A child dies every five seconds due to malnutrition.
Think about it. That number is almost paralyzing, but we don’t have to sit still. We must take action. There is hope, and I’m not alone in my quest to see an end to child hunger — one of the United Nations’ Global Goals.
The issue is far-reaching and needs multiple minds working together for change. It’s why we’re partnering with The African Child Policy Forum to address child hunger in the Pan-African region. And, because the issue is so complex, we’re also honoured to be learning more from Action Against Hunger USA (AAH) to join with us in other areas of the world.
The American non-profit has been addressing child hunger for 40 years, treating and preventing malnutrition among tens of millions of children, women and men in nearly 50 countries.
Dr. Charles Owubah (pictured, right), the organization’s new CEO, believes the issue of food insecurity can be solved in his lifetime. He’s a visionary when it comes to this subject, and we have a similar mindset when it comes to acute malnutrition and how the problem is handled globally.
Our organizations have a lot in common:
- we see malnutrition and child hunger as a priority issue to address
- we seek long-term change by empowering local communities, including children,
women and other vulnerable social groups
- we anchor our work in child protection, especially during food insecurity emergencies
- we’re committed to ending violence against children
So, we’re excited to be partnering to leverage our strengths. For example, where we specialize in providing access to education (check out our Saving Brains project) and child protection, AAH will provide insights into malnutrition.
And, since access to education is dependent on good nutrition, we want to collaborate to research and share knowledge, while looking at how to meet the needs of children around the world.
It’s a work in progress, but we’re committed to making waves in the international development sector, so we not only address malnutrition but the root causes of child hunger, too.
I already see the impact of this when I visit health centres in the countries where we work and hear from new mothers receiving care and knowledge about how to keep their babies healthy. Building that foundation from birth is so important to a child’s development into a healthy adult.
I’m looking forward to brainstorming about how we can build on that momentum to meet the nutritional needs of even more children.
You can help today. Give the gift of nutrition.