Plymouth pupils gift hundreds of schoolbags to children receiving Mary’s Meals
Pupils at a Plymouth school have gifted more than 600 filled schoolbags to impoverished children in Malawi, with the help of charity Mary’s Meals.
Lipson Vale Primary School has been a supporter of Mary’s Meals since 2009 and became involved with its Backpack Project after a volunteer from the charity gave a talk to pupils and staff.
The UK-based charity provides a daily meal to 1,230,171 children every school day in some of the world’s poorest countries, attracting them to the classroom where they can receive an education.
The Backpack Project helps those children receiving Mary’s Meals get the most out of their education by providing them with donated backpacks filled with educational items such as pencils and notebooks.
The project is particularly well supported by UK pupils as part of school recycling projects which invite them to bring in their old schoolbags at the end of the final term each year.
Lipson Vale teacher Karen Welsh, who organises backpack collections for Mary’s Meals, said: “Mary’s Meals is very much part of our school and in our hearts now.
“I think The Backpack Project is great because our pupils really get what it’s all about.
“When they see the pictures of the children in Malawi opening these gifts and the sheer joy it brings, it makes our children so happy that they have been able to help.”
Mary’s Meals recently announced that its supporters have gifted a total of 500,000 filled backpacks since it’s project began in 2005.
The 500,000th backpack was handed out during visits to primary schools Chigubudu and Ngabu, in the south of Malawi.
Delighted Lagia,13, a pupil at Ngabu Primary School, said: “I’m so happy because I have received a backpack. Inside, I found a dress, pens and a hardcover book. I will use the bag every day to carry pens, and books when I am coming to school.”
Mary’s Meals Education Officer, Max Graham, said: “We are really grateful to the pupils at Lipson Vale for their continued support and for gifting an incredible number of filled school bags to The Backpack Project.
“It is amazing to think of the joy that has been brought to so many children over the years; children who are, thanks to our wonderful supporters, in school eating Mary’s Meals, learning and looking with hope towards a brighter future.”
Mary’s Meals provides life-changing school meals in 15 countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. It is having a significant impact on reducing levels of child hunger at school and increasing school enrolment, attendance rates, participation and well-being.
The average global cost to provide a child with Mary’s Meals for a whole school year is just £13.90 and at least 93p from every £1 donated is spent on its charitable work.
For more information on Mary’s Meals, please visit www.marysmeals.org.uk
