The official announcement of this significant achievement will be made on September 8th, the Feast of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary. Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow, the founder and CEO, stated in an interview with Vatican media during a meeting in Rimini: "We feel called to stand with those parts of the world where people have no voice."

"Thanks to our support, more than three million children receive a meal at school every day." These were the words used by Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow, founder and CEO of Mary's Meals, to announce the latest milestone in an interview with Vatican media. The official announcement, titled "More than 3 million," will take place on September 8th, the Feast of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, a day dedicated to this charitable organization. MacFarlane-Barrow, however, wanted to share this news in advance at the meeting in Rimini, presenting it as a message of hope and reconciliation – a call that reflects this year's theme of "building in abandoned places with new bricks."

More than two decades of growth

"When we started providing food to about a hundred children in 2002, we could never have imagined that our work would grow in such an extraordinary way," explained MacFarlane-Barrow. "The news I want to share today is a message of hope: even in a world full of problems, good things can grow. A simple act can change lives and transform entire communities." This reflection was also a central theme of a panel discussion at the meeting in Rimini, titled "Justice is not enough, we need love," where MacFarlane-Barrow joined Lord John Bird, a member of the House of Lords, and Marco Piuri, president of Fondazione Banco Alimentare ETS.

Bringing hope to neglected places

Mary's Meals is particularly active in places that are often overlooked by the media and ignored by international politics, but which are deeply affected by what Pope Francis has described as a "third world war fought piecemeal." In Africa, this organization has significantly expanded its operations in Malawi and Zambia, where it now helps more than 1.3 million and 600,000 children respectively, despite droughts, floods, and economic crises.

In the Tigray region of Ethiopia, which has been marked by war, the number of children receiving food has increased from 30,000 to more than 245,000 in less than two years. In Haiti, amidst violence and political instability caused by gangs, more than 196,000 children now receive a school meal every day. This year alone, Mary's Meals has managed to reach an additional 800,000 children compared to 2024, which is an extraordinary increase.

The need, however, remains immense: 71 million children of primary school age are currently not attending school, a number higher than the total number of primary school pupils in the United Kingdom, Europe, the United States, and Canada combined. Research repeatedly shows that effective school feeding programs are a strong motivator for children to attend school.

The joy of simplicity

The strength of the project lies in its simplicity: providing safe and nutritious food at school, which encourages attendance and creates new opportunities for the future. For MacFarlane-Barrow, the deepest satisfaction comes from this: "We feel called to be present in those parts of the world where people have no voice. We want to accompany these communities for many years – especially when the media forgets about them. School meals can change how people see their future. And perhaps the most inspiring thing of all is to support young people – their creativity, their faith, their hope."

A Gift for the Virgin Mary

In this spirit, MacFarlane-Barrow explains the choice of September 8th for the official announcement. "We chose this day because we want to dedicate this gift to Mary, the mother of Jesus. Mary's Meals belongs to her, and we want to celebrate her birthday in this way. It will be a happy day."

Guglielmo Gallone – Rimini

vvaticannews.va/gnws.cz-jav