Hunger drivers
Food insecurity, child hunger, and malnutrition continue to be persistent and critical global challenges, particularly in areas where we work. Of the 118 million children who experienced hunger in 2025, it is estimated that more than half were in this situation because of conflict rather than environmental issues or economic pressures.. Extreme weather events deepened food insecurity across Africa and beyond, exacerbating challenges for children and communities already living in poverty and vulnerable to hunger. Mary’s Meals school feeding programmes provided a vital lifeline and social safety net for children and their families, reaching some of those communities worst affected by acute food insecurity, drought, flooding, and rising food prices.
Reaching those who need it most
During 2025, we worked alongside communities to provide consistent, nutritious meals to children in over 6,400 schools across 16 countries.
Key metrics to track keeping our promise in 2025
Despite working in challenging contexts, and through the generous support of our donors, the commitment of our staff and partners, and the dedication of a huge network of volunteers in schools, we achieved:
The impact of a daily meal in our programs in 2025
In places of great need, we know that our community-led feeding programs offer a simple yet powerful incentive for children to attend school, while reliable meals provide them with energy so they can concentrate, learn, and progress. This is demonstrated in the impact our work has on children and communities. Across our Malawi, Zambia, and Liberia programs.
Our contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Mary’s Meals’ school feeding program contributes directly to SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing), SDG4 (Quality Education), and SDG 5 (Gender Equality). By addressing children’s hunger through the provision of daily school meals (SDG 2), we help to break down barriers to accessing education as well as improve attendance, participation, and learning outcomes (SDG 4). Our meals help to boost children’s health and happiness (SDG 3) and encourage girls to engage in education (SDG 5).
Mary’s Meals also contributes indirectly to SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities). Research shows that our daily meals can reduce financial pressure on families by enabling households to redirect resources, which can potentially ease the effects of poverty (SDG 1). Our school feeding program creates jobs and invests in local economies (SDG 8), while helping to reduce inequalities by reaching the most vulnerable children (SDG 10). How we do this work is also important. Our unique approach is powered by strong collaboration with governments, partners, and the communities we serve – partnerships that make our work possible and reflect our commitment to SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). Through our collaborative model, we support the positive development of local food systems, advancing SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) and SDG 13 (Climate Action).