Monday, June 18, 2012




A school kitchen is to be built in Malawi and named in honour of school dinners blogger Martha Payne.  The nine-year-old became an Internet sensation after Argyll and Bute Council banned her from posting photos of her school meals on her blog.

The ban was later overturned after a storm of protest.

She has now raised more than £80,000 for the charity Mary's Meals and recorded more than five million page views on the NeverSeconds blog. Martha began publishing photographs of her Lochgilphead Primary School lunches on 30 April.

She gives each meal a 'food-o-meter' and health rating, and counts the number of mouthfuls it takes her to eat it. Last week she was told to stop posting the pictures online.


Children at the school in Blantyre have been showing their appreciation for Martha and those who have supported her. On the blackboard at their school, they wrote: "Thank you Martha and your friends" and sang songs for the schoolgirl.

Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow, founder and chief executive of Mary's Meals said: "I am humbled by Martha and her friends. We feel extremely proud of them.

"Because of what they are doing, and all those generous people who are donating, the lives of thousands of the world's poorest children will be transformed.

"For every £10.70 donated, we are able to ensure another child will get a good daily meal for a whole school year."


2 comments:

Debra She Who Seeks said...

What a feel-good story! But that stupid ban left a bad taste in everyone's mouth. Glad it had a happy ending.

Cal's Canadian Cave of Coolness said...

The Superintendents hate pictures of anything that judges them and thier cheapness.