A stunning new short film about the work of the school feeding charity Mary's Meals has premiered in the north.
Generation Hope is an uplifting and compelling documentary highlighting the extraordinary difference that receiving a daily meal in school can make to children growing up in some of the world's most impoverished communities.
Mary's Meals is a grassroots movement with very strong support across Northern Ireland and a large audience attended the premiere event in Coalisland at the weekend.
Supporters are now being encouraged to host their own screenings of the film to help raise awareness of the impact of the charity's work.
Founded in 2002, Mary's Meals began feeding 200 children in one school in Malawi. Today, the charity reaches more than 1.1 million children with daily meals in schools in 12 different countries around the world.
By serving a daily meal in a place of education, Mary's Meals attracts impoverished children into the classroom, where they can gain skills that will help them escape poverty in the future.
The school feeding programmes are community-owned, with local volunteers working in rotation to prepare the meals for the children.
Mary's Meals has a dedicated network of supporters across Northern Ireland and a volunteer group in Coalisland hosted the Generation Hope premiere.
The Mary's Meals `Meitheal' Support Community has been been very active in its support, raising £19,000 for the charity between October and December last year.
Filmed on location at projects in Malawi, Haiti, and India, the documentary introduces audiences to individuals from what Mary's Meals describes as `generation hope' - the group of young people who, having received the organisation's daily meals in school, are now engaged in further education or paid employment, something they insist would simply not have been possible without the support provided.
Audiences will meet Veronica from Blantyre in Malawi - one of the first children to ever receive Mary's Meals - who is now studying business and education studies at college, and Jimmy, a talented musician from Cité Soleil, Haiti's most notorious slum.
Jimmy admits that, had he not received a daily meal growing up, he would never have been able to stay in school. He addresses supporters directly through the camera, frankly stating: "If you didn't feed me, I would not have the chance to become what I am today. If Mary's Meals can do impossible things, I can do some impossible things too."
Generation Hope is a follow-up to Mary's Meals’ award-winning short film Child 31, which explored how the charity's work meets the immediate needs of vulnerable children, providing them with a consistent, nutritious source of food as well as enabling them to go to school.
Jackie O'Neill, coordinator of the Meitheal Support Community, explained how Child 31 had inspired him to support the charity and described his excitement at hosting Generation Hope's Northern Ireland premiere.
"I saw Child 31 and I was blown away," he said.
"Our wee group is delighted with the support we've had. Every time people hear about the charity, the reaction we get back is so positive.
"The idea behind Mary's Meals isn't complicated. Mary's Meals asks a child if they're hungry and feeds them in school. It's that simple."
With its powerful score and beautiful cinematography, Generation Hope is set to inspire audiences and give a captivating insight into Mary's Meals life-changing work.
