THERE was a time when hundreds of pupils at Chambawa Primary in Zambia went to school hungry every day, but the Scottish charity Mary's Meals is now feeding them and thousands of other children across the country.

To mark their first year in Zambia, the charity, which was founded by the former fish farmer Magnus McFarlane-Barrow in 2002, has announced this week that they are now providing a daily meal for 41,000 children in the country – more than double the 19,000 they started helping a year ago.

The announcement comes at an important time for the organisation. It has recently reached the milestone of feeding one million children every school day around the world and has just launched a new campaign, Feed the Future.

The appeal, which will run until the end of December, is backed by the UK Government, which has promised to double every personal donation, up to a total of £5million. Feed the Future also marks the beginning of a new partnership between Mary's Meals and The Herald and Evening Times.

Mary's Meals hopes the appeal will help further expand their work in Zambia, which has already produced some remarkable effects at Chambawa and other schools in the Chipata district. Since the children at Chambawa have started receiving a daily serving of phala, a vitamin-enriched maize porridge, the children have started performing better in the classroom. The school roll has also expanded, and many more pupils are completing school.

David Chaw, a teacher at Chambawa, said: "If Mary's Meals was not here many children would not eat as there is no food at home and children struggle with hunger. This year is a big challenge due to the harvest and many people don't have enough food.

"Since Mary's Meals came to the school, 315 children have enrolled and more are progressing from grade seven to grade eight. School completion rates are normally low so this is good news."

Maureen Shawa, a volunteer who helps cook the porridge at Chamasongwe Primary School, also in Chipata, said the success of the programme depended on everyone working together: the community, the school, the pupils and Mary's Meals.

"Many more children are happy to come to school because they know they are getting fed," said Ms Shawa, whose own children attend the school. "Since Mary's Meals arrived I no longer have to push my children to get them to school. Our children used to be weak but now they are fit and healthy.

"We all have big hopes for our children but without Mary's Meals coming to the school, these would not be possible. I hope my children will be doctors and lawyers when they grow up and give a helping hand to their parents."

Magnus McFarlane-Barrow, the CEO and founder of Mary's Meals, said there was an urgent need to tackle the poverty in Zambia and the Feed the Future appeal and the agreement of the UK Government to match the funding meant that the charity could double any donations until the end of the year.

"This means that we will be able to feed twice as many children with the funds raised from this period which is great news for us and great news for the children and communities of Zambia and Malawi," he said.

Scotland's International Development Minister Humza Yousaf is currently in Malawi and will be visiting the processing plant where the porridge is made for Mary’s Meals.

“Mary’s Meals is just one part of the important relationship between Scotland and Malawi," he said. "People from all over Scotland are involved in our partnership with Malawi – whether they work for organisations on the ground or help to raise funds in their community. ”

To donate, visit www.marysmeals.org.uk or for just £3, you can provide 100 meals by texting "DBLE15 £3" to 70070. The suggested text will charge £3 plus the cost of one standard message to your phone bill or pre-paid credit.

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