Celebrating World Food Day!
Today is World Food Day and we’re celebrating the plates and bellies ADRA donors have helped fill this year!
ADRA donors keep projects alive all over the world that help feed hungry families every day. To celebrate, we’re sharing some “full belly” 2020 highlights below.
ASOTRY Food Projects in Madagascar
Can you say “Tsikonina” five times fast?
Tsikonina, an ASOTRY initiative, is a maternal and child health and nutrition program that encourages, among other things, the concept of Rainbow Food—that one’s diet should be as colorful as this scenery.
In the hilltop village of Mahasoabe in Madagascar, Tsikonina and Rainbow Foods has changed the lives of mothers like Hélène Tahianjanahary. The 32-year-old single mother of two has struggled to provide for the dietary needs of her children, especially her youngest, who is only two years old.
“I have regularly weighed my child since ASOTRY,” Helene said. “In the beginning, his weight was not stable—sometimes he was very underweight. When I did growth monitoring with the project, they found the child needed to be taken to Tsikonina to follow the program. I accepted and was willing to participate.”
After only six days in a Tsikonina learning session, Helene’s baby boy gained 3 pounds. Helene also learned how to keep him healthy by diversifying his diet with rainbow foods. Now this is something worth celebrating!
Providing Food After a Disaster
In August 4, 2020, at 6:08 PM, an explosion in Beirut, Lebanon rocked and shattered the city. Hundreds of thousands of families lost their homes and everything they owned.
The explosion came at a time when Lebanon was struggling economically due to political distress and the COVID-19 pandemic. Even before the pandemic, the unemployment rate was estimated to be 50%. After the explosion, the estimate went up to 80%. Days after the explosion, Mario Oliveira, emergency management director for ADRA, said:
Thanks to your support, ADRA was able to respond quickly with food parcels and basic needs to families affected.
“We are facing an unsurmountable humanitarian crisis. Relief assistance reports indicate that close to a million people cannot afford basic needs. Even before the explosion, food security in Lebanon was a cause of serious concern.”
Within 24 hours of the explosion, ADRA team members were coordinating help for families in need. The team delivered food parcels, vouchers for food and other basic needs to affected families.
Read a Beirut Survivor’s Story
When a Global Pandemic Threatens Food Security
In December 2019, none of us could have predicted the effects COVID-19 would have in our communities.
During a time when jobs closed down, children were sent home from school, and shelter-in-place orders restricted movement, many families struggled to put food on the table.
ADRA has been responding all over the world with projects created to address the urgent needs of communities during COVID-19. Over 8 million dollars of our response so far have gone to food security.
From food parcels to grocery deliveries and grocery cash vouchers, we are committed to ensuring no person goes hungry.
