Today, we celebrate something truly extraordinary. Because of your incredible commitment to our Rooted for Good brand, you will be helping 3 million children around the world to receive food and schooling every day. Yep, you guessed it - this month, we are partnering with Mary's Meals again. That means 3 million daily acts of love, 3 million seats filled in classrooms, 3 million children given the chance to dream bigger and grow stronger - it's 3 million smiles created thanks to your purchase through Rooted for Good.
This is a moment of profound joy and one we share with deep gratitude for each person who has made it possible, including you. But behind every number is a name, a story, a life transformed. As we mark this milestone, we invite you to pause with us – not just to celebrate, but to remember why Mary's Meals does the work it does.
Founder and CEO, Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow, was asked to share a special message containing the powerful story of one little girl in Zimbabwe whose life is being changed by a daily mug of porridge – and by love. Here is what he had to say:
Noku arrived at Libeni Primary School for the first time on her mother’s back. As well as being unable to walk, four-year-old Noku was non-verbal, unable to feed herself and dressed in no more than rags. Her mother is currently unable to find paid work and all too often there is no food at home for Noku and her nine siblings. Despite these undeniable challenges, our School Feeding Officer Thandekile saw Noku as “a child with possibilities". Thandekile is one of our passionate colleagues who supports communities in Zimbabwe to deliver school feeding. She understands that a daily mug of porridge served at school is a gift that can change everything.
And Noku’s life has indeed changed in a remarkable way in the months since she started school. At first, she relied on her loving mother and older siblings to carry her on the 1 km daily journey from home. Each day, she received a nutritious mug of porridge thanks to the local volunteer cooks, and the many donors giving what they can to fund these vital meals.
As time went on, Noku grew stronger. Her teacher, Mrs Majo Sithokozilethe, is sure that Noku was seriously malnourished when she first met her, and that simply eating nutritious porridge every school day has brought about this remarkable change. She says: “Noku is now healthy and like any other learner in the class, but when she arrived she was very weak. She now walks to school from her home and is full of life. She is a great storyteller and loves to share her stories first thing in the morning with me and the class.”
Noku is indeed ‘a child with possibilities’.
As we celebrate the quite incredible fact that 3 million children are now eating Mary’s Meals every school day, we might consider that each one of them is a child with possibilities. And equally, so are all those millions of children still waiting for Mary’s Meals. Sometimes that important truth can be obscured when a child is unable to speak or get to school without help. In those situations, very little seems possible.
If, like me, you find it hard to envision a number like 3 million – or the collective possibility of such an enormous number of transformed lives – you might today just want to think about this one little girl in Zimbabwe. The story of Noku is the story of Mary’s Meals; one that begins with an act of love by a mother and does not yet have an ending – just a multitude of astonishing possibilities.
God bless,
Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow
Although this news provides Mary's Meals with tremendous hope, the need for school feeding remains critical. Today, 71 million primary-school-aged children are out of school—many because they must spend their time searching for food. Mary’s Meals' school feeding programs are a proven solution: they draw children into the classroom and support their ability to stay and succeed.
Mary's Meals still needs your help. You've helped them feed 3 million children. With your continued support, they can keep their promise to keep feeding these children and reach the next hungry child still in need. You make this possible. Because of their low-cost approach and the tireless work of countless in-country volunteers, it costs just $25.20 to feed a child with every school day FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR. Yes, about $25 to feed and educate a child for an entire YEAR.
We are so excited to partner with them again in this month of November. 10% of all purchases (not profit!) will go toward supporting Mary's Meals and their incredible mission. Thank you for coming alongside us!
Growing and Learning Together,
Anna Ketterling
