Celine Dion leads stars' tributes to Scots charity Mary's Meals who feed & educate more than 800,000 children every day

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/celine-dion-leads-stars-tributes-2716304


Celine Dion leads stars' tributes to Scots charity Mary's Meals who feed & educate more than 800,000 children every day 10

AS a new online video about the charity's work is launched in Glasgow, celebrities and politicians come out to support the Scots organisation that is a lifeline for kids around the world.

SUPERSTAR Celine Dion struggles to hold back tears as she gives a personal endorsement to Scottish charity, Mary’s Meals.

The Canadian sensation, who appears on tonight’s X Factor, was so moved by a new film about the charity’s work that she contacted them to offer help.

Multi-platinum -selling Dion, 45, recorded a special video message backing the programme to provide a daily meal to more than 800,000 of the world’s poorest children.

She’s joined by a line-up of Scottish celebrities and politicians supporting today’s launch of Child 31, an online documentary narrated by heartthrob, Gerard Butler.

Visibly moved, mum-of-three Celine says: “As a parent, it’s so frustrating to learn this suffering exists among our youth and it’s our responsibility to do whatever we can to save them.

“Together we can make a difference in the lives of all these precious children. Through the grace and love provided by Mary’s Meals, there is hope, there is a future.”

The 31-minute long film, made by an award-winning New York production company, was launched at a special event at Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall today.

Child 31 – the title is symbolic of the next child to get help from the charity, one of the 17 great causes backed by the Sunday Mail Centenary Fund – gives a poignant insight into the lives of children in Malawi and Kenya.

Mary’s Meals run a school feeding programme in the African countries offering children one nutritious meal a day at their place of education.

Celine went on: “I urge you to watch Child 31 so that you can see for yourself how Mary’s Meals is making a huge difference for these children and, by doing so, it’s going to change their lives. And I promise you, it’s going to change yours too.”

Her tribute was screened alongside messages from politicians Alex Salmond, Gordon Brown and Jack McConnell as well as showbiz stars such as Lorraine Kelly, The Proclaimers and Nick Nairn.

Oscar-nominated composer Patrick Doyle, businessman Sir Tom Farmer and Real Radio DJ and Seven Days columnist, Cat Harvey all offer their messages of support, and all have been touched by the plight of Malawi orphan Lette as she reveals her struggle to survive.

Cat says: “It’s just an incredible piece of film-making with a storyline you want to follow but, most importantly, it tugs at your heartstrings. Wee Lette, who is the star of the show, looks after her siblings and you just want to give her a massive big hug.

“Basically, these kids wouldn’t be at school if it wasn’t for Mary’s Meals giving them their one meal a day. You have to watch Child 31 – you’ll fall in love with Lette.”

Charity chief executive, Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow, from Dalmally in Argyll, says he’s hoping people will be inspired by the film to fund-raise for Mary’s Meals or offer practical help. He said: “These high profile figures are people who will not accept that any child in this world of plenty must endure a day without a meal.

“We hope that making this film available online will bring the story of Child 31 to new eyes, new ears, and new hearts and help Mary’s Meals transform yet more lives.”

Mary’s Meals now feeds 822,142 children in 16 countries around the world, providing a daily serving of likuni phala – a vitamin-enriched maize porridge – to stave off hunger while they get an education.

The charity, which retains its original headquarters in Argyll as well as a Glasgow office, assists children in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Eastern Europe and South America.



CELINE DION

“Everyone needs to watch Child 31. It’s a heartbreaking film about some of the tragedies of hunger facing the children of our world. Yet the film is filled with hope, the hope that together we can make a difference in the lives of all these precious children who are suffering.”



LORRAINE KELLY

“You know, it’s so incredible that Mary’s Meals has achieved so much from such small beginnings. When you see the faces of those little children whose lives are simply transformed because they get one good meal every day, it’s so heartening and uplifting.”



ALEX SALMOND

“Child 31 is inspiring, electrifying and shows us hope. I hope Child 31 acts as a catalyst for change — for action — and that more and more people begin to understand that by taking small steps and doing very simple things together, we can make a big difference and save lives.”



