Hello Gleaners!!

We’re back with a special edition of the blog today to talk about World Hunger Day from The Hunger Project! World hunger is something the Gleaning Project and all gleaning organizations like it strive to squash with relief of access to fresh produce to those who need it most in our communities! That said, we want to shine a light on this day and what it highlights! Let’s get into it:

What is the Hunger Project?

It is a global organization committed to finding a tenable solution to world hunger. Leaders of this organization include business executives, heads of state and experts in women’s rights and social justice. It was founded in 1977 and is a worldwide, non-profit group of like-minded people dedicated to helping find sustainable solutions.

What is World Hunger Day?

In 2011 The Hunger Project started an initiative known as World Hunger Day in order to draw attention to people who don’t have enough food to eat. This day is used to celebrate sustainable solutions to hunger and poverty is the aim of this day.

the almost 800 million people who are living in chronic hunger
60% of the people living in hunger are women
98% of people suffering for undernourishment live in low- and middle-income countries
Hunger kills more than AIDS, Malaria & Tuberculosis combined.

World Hunger Day highlights the ability of Access to End Hunger

“Hunger is not just about food. Hunger and poverty are inextricably linked to a nexus of issues including healthcare, decent work opportunities, education, social justice, the rights of women and girls, the environment and climate change,”

What Access Points Are Lacking?

Access to Education

Education plays a really important role in breaking the cycle of poverty and hunger by eliminating social disparities, creating opportunities for people, and empowering entire communities. But for millions, especially women and girls is inaccessible.

20 million more secondary school girls could be permanently out of school due to the ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic
8% is the amount added to a child’s potential earnings for each additional year of school. 50% over 6 years
171 million people could escape poverty if all students in low-income countries had basic reading skills
132 million girls around the world are not in school

Access to Technology

Technology has the power to uplift communities by providing access to essential information, online health services, life-saving disaster warnings and education opportunities

3.7 billion people don’t have access to the internet
1GB of data, enough to stream for one hour, costs 40% of the average monthly wage in sub-Saharan Africa
600 million women coming online would contribute up to $18 billion in annual GDP across 144 countries
500 million students don’t have access to remote learning — This is especially crippling during a pandemic
Global internet access could bring opportunities to rural economies and specifically to women as equal earners, learners and educators.

Access to Healthcare

Healthcare access ensures healthy living and promoting well-being for all people, no matter where they live is essential to ending hunger. When people have access to healthcare, they can more readily live healthy and self-reliant lives.

3.5 billion people have no access to essential health services
1 in 4 women in low-income countries have an unmet need for modern contraception
100 million people are pushed into extreme poverty every year due to healthcare costs
810 women die every day from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth.

How can you help?

Invest in the sustainable end of hunger through the hunger project and their associated groups! [The Hunger Project]
Become more sustainable to prevent overuse of resources and allow better distribution to those in need! This includes watching out for food waste which is also a goal of The Gleaning Project!
Learn more about hunger and how you can donate to those in need of access
Learn about access to Healthcare, Technology and Food resources and how you can change them in your area!
Check out the Borgen Project’s list of 10 Ways to Stop World Hunger

Special Edition: World Hunger Day is May 28th!