Mary’s Meals grew out of an emergency response to the conflict in Bosnia in 1992. As well as supporting long term projects, Mary’s Meals also responds to humanitarian crises in countries around the world when we are confident we can provide appropriate relief aid.

Recent Relief Projects:
BURMA UPDATE OCTOBER 2008
Cyclone Nargis left thousands dead and thousands more homeless with their livelihoods ruined. Our partners’ long experience of working in the particularly difficult conditions within Burma mean they have been able to gain access to areas badly affected by the floods. They have identified several relief and rehabilitation projects that we are funding thanks to the generous donations from our supporters. Among them are: the provision of food, clean water and clothing, the rebuilding of 3 schools destroyed by the storms and an orphanage that will provide care for abandoned children.

BANGLADESH
In November 2007 a cyclone caused waves 10 to 15 feet in height that swept away the fragile houses of the poor in Borguna, Bangladesh. Relief materials were distributed but the community is still struggling to recover. The community appealed to us for assistance and Mary’s Meals is now providing help to rebuild a collapsed secondary school in Borguna. The reconstructed building will be designed to double up as cyclone shelter to protect people from the community from storms in the future.

 


emergency relief and delivery of aid

 


 

Children's Homes
Cyclone Nargis left thousands dead and thousands more homeless with their livelihoods ruined. PHOTOS © Mary's Meals

HAITI
In September 2008 Hurricane Hannah pounded Haiti and left many already desperately poor people, destitute. The area around Gonaives was particularly hard hit. This is an area where we had just begun to develop a Mary’s Meals project. We raised funds to provide emergency food rations to around 3 000 families while they began the daunting task of re-building their lives.

Delivery of Aid:
Mary’s Meals originally started as an overseas aid delivery charity during the Balkan wars in 1992. The initial campaign to deliver one landrover load of aid to refugees in the Medjugorje area of Bosnia snowballed into an organisation that has now delivered well over $15 million worth of aid. Today containers of aid are sent out from the UK frequently. Aid being delivered at present We currently send regular loads to Liberia, Uganda and Malawi. We help the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana and Pakistan by supplying other charities with requested items.

We ship the items by container, meaning that the cost per item is very low. However, we always need to be selective about what we can send due to costs, and to ensure that the programmes abroad can process and deliver the aid according to the most pressing needs of the community. We currently supply Clinics with life-saving medicines, wheelchairs and specific medical equipment and technical schools with reconditioned sewing machines, computers and tools so people can learn skills for earning a livelihood.

Back Pack Project
We deliver school materials such as stationery, textbooks, blackboards, jotters and education backpacks to help children struggling to attend school and get an education for the future. We also supply basic clothing, towels, sheets and soap to support pupils and families striving for a better life. For more information visit the Back Pack Project page.