If you want to go far, go together
Gebrisha Gebray, Deputy Social and Development Coordinator for our partner in Ethiopia, speaks about the recent conflict in Tigray, why he thinks of Mary’s Meals as “life-saving”, and how this partnership connects us all through our shared humanity.
Who would have guessed that the quiet encounter that inspired Magnus to start Mary's Meals – a short conversation with a child named Edward in Malawi – would be the first step toward the partnership we have today? Our partnership, which unites us with Mary’s Meals in love and service to the most vulnerable, began in 2017 when we started providing Mary’s Meals in three primary schools, supporting children who would otherwise go hungry and miss out on an education. Today, it is providing life-saving aid to tens of thousands of children in need in Tigray.
In the immediate aftermath of the devastating armed conflict breaking out, it was Mary’s Meals that first voiced the cries of the innocent people of Tigray on our behalf. Mary’s Meals was the first of our partners to take the initiative and establish communication with the Daughters of Charity, making it possible for us to be the first organisation to respond to the needs of internally displaced people (IDPs).
During the war, Mary’s Meals made major life-saving emergency support possible. Hunger, starvation, malnutrition, and health complications loomed for many, especially for unaccompanied children and people with disabilities. Emergency food and essential non-food items were provided for tens of thousands of conflict-affected community members and IDPs. Mary’s Meals has shown a spirit of resilience and solidarity. By standing with us, we knew that we were not alone in our time of need.
In August 2023, the Mary's Meals school feeding programme in Tigray resumed, initially with a pilot project. Expansion followed in November. The total number of schools we now serve in has grown and we are reaching many more children than we were, even before the war. Now more than 45,000 children are receiving Mary’s Meals in Tigray, in communities where the aftermath of the conflict and the current drought are making it very difficult for people to feed themselves.
Mary’s Meals stands as a beacon of hope and compassion in Tigrayan communities, where working together is making a meaningful difference in the lives of conflict-affected and at-risk children and families. And you can be proud to have already made lasting impacts. But more than that, you have done so with kindness, generosity, knowledge, skill, and committing not only financial resources but also your time.
The results are plain. Children are joyful among themselves. They participate more in school. We have high enrolment rates and low drop-out rates in the schools where we are serving Mary’s Meals, which is very different to schools without any meals. Volunteer cooks donate their time and labour to ensure no feeding days are missed, and the locals feel responsible and protective of the Mary’s Meals programme. Poor families have less of a burden of food insecurity to carry.
Through all the extraordinary support, Mary’s Meals has let us know and remember that we are all connected through our shared humanity, to stretch giving hands and make a difference in the lives of vulnerable and at-risk people.
Thank you for your support and for your belief in doing good. The work of Mary’s Meals and its supporters is genuinely inspiring. We simply couldn’t do what we do without amazing people like you.
It is our hope that the stories you are hearing from Tigray give you a renewed sense of purpose and determination to continue your selflessness and generous contributions that help to provide meals that are both ensuring survival for children in desperate need and opening up opportunities for them to prosper in the future. Together, we can do so much.
Gebrisha Gebray
Deputy Social and Development Coordinator for the Daughters of Charity
