FORMATION de TECHNICIENS HYDROLOGUES
Promotion 4
La formation de nos 25 Techniciens avance et vous trouverez ci-joint une première photo de l’ensemble de la promotion au Centre 2IE.
Ils sont pour une partie de la semaine sur le terrain.
Les participants sont de differents pays de l'Afrique:
Benin, Burkina Phaso, Centre Afrique, Ciad, Congo RD, Mauritanie
for all the children
of the world
The CEO of "Mary's Meals" reflects on the
seeds sown during an International Summit on Children's Rights organized by the
Vatican and says the Pope's announcement he will write an Apostolic Exhortation
dedicated to children will be crucial in harnessing policies, work and energy
for the future of all the children of the world.
-
By
Francesca Merlo
There is no initiative aimed at protecting and
empowering children that is not based on a common love, a love that transcends
all borders, all policies and all ideologies. This was the underlying and
uniting theme that rang out at the International Summit on Children’s Rights,
hosted by Pope Francis. On Monday, 3 February 2025, the Vatican’s Clementine
Hall gathered advocates, policymakers, and representatives of grassroots
organisations who work tirelessly to ensure that children everywhere are
assured the dignity, protection, and care that is inherent in every life.
The many aspects of the future of a child
Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow, Founder and CEO of
Mary’s Meals, a global initiative that has transformed the lives of millions of
children in some of the world’s poorest nations by providing them with a daily
meal in their place of education, was one of the speakers at the event.
Reflecting on the many insights that were offered throughout the day, and on
the richness and variety of perspectives shared during the Summit, he noted
that, “at times, it seemed we were coming from so many different places, but at
the heart of it all is just our love for the child”. There are so many
aspects to be considered when striving to ensure that a child grows,
flourishes, and is protected. Different panels at the summit focused on all of
these: from family and healthcare to education and nutrition. And these aspects
are encapsulated in that one single, simple, meal provided by Mary’s Meals.
In an interview with Vatican News, MacFarlane-Barrow
highlighted that “the first thing we do is meet the immediate need of hunger.
But Mary’s Meals is never just about food - it is always linked to education.”
He recalled his most recent visit to Malawi, just one
week ago, in which a child chatting to him at school spoke about how during his
classes before the feeding programme was implemented, he felt too weak to even
hold his pencil.
“Hunger is just this evil thing” MacFarlane-Barrow
said. He described the physical and psychological effects of malnutrition:
weakness, stunted growth, the inability to focus. All these, he said, can shape
a child’s entire future. “Having a good meal a day changes that”.
Food for family
The Summit focused on so many more aspects that are
relevant to a child's life and wellbeing, some, MacFarlane-Barrow stressed, “I
cannot even pretend to begin to understand”. A father himself, he spoke of the
anguish a parent must feel not knowing how they will feed their child tomorrow.
Many parents he has met feel powerless and unable to guide or discipline their
children when they cannot even provide them with a meal.
“I’ve had fathers tell me, ‘How can I speak to my
children about their behaviour if I can’t even feed them? What respect do they
have for me?’ The anguish of that father is a terrible thing.”
In many ways, the simple act of feeding a child also
restores dignity to families, offering parents a sense of security, a chance to
hope again. “When a parent knows their child is being fed at school, it lifts a
huge burden,” MacFarlane-Barrow said. “It gives them the space to focus on
other things - to work, to plan for the future, to simply be a family.”
Action on all levels
Reflecting on the testimonies of people from areas of
conflict, MacFarlane-Barrow admitted that there are many challenges that Mary’s
Meals faces when operating in areas where wars are fought. “Of course, there
are huge challenges - logistics, safety”, he says, “but we work through local
communities and partners who stay no matter what.”
This highlights another focus of the Summit that
gathered voices from both grassroots initiatives and institutional
policy-making. While Mary’s Meals operates at the most direct, practical level,
MacFarlane-Barrow acknowledged the vital role of systemic change. “I wouldn’t
be one to influence policy,” he admitted, “but thank God there are people doing
that. It’s really important that we work at every level.” One, he added, cannot
go without the other.
A meal as a sign of peace
Even in extreme realities such as Yemen, Ethiopia,
South Sudan and Haiti, in which children are growing up amidst violence,
MacFarlane-Barrow stressed that their mission remains unchanged: one daily
meal, always tied to education. “That can be so important in times of conflict
- to get children back into the classroom as quickly as possible so they don’t
lose years of schooling.”
“The simple presence of a meal in a place of learning
can be a small but powerful act of peace,” he said. “It tells a child: you are
not forgotten, your future matters.” It’s a sign of hope: “My favourite word!”
he adds.
While some attendees expressed concern that summits
such as these might end in empty promises, MacFarlane-Barrow left the gathering
with hope. “I was really amazed when Pope Francis announced he would write a
new Apostolic Exhortation on this theme. That alone will have an
enormous impact.”
He concluded by highglighting that beyond policy talk,
deeply human connections were forged in the room. “Meeting others doing
incredible work, sharing stories, learning from each other. That in itself is
invaluable,” he said. “Because at the end of the day, no single organisation,
no single policy, can solve this alone. But together, we can create something
powerful.”
Vatican News
