Liberia: Mary's Meals Marks 20 Years of School Feeding in Liberia, Now Reaching 95,000 Children

What the report says

Mary’s Meals Liberia marked 20 years of school feeding on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026, with a parade in Tubmanburg and a ceremony at the Forestry Training Institute, according to the Liberian Observer article distributed by AllAfrica. The celebration brought together students, volunteers, partners, supporters and community members to reflect on two decades of work providing meals to schoolchildren.

The report says the program began in Liberia in 2006, after Mary’s Meals had already supported communities in the country since the 1990s. Liberia Country Director Paula Nawrocki linked the effort to the period after the civil wars, when many children faced disrupted schooling and hardship. The organization said it now reaches more than 95,000 children at over 600 educational sites in Liberia, with local volunteers preparing and serving meals.

Deputy Education Minister for Administration Nyekpeh Y. Forkpah said school feeding supports learning, attendance and broader social development, and he reaffirmed government backing for the program. Mary’s Meals International Director of Partnership Alex Keay also placed the Liberia work in a wider global context, saying the charity serves meals to more than three million children daily across 16 countries. The event also recognized long-serving volunteers and partner schools, underscoring the role of local collaboration in sustaining the effort.