Scottish International Relief | Providing hope through Marys Meals

Street Children
Mary’s Meals are being offered to children living on the streets of Dumaguete city. Around 70 children receive meals 3 times a week. They gather for their meal in a compound with tables and benches adjacent to the cathedral on Saturdays. On the other two days, volunteers take their meals to them on the streets.

Some of these children attend school but have to begin work as vendors immediately school finishes. Our friends distribute school supplies to support them and encourage them to continue attending.

Country background:
The Philippines are classed as a middle-income country but its wealth is unequally distributed. Over 40% of the population live on less than US$2 a day and over 17 million people are malnourished.

Population:
8.1 million
Life expectancy:
67 years
Below Poverty line:
26.3%
Development Index:
84

Mary's Meals
SIR has begun a small Mary's Meals project feeding 140 children in a school serving a squatter area of Dumaguete city on Negros island. Local volunteers prepare the food and the weekly menu varies to supply the nutrition necessary for children from desperately poor backgrounds. The children are regularly weighed and school attendance is monitored so the positive effects of Mary's Meals are made very clear.

Sadly there are many more children who could benefit from Mary's Meals in the Philippines and we would like to expand the projects when funds are available.