A WHARFEDALE woman has visited Malawi to see for herself the joy produced through the charity Mary's Meals.

It was in July that 640 backpacks were presented to the children at Sawali Primary School near to Balaka in southern Malawi. The packs were delivered as part of the charity Mary's Meals Backpack Project, following collections from many schools in the UK, including schools throughout Wharfedale. The main purpose of Mary’s Meals is to provide a nourishing porridge meal each day for children in school, increasing attendance and the children’s capacity to learn.

Gill Hunter said: "I arrived at the school during my September visit to Malawi, 10kms into the rural area, and was thrilled to see the joy produced by the gifts. On a previous visit I met by chance the Mary's Meals Representative who told me that over 900,000 children in Malawi were eating their nourishing porridge every day.

"As I have been raising money to pay fees for children to go to secondary school and on to further education for the last 34 years, it really is encouraging to know that children from poorer families are getting a better start to their education."