[UN Photo - Sudanese Women Carry Bag Of Rations]
When I feed the hungry they call me a saint
When I ask why so many people are poor they call me a communist
- Dom Helder Camara
World Hunger is a scandal. The earth produces enough food to feed all its inhabitants, yet hunger has reached chronic proportions across the world especially in Asia and Africa. Women are the primary producers of the food the world consume. Moreover, in Africa alone 80% of the food produced is produced by women.
The irony? The Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) statistics show that more than 60% of the world’s chronically hungry people are women.
Poor Women Chronically Hungry
Its one thing to be chronically tired. The rapid-paced world we’ve created guarantees that we get little or no rest. Chronic fatigue seems to be a normal way of life for most of us. But how many of us know what it feels like to be chronically hungry? The world’s poorest women do. According to the latest World Food Programme report:
There are 1.02 billion undernourished people in the world today. That means one in nearly six people do not get enough food to be healthy and lead an active life. Hunger and malnutrition are in fact the number one risk to the health worldwide — greater than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined.
To be chronically anything, is to be in that condition for an ongoing or lengthy period of time. Hunger having reached chronic proportions globally, has become like a disease on the face of the earth. Chronic hunger describes the state of ongoing daily, weekly, and more often than not months of undernourishment. These women consume far less than the required daily caloric intake necessary to keep them healthy and active.
In addition, hungry mothers give birth to hungry children. Malnourished children face great challenges including learning disabilities which in turn perpetuates socio-economic underdevelopment and the inability to free themselves from poverty. It is a vicious cycle…
[UN Photo/Martine Perret]
Women and Children Search Garbage Dump for Cans to Sell
Main Factors That Cause Hunger
The World Food Programme highlights the following factors as the main causes of hunger.
- Natural Disasters
- War
- Poor Environmental Practices
- Agricultural Infrastructure
- Poverty
All these factors are interconnected, one impact on the others. To address the causes of hunger, all the contributing factors must be tackled together. October 16, is observed worldwide as the World Food Day, and October 17 as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. This entire month of October is dedicated to bringing the world’s attention to the ravages of hunger and poverty across the world, but especially in Africa and Asia.
Sometimes, the situation seems hopeless when we look at the extent of the challenges we face. I for one, tend not to think of it as though I’m alone but remember that no single person or nation can solve all the world’s problems. However, we can build on the efforts of others and together we can make a great difference. So what can we do?
[ UN Photo/Milton Grant]
Somali Women and Children Walk To A UN-supported Center For Food
Take Action:
Significant progress can be made if the heads of all nations, and us as people commit to implementing the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Discuss them with your congregations to learn ways we can make a difference.
Get resources to educate your congregations about world hunger and poverty from organizations such as Bread For The World and the Baptist World Alliance which observes Hunger Month annually in October.
If you have a Blog, then become a Blogger Against Hunger advocate and use your voice to promote awareness of the hunger and the global food crisis. Sign up by just clicking the banner below it will take you to the site.
This is just a start on the many things you can do. Do something. Feel free to share your resources with us as well.
Peace and Love,
Marvia
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