Mary's Meals
The Mary’s Meals school feeding programme first began in Malawi in 2002.  Mary’s Meals addresses both the short term problem of a child’s immediate hunger and the long term problem of chronic poverty.  Education is recognised as the best means of escaping from poverty. 

Poor, hungry children are often engaged in a daily struggle to survive – labouring in the fields, working on the streets, helping their families.  Going to school is not high on their agenda.  A daily meal attracts them into the classroom and once there they can gain the education that can lead them out of poverty. Today over 100 000 children receive Mary’s Meals in Malawi.

Primary Schools
Mary’s Meals projects are operating throughout the urban Blantyre area.  The day to day work is carried out by volunteers from the local communities – usually the mothers.  There are around 3000 regular volunteers in Malawi who organise cooking rotas, prepare the food and look after the stores. 

The benefits of Mary’s Meals are clear to see; increased enrolment, reduced absenteeism, better grades and community involvement in the school.  The meals consist of Likuni Phala – a locally made maize porridge fortified with vitamins.

Under 5’s Centres
The children who attend these centres stay until around 3pm and receive 2 meals: Likuni Phala in the morning and a maize and vegetable stew before they leave.  This is because their young age makes them more vulnerable to the effects of malnutrition.  The children are also regularly visited by an SIR Nurse who provides treatment for parasite infection.  The children are given an early introduction to education that is hoped will encourage later enrolment in primary school.

Billy O Riordan Health Clinic
The Billy O Riordan clinic at Chembe on the shores of Lake Malawi opened in 2004. Billy O Riordan died tragically while on holiday in Malawi and the clinic was built in his memory by his mother.  The clinic provides the only health care in this village of 12 000 people. Prior to its opening the nearest health clinic was 25km away.  The staff (many are volunteer doctors and nurses) treat around 200 patients a week.  SIR provides all the medicine for the clinic. 

Around a a quarter of the children in Chembe are severely malnourished.  The clinic is undoubtedly saving lives in this extremely poor community. The medicines we supply to the Billy O Riordan Clinic cost £529 per month.

Back Packs
The chronic lack of basic school materials in Malawi is a serious factor in preventing children from learning effectively. SIR has been delivering bags of basic educational material collected through the Back Pack Appeal to school pupils in Malawi. 

The families of these pupils would not be able to afford these items and the materials are of great practical help and are received with great joy by the children. SIR hopes to expand this project to include an increasing number of school children in Malawi.

Country background:
Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world. It suffers from limited natural resources, environmental degradation and the devastating affects of the HIV/AIDS epidemic that has left 1 million orphans. 

On the positive side Malawi has a functioning democracy and a tradition of peace.  Primary education is free in Malawi.  The reality is that children from chronically poor backgrounds fail to take up the chance of an education because of hunger and the need to help their families.

Population:
11.2 million
Life expectancy:
37 years
Below Poverty line:
64%
Development Index:
165