Happy Meals at Santa Luísa de Marillac School!

Children enjoying their meals

Before Mana Patrícia and I flew out to Mozambique, I launched a fundraising campaign to raise £1,000 for the school feeding programme run by ALG and Portuguese UPG at Santa Luísa de Marillac School. I chose this particular project as a balanced diet is key for school achievement: well-nourished children do better and are less likely to drop out.

We've been in Mozambique for a month now and every day we stop by the school kitchen, this magical place where amazing women like Mamã Deolinda cook for about 800 students. The pots are huge as you would expect and the wood-spoons look like boat paddles! From chima with beans to rice with chicken and salad, everything is cooked with such passion that the end result always smells delicious.

Our mamãs cooking a lovely meal

The school staff is brilliant in keeping lunch time orderly and at the same time enjoyable and social. After everyone has washed their hands, they will start serving. Children will queue, wait for their turn, and then sit under the trees to enjoy their meals. Believe it or not, for many of them this will be the only meal they'll have the whole day... Once they've finished, they will take their plates back to the kitchen and again wash their hands.

It's been great to witness the amazing work the school is doing with the school feeding programme funds. And we couldn't be more proud to be part of such a brilliant team!

Our fundraising page is still open and any donations are most welcome! So far we've raised £1,291 (with gift aid) – impressive, isn't it?!

Khanimambo to everyone who has chipped in. The happy faces you can see in these pictures are all because of you and your little gestures!

A big khanimambo from our students at Santa Luísa de Marillac School