cooperatives, nine of which were headed by females.

School meals = Building local capacity

As part of Mary’s Meals’ supplier partnership with COMACO in Zambia, all smallholder farmers who contribute to the school feeding program received training in conservation farming, including soil fertility improvement, land preparation and post-harvest handling, as well as cooperative governance and leadership development training.

School meals = Investing in the local economy

These partnerships enable Mary’s Meals to procure high-quality maize and soya beans in large enough quantities to serve meals to more than 605,000 children every school day while helping to generate income for local smallholder farmers.

In 2025, Mary’s Meals delivered over 28,600 metric tons of locally procured food for our school meals globally as part of its commitment to strengthening local food systems.

Marietheres died on February 19th, 2026 at the remarkable age of 102.

We first shared her story in 2022, when at 98 years old, she amazed Mary's Meals supporters around the world with her dedication and love for the organization and our mission and vision.

She inspired us with her determination and kindness. Even in her late nineties, she completed two 100‑kilometre sponsored walks using her walker, raising more than €100,000 (over $158,000 CDN) for Mary’s Meals. On her 100th birthday, she asked for donations instead of gifts — a beautiful sign of her generous spirit.

Her deep faith, joy for life and strong commitment made her a role model to many people. We are very grateful for everything she did for Mary’s Meals and for the children we serve. In a final act of generosity, Marietheres chose to support Mary’s Meals once more through her funeral collection.

In this interview, we talk to Philip Forsyth, Head of Global Security at Mary's Meals, about the risks posed by the current security situation in Haiti and how we work with our partners to successfully deliver daily school meals to more than 196,000 children across the country.

Could you describe the current security situation in Haiti?

Phillip Forsyth: Haiti is experiencing what can only be described as systematic insecurity. Armed gangs now control most of Port-au-Prince and key national roads, which means insecurity and violence affects the daily lives of most Haitians. It’s not just restricted to isolated areas. For families, this impacts how they move, how they work, and even how send their children to school. 

What are the main risks to our school feeding program and how does this impact the delivery of Mary's Meals to the children and communities we serve?

One of the biggest daily challenges and risks is movement. Major roads are blocked or controlled by armed groups Feeding children in one of the world’s most dangerous places using informal checkpoints, and people often can't tell whether the checkpoint is the police or a gang. This is extremely dangerous and creates a lot of uncertainty. Something as simple as travelling to buy food or reach school has become life threatening for many Haitians.

There's also a lot of kidnapping and intimidation taking place, and it’s pretty systematic rather than just isolated cases. They happen on a daily basis and are increasingly targeting ordinary civilians – parents, drivers, and local aid workers from the communities that are affected.

This means that families really have to plan their day around the risk of when they can leave home, when they can return, and whether it's safe to go out at all. And it also impacts our three partners – Caritas Hinche, Summits Education, and BND – who must decide when they can safely send staff out to operate our school feeding program.

How is Mary's Meals working with its partners to mitigate these risks and successfully deliver the meals to the children we serve?

The first thing to say is that we have great communication. Our partners are absolutely excellent at letting us know what those challenges are and how those challenges are evolving. And then as a team, we look at this context and environment so that we can inform our program staff about these challenges.

Together with our partners we've developed a solid understanding of the areas we are able access. Where we don’t have access and we can no longer viably reach those schools at this moment in time, we term these “red areas”. Then there are areas where we may not have access, but we expect to get access back because of the ebb and flow in terms of the areas the gangs hold or as the security forces retake certain areas. We refer to these as “amber areas”. We don't necessarily have access all the time, but we perceive that we're going to get access in the near future.

Then there are “green areas” where we can continue feeding on a safe basis, but which our partners are continuing to monitor to ensure we can maintain access to deliver school feeding safely.

Mary's Meals has been supporting children in Haiti since 2006. With the current security situation in mind, what is the future of our school feeding program in Haiti?

Currently, nothing is dramatically going to change. There will be some ebb and flow in terms of the areas the gangs control and don’t control. But the security operation in Haiti, which is supported by the Haitian authorities and other international actors, really needs a boost if it's going to push back the gangs and give us access to the communities that we currently don’t have access to. Improvements to security will certainly take time.

