Celebrating Year 1 Impact Of USAID A nd Mary’s Meals School Feeding Program II”
14 December 2023 – Tubmanburg: On Friday, December 15, 2023, in Tubmanburg, Bomi County, the United States, through USAID and its partner, Mary’s Meals Liberia, will host a one-day program to celebrate the impact made during the first year of USAID’s $4 million grant to Mary’s Meals School Feeding Program. The “Together for the Children of Liberia – Celebrating Year 1 Impact of USAID and Mary’s Meals School Feeding Programme II” will bring together representatives from the Ministry of Education, USAID, the US Embassy, Mary’s Meals Liberia, community leaders, County officials, students and parents.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has been supporting our work in Liberia for several years (since 2018), funding millions of nutritious meals for children at school. We are currently celebrating mid-project of a the most recent 2-year, $4 Million US project which began last year. During the course of the year USAID’s support increased for our feeding programme, starting with 241 schools to currently covering 289 school and feeding more than 45,000 children in 5 counties in Liberia. This project continues not only to address the immediate needs of hungry children but also contributes to the long-term development of their communities as well as, more widely, addresses food insecurity in Liberia.
The food the children receive is sometimes the first meal of the day and it helps them to satisfy their hunger and gives them the energy to concentrate, participate in lessons, and make the most of their time in school. School feeding also attracts young children to start their educational journey and to retain them in school, thus giving them opportunities for a fuller and brighter future during which they can give back to their communities and country.
On December 1, 2022, the program was officially launched in Brewerville, Montserrado County by former United States Ambassador to Liberia Michael McCarthy.
Independently verified research shows that serving daily, nutritious meals in school significantly and positively impacts child hunger, energy, and wellbeing, increases school enrolment, improves attendance, and contributes to positive educational outcomes for children.
Mary’s Meals provides life-changing school meals to children living in some of the world’s poorest communities. The promise of a good meal brings hungry children into the classroom, where they can gain an education and better opportunities for the future. The organization is globally serving 2,429,182 children every school day.
In Liberia, Mary’s Meals has been serving school meals in since 2006 but its presence here goes back as far as 1992 when the charity provided aid during the first civil war. The charity organization currently reaches more than 150,000 children across the Liberia with daily meals every school day. Mary’s Meals is the sole provider of school feeding in Bong County and reaches children in Bomi, Grand Cape Mount, Gbarpolu and Montserrado counties.