Since 2020, our local partners have worked with Mary’s Meals International to implement a comprehensive school feeding programme across primary schools in Benga Parish, Malawi. This initiative currently serves 98 schools, benefiting over 75,000 children and aims to increase school enrolment and daily attendance, reduce dropout rates among primary school students, improve concentration and learning capacity, address childhood malnutrition in the community, and support overall educational outcomes.
The programme follows Mary’s Meals’ established model of providing one nutritious meal per school day to children attending primary school. Food is sourced locally wherever possible, prepared by local volunteers, and monitored for quality and safety. Volunteers receive appropriate training.
What we have seen as a result has been increased participation (especially, and importantly, among girls), better academic performance, and significant improvements in nutrition, energy and overall health. The wider community has also benefitted in employment, engagement, involvement and the development of new and improved skills
There are now plans to extend the programme to remaining schools in peripheral areas of Benga Parish, enhance the nutritional diversity through garden projects at participating schools, and develop supplementary educational programmes focused on nutrition and agriculture. School gardens are to be developed, connections with local farmers strengthened, and school management committees will be trained in running these programmes.
As the programme continues to evolve, its approach to addressing the interconnected challenges of nutrition, education, and community development positions it as a valuable model for similar initiatives throughout Malawi and beyond – and provides a model for the rest of the country that is not restricted to the primary sector, as the news about the new secondary school demonstrates – click here to read more.