CAT HARVEY

“It’s just an incredible piece of filmmaking with a storyline you want to follow but, most importantly, it tugs at your heartstrings. Basically these kids wouldn’t be at school if it wasn’t for Mary’s Meals giving them their one meal a day. You have to watch Child 31—you’ll fall in love with Lette.”



DUNCAN BANNATYNE

“Child 31 made me sit up and listen. I’ve been a supporter of Mary’s Meals for some time and I’ve seen first-hand the extreme poverty and appalling conditions that those children have to face in their everyday lives.”



THE PROCLAIMERS

“Having watched Child 31, I don’t think anybody could fail to be moved and impressed — staggered — by the amount of work that the charity is doing for children around the world. It’s unbelievable and very humbling.”



GORDON BROWN

“Whenever children are in need or in difficulty, whenever there is famine and children are hungry, whenever children fail to go to school because there are no schools for them to go to, we’ve got to help. We can do that, by helping Mary’s Meals.”



JACK McCONNELL

“Mary’s Meals might be a tiny organisation but it’s a big mission, making big changes in hundreds of thousands of lives every day, all over the world. So watch Child 31, enjoy, be inspired, love the children, then support Mary’s Meals.”



NICK NAIRN

“This is an incredibly moving film that everybody should watch. You should watch it because we should realise how fortunate we are and you should watch it because you can help other people.”




Two Malawian schoolgirls will be the stars at a special gig at the Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow today to mark the annual Mary’s Meals Day.

Thirteen-year-old Joyce Mtepa and Vanessa Litta,12, from Jacaranda School for Orphans in Blantyre, Malawi, will be performing with musicians from the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.

They will be singing with children from St Stephen’s Primary in Glasgow who have already donated 30 guitars to Jacaranda to support a music programme there.

Both Joyce and Vanessa have lost parents to AIDS but manage to attend school thanks to a daily helping of porridge provided by Mary’s Meals. Joyce, whose father died six years ago, lives with her terminally ill mother but knows that education is her key to a better life.

She said: “Now I can be someone in the future – be strong and healthy.”

http://www.fifetoday.co.uk/news/dion-backs-mary-s-meals-documentary-1-3182607


Dion backs Mary's Meals documentaryUpdated on the

Singer Celine Dion has backed a documentary about a charity which provides a daily meal for hundreds of thousands of the world's most impoverished children.


The star has recorded a video clip talking about how moved she was by the film Child 31, about the work of Mary's Meals, and urging people to support it.

The documentary, which launches online today, gives an insight into the lives of some of the children supported by the charity, which provides a daily meal for 822,142 children in their place of education.

The singer contacted Mary's Meals to offer her help after watching the film, which launched on November 4 and is being shown across six continents.

In her video message she says: "As a parent it's so frustrating to learn that this suffering exists among our youth and it's our responsibility to do whatever we can to save them.

"Together we can make a difference in the lives of all these precious children. Through the grace and love provided by Mary's Meals, there is hope; there is a future."

"I urge you to watch Child 31, so that you can see for yourself how Mary's Meals is making a huge difference for these children and by doing so, it's going to change their lives - and I promise it's going to change yours too."

Other high-profile figures including Annie Lennox, Nicola Benedetti, Gordon Brown, Lorraine Kelly and Alex Salmond have also backed the film.

Child 31, which features Hollywood star Gerard Butler speaking about the work of Mary's Meals, was funded by a donor, and gives an insight into the lives of some of the children supported by the charity, namely Lette in Malawi and Muksi in Kenya.

It follows Mary's Meals founder Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow as he shows how effective school feeding programmes can be in ending the cycle of poverty created by hunger.

He said: "So many people who have seen Child 31 so far have been moved and inspired to help Mary's Meals, including a number of high profile figures.

"They, and others all over the world, are people who will not accept that any child in this world of plenty must endure a day without a meal. As a result of their good deeds, thousands of children, who would otherwise be hungry and working for their next meal, are instead sitting in a classroom with a full stomach, learning how to read and write.

"We hope that making the film available online will bring the story of Child 31 to new eyes, new ears, and new hearts, and help Mary's Meals to transform yet more lives."

