For many of the communities reached by Mary’s Meals, porridge represents far more than a simple and tasty meal; it is the key to unlocking a future free from poverty and hunger!

Earlier this year, we celebrated an amazing milestone. Together, we are now feeding more than 1.5 million children in 18 countries every school day. This fantastic achievement was made possible thanks to many dedicated supporters and volunteers around the world – and the life-changing power of porridge!

We first began serving porridge to 200 children at schools in Malawi back in 2002. Today, more than a million children in classrooms across Liberia, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe enjoy a daily serving of likuni phala, a unique, vitamin-rich porridge specially designed for Mary’s Meals by nutritionists.

This hearty meal is cheap, easy to prepare and packed with the vitamins and minerals that growing children need.

Where possible, we buy the corn and maize flour used to make likuni phala from local farmers and producers, offering a fair price for their produce and giving them a reliable source of income. This helps to support local economies and benefits the wider community too!

The promise of a nutritious mug of porridge encourages children – who might otherwise skip classes to work beg or scavenge for food – to come to school, helping them gain an education that provides an escape from poverty.

Our goal is to ensure that every child can enjoy one good meal in their place of education and with your help, we believe this vision is possible.

Together, lets continue to harness the power of porridge and give many more hungry children the opportunity to learn and thrive with the promise of a simple and nutritious meal at school.

This October, we invite you to join us in a celebration of porridge.