Innovate Services, the catering provider to the education sector, has purchased and filled 14 backpacks for the ‘Backpack Project’, as organised by the Mary’s Meals charity; a global movement that sets up school feeding projects in some of the world’s poorest communities.
The aim of the Backpack Project is to fill school bags with basic educational materials, which will be sent to children receiving Mary’s Meals in countries across the world, including Kenya, Haiti, Uganda, Liberia and India.
Most of the children who benefit from Mary’s Meals and the Backpack Project have suffered war, poverty, famine or natural disaster, and often their families cannot afford basic essentials, such as pencils, notepads, or suitable school clothes.
The team at Innovate have created 14 backpacks in-house, and also requested support from its suppliers, local businesses and schools to either fund additional packs or to create their own. The shipment of backpacks has now been sent from the Innovate office this week.
Sarah Barnard, director of Concept and Innovation at Innovate led the Backpack Project and said: “A simple backpack can be a lifeline to the children that Mary’s Meals support, and so we are pleased to be involved in the project. We have already completed 14 backpacks and continue to encourage our suppliers, contacts, other local businesses and schools to get involved where possible. I would like to thank everyone at Innovate who took the time to donate or create a backpack for this project.”
Mary’s Meals began by feeding just 200 children in Malawi in 2002. Today, the charity is providing daily meals to over 790,000 hungry children every day in at least 16 different countries across the world.