A famous English proverb reads “Hunger drives the wolf out of the woods”.
A similar comparison can be made in reference to human beings. India has been plagued with hunger crisis for a long time now. Currently, our country stands at a dismal 101st position out of 116 countries on the Global Hunger Index (GHI 2021). Hunger has spared no one – children, women, men, marginalized communities, and the elderly. It has been claiming lives across the globe.
Even with some great policies in place, 14% of the entire population of India remains undernourished. The lack of access to healthy food on a daily basis has affected roughly 14.2 million people across the country. Malnourishment in children leads to stunted growth, early death, development of disabilities, etc. All of the above can be avoided to a great extent if the nutritional requirements of the population are met effectively. People belonging to the lower economic strata have taken the worst hit. With the onset of the Covid 19 pandemic, one half of the world was trying to cope with the lockdown whereas the other half was scavenging for food by risking their lives. Hunger took priority over safety so much so that underprivileged people were willing to risk their lives just to get some food into their stomachs. The hunger situation in India seems to worsen with every passing year.
In order to raise awareness regarding chronic hunger, United Nations came up with the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) in 1973. Hence, World Food Day is celebrated on October 16th annually to draw everyone’s attention towards the Hunger situation in the world and how the general public can go about fighting this evil. The theme for the year 2021 is ‘Our actions are our future. Better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life’. This will urge people to actively avoid food wastage and focus on healthy eating across the globe.
Here are a few ways to help improve the Hunger crisis in India:
1.Avoid food wastage
Go for second or third helpings, but avoid filling up the plate with food only to throw it in the bin later. Small portion sizes and multiple helpings can ensure that a needy person gets to eat tonight.
2. Donate edible leftovers
Got a lot of leftovers after a party? Go out and distribute it locally among underprivileged people around you. This little step can help feed a hungry family. Do ensure that food is in good condition and edible.
3. Choose an organization to donate
There are a lot of nonprofit organizations working towards feeding the needy and achieving zero hunger as part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Wishes and Blessings is one such NGO that has a Daily Meals Programme wherein they feed 1,350 people on a daily basis.
4. Spread awareness
The world needs to be made aware about the hunger crisis that exists in the same world. Use the power of social media to talk about chronic hunger and ways to help the underprivileged.
As a nation, we need to come together and lobby for zero hunger. A strong support system will increase access to better food for the underprivileged.
As Mother Teresa says ‘If you can’t feed a hundred people, then at least feed one’
About the Author
Eeshwarna Sethuramalingam is Programme Officer at Wishes and Blessings. She has done her Masters in Social Work from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. Eeshwarna is passionate about spreading happiness through her artworks. She loves dogs unconditionally and believes that love has no language.