But despite these extraordinary challenges and the uncertainty, our school feeding program will definitely persevere, as humanitarian needs can’t wait for stability. Our local partners continue to reach the children we serve with a daily meal, ensuring that they don't pay the price for the current crisis in Haiti.

Philip Forsyth is Head of Global Security at Mary's Meals. Phillip’s role is to protect our people, our integrity, and our operations to help Mary’s Meals reach the next child waiting for a life-changing daily meal.

Initially they were limited to urban environments around Port-au-Prince, the capital, but their grip is spreading wider to previously safe areas. There are killings, child exploitations, trafficking, murder, and sexual violence on a daily basis and children are at high risk of being recruited by gangs. Millions have been forced from their homes and in just one year, the number of children displaced has almost doubled. Families have fled not once, not twice, but three times, trying to find safety, only to be forced to run again in fear of their lives. Over 1.4 million people are internally displaced, which lack sanitation, food, and security and where women and children are most at risk of violence. In such conditions cholera and malnutrition are on the rise.

We’re also witnessing record level of hunger with 5.7 million people – half the population – facing critical levels of food insecurity. It’s projected that this will increase when the lean season begins, the period between planting and harvesting, when food availability is at its lowest.

A disrupted education

Education has not been spared and delivering the school feeding program is challenging. We work with three local partners and under normal circumstances, our meals reach more than 196,000 children in more than 670 places of education, but with the current crisis, the number of schools that are open and accessible for deliveries changes from one day to the next. Some have closed due to the violence and there are times when we cannot deliver meals because the area or delivery routes are under gang control. The safety of students, school staff, delivery teams, and our partners is our priority, and no visit is made if the risk is deemed too high. We trust our partners implicitly and we know whenever they can deliver food safely, they will.

Haiti’s children need us now

Impacts on the school feeding program Under such conditions, it’s costing more than ever to deliver daily school meals. It’s increasingly challenging and expensive to buy food. Food prices - both imported and local - are some of the most expensive across our programmes globally, and the price of fuel and other essential equipment has surged.

A few years ago, a 100km journey to transport food supplies from a local supplier to a partner warehouse took less than five hours, using a main motorway. That same delivery is now several hundred kilometres long and takes several days as trucks have to take detours to avoid driving through gang-controlled areas. Sometimes they’re forced to abandon roads altogether and use boats.

Despite all these challenges, Mary’s Meals remains committed. Haiti is in crisis and its children are living in devastating conditions. They need us more than ever. Their safety is under threat. As long as we can do so reliably and safely, we will be there for the children we serve, ensuring that they have a meal in their place of education. These meals are so much more than just food. They are a vital safety net, providing a much-needed sense of normality, routine and safety for a generation surrounded by chaos.

Haiti’s children are running out of options. Hungry and surrounded by violence, many are being recruited into armed gangs – lured by the promise of food.

School meals give them a lifeline, and a donation of just $31.70, will help us to continue providing life-saving nutrition to children in a safe place of learning. Together, one meal at a time, we can restore their belief that a life beyond the chaos is possible.

Paige Boxshall is a Programmes Relationship Manager at Mary’s Meals, working with our partners in Haiti to deliver the school feeding progam

• 5.7 million people – over half of Haiti’s population – are experiencing acute food insecurity. (IPC, October 2025)
• Over 1 million children are facing emergency levels of hunger. (OCHA, April 2025)
• 1.4 million people are displaced, around half of them children. (IOM UN Migration, September 2025)
• Armed gangs control around 90% of the capital, Port-au-Prince. (Human Rights Watch, 2026)
• Up to half of all gang members are thought to be children, with some as young as nine being forced to join. (AP News, February 2026)
• More than 1,600 schools are closed. (UN News, October 2025)

As the humanitarian crisis deepens, we continue to stand with the children of Haiti, providing reliable meals and much-needed stability. 

organizations, along with a deep commitment to building meaningful, lasting relationships.

