Marys Meals - The Backpack project

Introduction
Items Needed
Backpack Project Films
Open to Everyone!
FAQ
Backpack Resources


Vital education supplies The Backpack Project helps solve this problem by providing poor children with the things they need in school. It does this by inviting people to fill up an old school bag/back pack with some everyday school things. These bags will then be given out to children who really need them. The Backpack Project sent over 45,000 backpacks last year to some of the poorest children in the world: they have been sent to Malawi, Uganda, Liberia and Romania.	A low cost way to give You don’t need to fill a full backpack, even just a few items from the list will help someone to go to school. As all the backpacks are sorted before they are distributed, these “Extras” will be used to top up those backpacks that are missing something. We also encourage that, where possible, items are good quality second hand, or from the value range. Please see our FAQ section for more information.	Get involved If you are interested in participating or if you would like more information, then please contact us at backpacks@marysmeals.org or call 0800 698 1212. In some areas across the UK, we can provide a speaker to talk to school and community groups about the project. Please get in touch to the details above, to see if we are in your area.


Helpful Hints Don’t worry if you don’t have everything on the list. Just collect what you can, and we will fill in any ‘gaps’ with other donated items (including the backpack itself if you don’t have one!) Clothing from around age 4 to 12 is suitable.	Second hand is good! As long they’re in good condition, that’s fine. Items that have to be bought need only be from the cheapest range. Please don’t put in any extra toys or treats. Although this is very generous, it causes problems with customs!


Backpack Journey Short film following the journey of a donated back pack from a UK child to a child in Malawi - 6 minutes. Downloadable versions (suitable for School Digital Display Boards) are available on the resources tab page above.	School Report UK school pupils visit Malawi to deliver Back Packs through the Mary's Meals school feeding programm - 5.30 minutes. Downloadable versions (suitable for School Digital Display Boards) are available on the resources tab page above.


Nursery, Primary, Secondary Schools A number of resources are available for schools on the School and Club Resources page.	Colleges and Universities Your College or University can get involved in Mary's Meals and the Backpack Project.	Clubs, workplaces, other organistations Perhaps your scout or guide group could arrange a collection of Backpack. For information on corporate support click here

What the Backpack means to a child in Africa
There are 300 million chronically hungry children in the world - most don’t go to school. Research shows that basic education is the single most effective way of escaping the poverty trap, and the Backpack Project provides basic school items enabling children to attend school and learn. Mary's Meals and the Backpack Project are proving to be a simple solution to world hunger.

Donating a Backpack
Taking part in the Backpack Project is a great way to recycle and can be used as a way of participating in the eco-school inititative as well as being an enterprise and citizenship project. We have already delivered over 150,000 donated Back packs to Malawi, Liberia, Uganda and Romania. Your donated Backpack will be helping the worlds poorest children. For more information you can download our Backpack Project FAQ below

Backpack FAQ (PDF document)

Backpack Project Resources
We have been working with poor communities around the world since 1992. Much of this work is about helping children gain an education through the Mary’s Meals school feeding campaign. The Backpack Project is proving to be another effective way of helping children get to school.

If you, your school, organisation or business is interested in participating or if you would like more more information, then please email backpacks@marysmeals.org or call
0800 698 1212

A selection of downloadable resources are available opposite.

Backpack Project Downloads

New Backpack Brochure

Colouring Pictures

Display Banner

Poster

FAQ

Letter for parents (can be copied)

Selection of Backpack Project Photos

Backpack Journey Film (suitable for School Digital Display Boards)

School Report Film (suitable for School Digital Display Boards)

LINK - First News Article on Backpack project