Mary's Meals

Mary's Meals is a charity founded in 1992.

Overview

She was initially known as Scottish International Relief ( SIR). For a project in which 200 children were fed in Malawi, was a global campaign are provided in the free school meals in hundreds of schools, are nourished by the day over 550,000 children. Among the supporters of Mary's Meals include Thierse and the Mannheim musicians Laith Al- Deen. One of the most important projects is located in Malawi, where more than 400,000 children every day of Mary's Meals a meal of " Likuni Phala ", a porridge enriched with vitamins, prepared by the mothers of the children in the schools of locally grown corn, preserved. Mary's Meals helps in the nutrition of children in the countries:

• Albania, Romania, Bosnia - Herzegovina,
• Ecuador, Ukraine, Malawi,
• Uganda, Sudan, Kenya,
• Liberia, Zambia, Haiti, India,
• Philippines, Burma and Thailand.

History

In 1992 during the Balkan War Magnus and Fergus MacFarlane - Barrow launched a regional call for blankets and food. They filled a Land Rover with tools and brought the charge to Medjugorje in Bosnia. The brothers, 25 and 27 years old, returned to their homeland back to Scotland and wanted to start work as a fisherman again. But during her absence the garage of their parents with further supplies had been delivered. Magnus McFarlane - Barrow took a break to the relief supplies, as long as they were needed and were provided by donors available to transport in the crisis area. Since then he has never returned to his old profession. Donations flowed on and the project was registered as a charitable organization and, initially was named " Scottish International Relief".

Magnus MacFarlane - Barrow

Magnus MacFarlane - Barrow, OBE was born on February 7, 1968 and grew up in a Catholic family in Dalmally, Scotland. He attended Oban High School and studied history before it was salmon farmers. In 1983 he decided to turn into a house of prayer the cabin of his parents. To date, managed McFarlane - Barrow from Mary's Meals of the Craig Lodge. He lives in Scotland, is married and has seven children. The work of Magnus McFarlane - Barrow was honored with numerous awards. Some of these are:

• Outstanding Young Person of the World 2005 ( Awarded by the Junior Chamber International )
• Unsung Hero 2006 ( Awarded by the Sunday Mail )
• CNN Hero of the Year 2010,
• Twice awarded the Paul Harris Award by the Rotary Club.
• Magnus was the fourth stage OBE of the British Order of Merit " Order of the British Empire " award, the youngest British Empire Medal (on the New Years Honours List 2011).

Emergence of Mary's Meals

In 2002, Magnus MacFarlane - Barrow visited the suffering from the famine in Malawi. The experience of the death of a mother and her left behind starving six children touched Magnus such that the SIR was transformed into the present form of Mary's Meals and focuses on school meals to allow starving children daily a warm meal and thus the school. The Mary's Meals campaign is a proven an increase in school attendance in all classes and all schools participating in the project, at.

Mary's Meals in Malawi is by far the largest project that carries Mary's Meals. It reaches more than 400,000 children in this country. Similarly, it has the lowest cost (about 7 € ) to a school child to feed a whole year in Malawi. This is due to good connections to the farmers before the team of helpers and place.

Mary's Meals works closely with local communities. In general, land is given to build an adjacent kitchen. Teachers and parents to organize a group of volunteers, which alternate in cooking and dispensing of food. Here is Mary's Meals, the kitchen, the kitchen equipment and appropriate training, ongoing support, as well as an adequate supply of " Likuni Phala ", the special type of flour that for corn and soybean meal available. Each project is regularly visited, supported and controlled by Mary 's Meals staff. Likewise, data collected from the schools to check the effects of the provision of school meals to the students.

Backpack project

One of the most important projects of Mary's Meals is the backpack project in which children give away their old, but well preserved satchel and fill it with school supplies and some consumer items of daily life. These filled satchel be shipped in connection to Mary's Meals schools in Liberia and Malawi to help children go to school there. The backpack project is being carried out regularly in the UK, Germany, Austria, USA and Bosnia- Herzegovina.

In addition to long-term projects Mary's Meals also supports crisis regions such as Kosovo or Bosnia, by there reacts with reasonable assistance to current events. Also, Haiti, Burma and Bangladesh were supported by Mary's Meals after natural disasters.

Sustainability and donations

Sustainable work is very important for the organization. The goods are purchased locally, so this also contributes to economic growth in the regions. Thus, the organization selects a sustainable way, which takes with the overall development of the countries in the view. The aid agency has all the long-term effects in mind, has exit strategies and directs all projects on self-responsibility and sustainability of the communities in which it operates from. Mary's Meals has the British Seal of Approval and is committed to spending no more than 7 % for fundraising and administration. In some countries, such as Germany, the current rate is even below 2 %.

Mary's Meals Germany e.V.

Mary's Meals Germany eV was formed in 2004 and has the goal of supporting the international charity Mary's Meals. The current headquarters of the Organization is located in Mainz. Almost all members are also working in Germany honorary, which reduces the cost to a minimum. Became known Mary's Meals in Germany mainly through the backpack project. Was also influenced by several radio and television appearances by Magnus McFarlane - Barrow, Milona of Habsburg and the Germany - Chairman Ursula Schwarz to a greater awareness of the organization. Meanwhile, Mary's Meals has bases in America, Australia, Austria, Germany, Croatia, Ireland, Italy and Bosnia - Herzegovina.

Public attention

On 12 August 2010, the founder and main responsible for Mary's Meals, Magnus MacFarlane - Barrow for CNN Hero of the Year 2010 has been declared.