How a simple act, like giving a child a proper meal, can transform lives

Nsefu Primary School sits in a clearing in a rural part of Zambia’s Mambwe District. Most of the children here come from farming families – food shortages are a constant struggle. A huge motivation for many families to send their children to school here, is the food they receive every day from Mary’s Meals, the charity named after Mary, the mother of Jesus. Around 10am, the children line up in the yard, mugs in hands. Volunteer cooks serve nutritious porridge to every child, every day. As one of the teachers explained, “When a child comes to school, they come to eat.”

One such child is Edinuss, aged 11, who cannot hear or speak. She fell ill as a baby and this left her completely deaf, which in turn impacted her ability to speak. Edinuss’ father died when she was young and her mother died last year from cancer. Her teacher explains that in the immediate aftermath of her mother’s death, Edinuss was ‘very low’ but that things have been improving recently. Edinuss went to live with her uncle, aunt and cousins. The family is welcoming and although none of them can sign, including Edinuss, they have learned ways of communicating. Unfortunately, they are extremely poor and having one more mouth to feed has increased the pressure on Edinuss’ relatives. 

Her teacher explained that Mary’s Meals is an incentive for the family to send the girl to school. Although it may seem impossible for Edinuss to learn in this mainstream environment, the teacher tells me that she is good at handwriting and maths. Her schoolbooks, full of neat handwriting and her teacher’s ticks, confirm this.

Usually, I like to sit down with the children and speak to them one to one. With Edinuss, this was more difficult but I asked if I could take her picture with her friends. Initially, as she sat between her noisy, giggling friends, it seemed I would never catch a glimpse of the girl’s personality. But as she relaxed, something magical happened. Edinuss may not be able to speak, but she interacts with her friends like any other child. She gestures with her hands, taps her friends affectionately on the arm to get their attention and she makes certain sounds to indicate her meaning. She came alive in their company.

Her teacher said she would love to see Edinuss gain practical skills, like tailoring, so she can earn a living one day. She may have a long road ahead of her, but because of Mary’s Meals, she can attend school and work towards a better future.

Also attending Nsefu is Ngosa, who is 16. His story was hard to hear. His father died and his mother remarried. Lack of money and food was a constant struggle and Ngosa’s stepfather resented having to feed him. His mother used to hide food for her son, but there were constant arguments. He said, “It broke my heart that they fought about me. They argued always about lacking food.”

Eventually he decided to leave home to relieve some of the pressure on his mother. He now lives alone at the school in a small, windowless room. This is not a boarding school, but the teachers agreed to let him stay as he is an excellent student and otherwise he would have had to leave school to work. The daily meal provided by Mary’s Meals is the only reason Ngosa can continue his education, which is already bearing fruit. Ngosa spoke to me entirely in English, whereas every other interview I did was through a translator. He is an avid reader and loves to spend time in the school library. He told me, “My future will be good. My parents trust me that I will do well, and I want to show them what education can do.”  

And now Mary’s Meals has a unique way for communities here in the UK to cover the cost of feeding an entire school, just like Nsefu Primary in Zambia. Our Sponsor A School project means that churches and community groups can come together to fundraise, eventually feeding every child in a specific school for a year.

The parishioners of St Vincent de Paul Church, in East Kilbride, sponsor a school in Mulambe, Malawi with Mary’s Meals. Phil Collins, a parishioner who takes a lead in running the parish breakfast club, said: “We offer a breakfast club after each Sunday Mass, and decided this would be a great way to fundraise and join the Sponsor A School project. Our parishioners loved the idea of feeding a school in our name and seeing the photos of the children at Mulambe School. So many people lend a hand, from making the tea and coffee to donating ingredients for the breakfast.”

This is a perfect way to demonstrate God’s love for those, like Edinuss and Ngosa, whose futures look brighter because of Mary’s Meals.

Find out more about Mary’s Meals and how to sponsor a school.