The documentary, produced by award-winning New York production company Grassroots Films, has been launched online today to coincide with Mary's Meals Day, an annual open day to celebrate the work of the charity.

It costs a global average of £10.70 to feed a child with Mary's Meals for a whole school year and the charity is committed to spending 93p of every £1 donated directly on charitable activities.

Videos at link:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/10439156/From-rubbish-dump-to-classroom-celebrities-hail-life-changing-work-of-Marys-Meals.html


From rubbish dump to classroom: celebrities hail 'life-changing' work of Mary's Meals

Celine Dion, Annie Lennox and Gordon Brown among celebrities and politicians to hail the “life-changing” work of charity Mary’s Meals

Celebrities, politicians and campaigners have hailed the “life-changing” work of Mary’s Meals, the charity which rose to fame thanks to schoolgirl blogger Martha Payne.

Martha Payne, the ten-year-old writer who gained national plaudits after drawing attention to the quality of her own school dinners, has worked alongside Mary’s Meals to help children in Malawi, raising tens of thousands of pounds.

The work of the charity, which delivers daily meals to impoverished students to allow them to continue learning, has now been hailed by notable figures across the globe, who hope it will inpsire others to donate.

Singer Celine Dion, chef Raymond Blanc and former Prime Minister Gordon Brown are among those hoping to raise further awareness of the cause, with the launch of film Child 31.


The documentary will expose the “realities of chronic hunger”, as it follows Mary’s Meals founder Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow in his work.

It is intended to show how an effective programme of feeding school children can help to end a cycle of poverty, allowing them to study to improve their own futures.

Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow, chief executive of Mary’s Meals, said: “So many people who have seen Child 31 so far have been moved and inspired to help Mary’s Meals, including a number of high profile figures.

“They, and others all over the world, are people who will not accept that any child in this world of plenty must endure a day without a meal.

“As a result of their good deeds, thousands of children, who would otherwise be hungry and working for their next meal, are instead sitting in a classroom with a full stomach, learning how to read and write.

“We hope that making the film available online will bring the story of Child 31 to new eyes, new ears, and new hearts, and help Mary’s Meals to transform yet more lives.”

The charity now funds 822,142 daily meals for children, as it launches a video to raise awareness of its work.

The 30-minute documentary feature two school children already helped by donations: orphaned Lette in Malawi and Muksi in Kenya, who was found sleeping on a rubbish dump.


Martha Payne, author of the Never Seconds blog, said the video showed that "more still needed to be done", as she hailed the charity for "changing the world, once school dinner at the time".

Speaking of the Child 31 video, singer Celine Dion, the singer, urged others to help saying: “As a parent it’s so frustrating to learn that this suffering exists among our youth and it’s our responsibility to do whatever we can to save them.

“Together we can make a difference in the lives of all these precious children. Through the grace and love provided by Mary’s Meals, there is hope; there is a future.”

Other high profile figures including Annie Lennox, The Proclaimers, Gordon Brown, Dermot O’Leary, Alesha Dixon, Lorraine Kelly, Duncan Bannatyne, Arun Gandhi, Alex Salmond, Raymond Blanc and Nick Nairn have also shared their thoughts on Child 31.

Annie Lennox, the singer, said the film highlighted the "unimaginable challenges faced by children living in poverty today", proving the solution is not "rocket science".

“If one fact should resonate in our minds after viewing Child 31, it might be that the average cost of a lunch in the United States could feed a child in a developing country for an entire year," she said.

Alex Salmond said the “inspiring, electrifying” video “shows us hope”, adding he hopes it will act as a “catalyst for change”.

Gordon Brown added: “Whenever children are in need or in difficulty, whenever there is famine and children are hungry, whenever children fail to go to school because there are no schools for them to go to, we’ve got to help.

“And what Child 31 proves is that unless we act, then millions of children will be denied the help they should have, and I don’t know a parent in the world who doesn’t want to help a child in need. And we can do that, by helping Mary’s Meals.”

It costs a global average of £10.70 to feed a child with Mary’s Meals for a whole school year and the charity is committed to spending 93p of every £1 donated directly on charitable activities. To learn more or donate, visit www.marysmeals.org.uk