FOR many of the children in Malawi, the bowl of likuni phala is the only meal they will have to sustain them through the day. The dish of vitamin-enriched maize and soya porridge is a nutritious meal given to some of the world’s poorest youngsters, coming courtesy of Scottish charity, Mary’s Meals.

It has now been announced that the organisation – which feeds 1,361,586 children around the world – is to receive more than £1million of public money to provide meals in 27 primary and 79 early childhood development centres in Zomba, in southern Malawi.

Mary’s Meals has been pledged the £1,080,000 funding as part of an agreement between the two countries’ governments. It is the latest in a series of awards to the charity from the Scottish Government, dating back to 2005 after a co-operation agreement between the the two countries was signed.

In August, the Scottish Government announced that it is to provide £11 million to support local projects in Malawi focused on health, education, economic development and renewable energy.

News of the funding boost came as Scottish International Development Minister, Ben Macpherson, was welcomed by pupils to Mpangweni Primary School in Dowa, in the central region of the African country.

Mr Macpherson said: “I’ve just seen the remarkable difference Mary’s Meals is making here in Malawi.

“They are feeding more than a million children thanks to contributions from across Scotland, including from the Scottish Government. It’s been wonderful to see the difference that a nutritious daily meal in school, provided by Mary’s Meals, is making towards helping young people in Malawi to get the best from their education and make the most of their potential.

“It’s been a real privilege to see the work of Mary’s Meals, supported by individuals and organisations across Scotland, making such a difference here in Malawi.”

During the visit, he met staff and the community volunteers who cook and serve the hearty dish of likuni phala.

Earlier this month, the charity said it is now reaching 1,361,586 impoverished children in 17 countries.

Mary’s Meals was founded in 1992 by chief executive Magnus MacFarlane Barrow, with a vision that “every child receives one daily meal in their place of education and that all those who have more than they need, share with those who lack even the most basic things.”

Mr MacFarlane-Barrow, who comes from Argyll, said: “What’s important to us is the hungry child.

“When there are hungry children in front of us today, we’re going to feed them, and at the same time we’re going to work on the solution to getting them fed in the long term, creating a global movement of people who believe in this vision.”

In Dowa, Daniel Adams, executive director of Mary’s Meals UK, said: “It was wonderful to see the happy, smiling children as they arrived this morning, with their mugs in hand and ready for the day’s learning.

“We’re delighted that the minister was able to join us to witness the amazing changes that are being created in the lives of so many children across Malawi and beyond.”

From feeding 200 children in Malawi in 2002, Mary’s Meals now provides meals in school to 30 per cent of primary school aged children in the country.

And research shows that in schools where children receive Mary’s Meals, enrolment increases, attendance improves, drop-out rates fall, and children are happier, healthier and do better in class.

He added: “Our mission was born out of the devastating famine in Malawi in 2002. From humble beginnings feeding 200 children in a school not far from here, Mary’s Meals is now providing meals in school for more than 1.3 million children around the world every school day.

“By working in partnership with local communities – we have more than 80,000 dedicated volunteers in Malawi alone – Mary’s Meals is ensuring that children, who would otherwise be working or begging for their next meal, are instead sitting in a classroom with a full stomach, learning how to read and write.

“Funding from The Scottish Government Malawi Development Programme enables us to reach many more children in Malawi, helping them to gain an education and the hope of a brighter future.”