The Happy Pod: Learning begins with breakfast

Meet the charity which is providing free breakfasts for three million children across sixteen countries. We visit a school to see how Mary's Meals is helping children to focus on learning. Their biggest programme is in Malawi in south-east Africa, and for many students there, it's a reason to stay in school.

Also on the podcast, we hear from the micro-farm in Montreal growing fruit and veg for local people on low incomes. Plus a social club trying to combat loneliness in Venezuela by bringing elderly people together for a dance, and the Italians coming together to save a tiny island from developers.

The Happy Pod, our weekly collection of uplifting and inspiring stories from around the world. Part of the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service.

Presenter: Ankur Desai. Music composed by Iona Hampson.

The breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Hear the most important global stories from the BBC, the most trusted name in international news. With reporters on the ground in every country, we’re always where the story is. We bring you unparalleled access and exclusive updates that you won’t get anywhere else.

Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. From Trump’s White House and Putin’s Kremlin, to the Ukraine War and the Israel-Gaza conflict. From Damascus to Delhi, from Silicon Valley to Singapore, from Washington DC to Wuhan. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight.

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Also listen to The Happy Pod, every Saturday, for the best global good news.

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• No. of episodes: 243
• Latest episode: 2025-08-10
• News Daily News

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