Most recently, Caroline served as Director of Corporate Partnerships at Habitat for Humanity Greater Toronto Area, where she led a $3.5M annual corporate and foundations portfolio and contributed to a broader $6.1M

fund development goal. In addition to stewarding significant partnerships, she mentored a team of fundraising professionals with a focus on deepening engagement and delivering measurable impact. Earlier in her career at Plan International Canada, she developed partnerships that supported global programs in education, food security, water and sanitation, and women and child health.

Caroline is a relational and values-driven fundraiser at heart. She is especially inspired by the simplicity and dignity of the Mary’s Meals mission — that a daily meal in a place of education can unlock learning and hope for children who need it most. The organization’s commitment to humility, responsible stewardship, and serving the most vulnerable resonates strongly with her own values. She is passionate about aligning her professional experience with a mission that nourishes children, strengthens communities, and opens the door to opportunity through education.

Outside of her professional life, Caroline treasures time with her loving husband, two remarkable daughters, two wonderful sons-in-law, and a grandson who brings immense joy to her family. Family is central to who she is, and it naturally shapes the way she sees the mission of Mary’s Meals — with the conviction that every child deserves the chance to learn, grow, and flourish.

We look forward to the leadership, warmth, and dedication Caroline will bring, and we are excited for colleagues across the global Mary’s Meals family to get to know her in the months ahead.

How long have you been with Mary’s Meals?

Since March 2, 2026.

Why did you choose to work with Mary’s Meals?

Throughout my career, I have been deeply committed to building partnerships that create meaningful and measurable impact. I chose Mary’s Meals because of the beautiful simplicity and power of its mission - that a daily meal in a place of learning can unlock a child’s potential and transform communities.

Food security and education are foundational to human dignity. No child should have to choose between hunger and learning. I am humbled to be part of a global movement that not only serves children in some of the world’s most vulnerable communities but also invites all of us here at home to be part of something greater than ourselves.

I am inspired to contribute to a mission where nourishment opens the door to learning and learning opens the door to possibility.

Fun Fact?

I love to cook and cherish our family traditions. Every year we make homemade tomato sauce, sausage, and cured meats together. Vegetable gardening is another passion of mine. There is something deeply satisfying about growing and sharing food with the people you love.

Welcome, Caroline to our Mary's Meals Canada family! We're so excited to have you join our team!

Because of his poor health, Nicholas didn’t attend school and was cared for by his parents while his siblings spent their days at Chagona Primary School, where they also received Mary’s Meals.

When Nicholas turned nine, he expressed a desire to eat the same porridge as his siblings, so in 2023 he enrolled at the school and his mother, Deblun, began carrying him on her back to get him there each morning.

Since then, Nicholas has become a dedicated pupil, and the daily servings of porridge are helping him to grow and become stronger.

His mother says: “I have seen a positive change in my son’s health. What shocked us is that we saw him start moving on his own and he can now say some words including his name and age.”

Mary’s Meals is more than just porridge; it’s reliable nutrition that offers new possibilities.

Thank you for being part of our global family - for helping us to offer new possibilities to children in some of the world's poorest communities.

Victor reflects on their situation before their children began receiving Mary’s Meals: “We used to worry a lot because there was nothing to give the children before school. I had to force my oldest children to attend school then, and I knew it was hard for them to learn on an empty stomach.

“The porridge has lessened our burden. Now the children wake up early, happy to go to school. We no longer have to force them. Even when there is nothing at home, we know they will eat at school. It gives us peace,” Victor explained.

Their son Jentina is clear about how the program has helped him remain in school and stay focused.

“I have been eating porridge since Standard 1. It helps me stay in class without feeling hungry. I have energy to learn and play. Without porridge, I don’t think I could have reached Standard 7,” Jentina says.

Like many children who benefit from the program Jentina has big dreams for his future.

“There is one doctor at our health centre who helps many people in our village. I want to be like him so I can help others,” he explains.

Your support helps children and youth like Jentina have the strength and energy they need to gain an education and fulfil their dreams - providing for a better future for them, their famiilies and communities. Thank you!