“Every time I think of the dark moments, I think of Mary’s Meals. I never felt alone.”

These words are from our dear friend, Sister Medhin from our partner, Daughters of Charity, who has seen her beloved Ethiopia torn apart by brutal civil war. 

Supported by Mary’s Meals, Daughters of Charity was the first organisation to distribute food in Tigray’s capital Mekelle to 30,000 internally displaced people after the conflict began. This was made possible by the incredible kindness of our supporters who donated to our Crisis in Ethiopia campaign over the past few years. Sister Medhin maintains that thousands of lives were saved through this work – lives like Mulu’s, a displaced Tigrayan child who fled his village after fighting broke out. 

He said: “We could hear heavy gunfire and bombs dropping. I found my father along with many people fleeing the village in search of safety, but just a few hours later, I was alone, separated from my father among people fleeing the war. 

“I miss my family so much. I do not know who to ask about my parents. One time, people came here to the camp and asked me about my parents. Since then, nothing else.”

Until recently, schools in Tigray have been closed so we have been providing a community feeding programme. Thankfully, we have been able to resume serving basic school meals to around 10,000 children in 14 schools. Over the coming months, with your support, we hope to expand this further. The promise of a nutritious meal in school will help to bring stability for children, like Mulu, who have endured unimaginable trauma and hunger.

We cannot solve all the problems that children continue to face in the aftermath of bitter conflict, but by providing a daily meal and the security that brings, we can remind these little ones that they have not been forgotten.

Reflecting on the last two years, Sister Medhin says: “I want to thank people for their love – if your love is sincere, it crosses borders, it will go beyond any kind of obstacle.”

Read more about the current situation in Tigray on our blog.

Please give what you can and help us keep our promise to children in East Africa and in 18 countries across the world. It costs just £19.15 to feed a child for a whole school year.