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Relief Work Boost

Money raised in Dundee is set to provide a boost for relief work in Haiti.

Lord Provost John Letford launched a special appeal for Haiti in January and today a cheque for £25,000 was handed over to Abeer Macintyre of Mary's Meals, a Scottish-based charity that was already involved in school feeding projects in Haiti before the earthquake struck.

The charity also aims to ensure children receive an education that can provide an escape from poverty for themselves and their communities. Mary's Meals are now feeding over 390,000 children in 15 countries worldwide. The daily meal attracts children into the classroom and helps them learn.

In addition to the cheque for £25,000, the Lord Provost has kick-started a Dundee campaign to support the recovery effort in Haiti, and to restore and develop school feeding projects across the country.

Lord Provost Letford said: "People in Dundee once again showed their generosity when the appeal was launched and our schools in particular made tremendous fund-raising efforts. So it is very fitting that the money that they raised will go towards benefiting Haitian children who are in real need.

"I would appeal to people in the city to continue to give money to the Disaster Relief Fund. We will then ensure that these funds are directed towards the re-opening of the school feeding projects that enable children to access education. It is vital that we do everything we can to allow children to resume as normal a life as possible.

"Anyone who wishes to donate to this very worthwhile cause can hand in cheques, made payable to Disaster Relief Fund (Dundee), to City Chambers at 18 City Square."

“The people of Dundee have been extremely generous and we are very grateful for their fundraising efforts for our work in Haiti,” said Magnus MacFarlane Barrow, Mary’s Meals chief executive.

“In the weeks since the disaster, we have been able to make positive steps to assist people in Haiti, but if we are to have a real impact on the appalling poverty there, our commitment to run school feeding projects needs to be long term. The fact that Dundee is helping beyond the immediate aftermath of the earthquake makes this support very valuable.”

For more information about Mary’s Meals, go to www.marysmeals.org

Press Release Date: Thursday 04 March 2010