On occasion we support health care and other community projects that have either developed out of our Mary’s Meals work or that complement it.

We have been working alongside the people of Liberia for many years, through times of war and now, thankfully, in times of peace. The projects we support have a common aim; to assist the long-suffering people in their efforts to rebuild their lives and, ultimately, their country. Our main work here is to further develop Mary’s Meals school feeding projects. As well as Mary’s Meals we are currently supporting the following projects:

St Luke’s Health Clinic
We have been providing primary health care through St Lukes clinic since 1997. Thankfully provision of healthcare through other organisations is developing in the Bomi County area and as a result less patients are now relying on our clinic. For this reason we are about to begin a process of scaling down this project. Many of the clinic’s staff have the opportunity to find jobs in the now functioning local hospital and required medicines will now be bought in Liberia rather than shipped from UK. At the same time we are assessing healthcare needs in some more remote parts of Liberia with a view to perhaps redirecting some of our resources there.

St Benedict’s Technical School
The school offers courses to those who missed out on an education because of war. It runs courses in; IT, dressmaking, mechanics and carpentry. Amongst the most popular are the courses in agriculture and the St Benedict’s farm is flourishing. The school also runs a Never Too Late To Learn literacy project . This is offered free of charge to women who have had to drop out of school. It costs around $450 per month to keep the school running.

Back Packs & Material Aid
There is still a need for material aid in Liberia. We send regular container loads of clothing, school supplies and Back Packs. Residential School For Deaf Children.

Thanks to a generous benefactor we have begun work on building a school that will provide specialist care and teachers for deaf children in Tubmanburg. The plight of these children had been a concern for some time as their handicap renders them particularly vulnerable and isolated.

Other Health and Community
care projects:

Malawi
We support the Billy Riordan Memorial Clinic
providing the only health care in Chembe, a village of 12,000 people. Prior to its opening the nearest health clinic was 25 km away.

The main illnesses treated are Malaria, Respiratory Tract Infections, Gastro-enteritis, Dysentry, STDs and HIV-related diseases.A recent study carried out by the clinic showed that 25% of the children in Chembe are extremely malnourished, while overall 49% suffer from malnutrition. The medical treatment provided by this clinic is undoubtedly saving lives.

Ukraine
We are also currently supporting a day centre and a night shelter for street children in Kharkiv.