The world is battling with hunger and the developed world is no exception. 1 in every 5 children in America suffers from hunger. The recent economic crisis led to soaring of food prices and the people with lower incomes were mostly hard hit.
Reverend Phyllis Byrd Ochilo -Director Just Communities OAIC - following the deliberations keenly.
1 out of every 3 deaths of children under the age of five is as a result of malnutrition. Up to 3% of Gross Domestic product – GDP – is lost due to under-nutrition according to the World Bank reports. The World Bank Food Price Watch, August 2010 indicates that 44 million people have been pushed to poverty as a result of the 2010 food prices spike. 2 billion people suffer from deficiencies like iron, zinc and vitamin A. 75% of the world’s poor are rural most of who are famers is a sad reality. As of 2011, there were 850 million undernourished people globally according to the FAO, IFAD and the WFP.
With only 3 years before the expiry date for the MDG’s, attention is now focused on the post 2015 agenda. Despite the governments putting their best foot forward to achieve them, a lot still needs to be done. Eradicating extreme hunger and poverty which is the current issue of concern still faces a lot of challenges as millions still go hungry every day and this is detrimental to any development agenda.
Faustine Wabwire, a Senior Foreign Assistant Policy Analyst at the Bread for the World- USA- notes that global hunger has been declining although it is still unacceptably high. In 2009/2010 statistics estimated by FAO and the US department of Agriculture, Economic Research indicate that the number of undernourished people in the world decreased gradually. Between 1990 to 1995 the numbers of those affected diminished from 850 million to approximately 780 million globally. However, between 1997 to 2002 the numbers rose to about 850 million malnourished people and by 2010 thousands of millions of people were malnourished.
“Bread for the World brings a prophetic voice to such situations. We engage the government from a biblical perspective. Our advocacy includes pleading a cause for people in need. When it comes to policy change, we stand up as the voice that will speak publicly against injustices for people in US and the world. We work with churches, citizens and we hungry people. We would like to speak for people but it is of more value to us if we speak with them. We must be part of this,” States Faustine.
Faustine with the two Nigerian Delegates Nathaniel and Abioudun.
In 2010 FAO reports indicated that the world had 925 million undernourished populations. The Sub-Saharan Africa region had the second highest number at 239 million. Top of the list was Asia and Pacific with 578 million. Developed countries had the least people at 19 million, followed by Near East and North Africa at 37 million while Latin America and the Caribbean stood at 53 million.
Faustine says that such challenges need intervention from the various governments and Bread for the World helps to initiate the process.
“Working in the U.S has enabled me to learn that an individual has the power to bring change. Individuals ask questions and put their elected representatives to task with regards to their pre-election agenda. I see how constituents drive the agenda of the most powerful offices in the US. If this power could be replicated in Africa, people-driven development agenda could be tenable. As voters, there is an opportunity for all of us to bring the desired change but oftentimes, we don’t realise how powerful we are as individuals and how we can unite in powerful ways to change our situations. I hope and pray that we can learn and emulate,” she says.
There has been noted decline in investments in agriculture from the developed nations. The highest amount of assistance to the sector was between 1988 and 1999 at over 4,000 million USD. In 2006, the assistance stood at just over 1,500 million USD. Multilateral assistance in the same period- 1988-1989 stood at slightly over 500 million USD while bilateral assistance stood at approximately 2,500 million dollars, the highest since the 1970’s.
Faustine notes that the U.S seeks to look at some of the big issues and policies affecting countries all over the world. She notes that reforms have been made with regards to foreign aid to ensure that it is responsive to the needs of the people it is assisting.
Vincent Obulengo- Chairman OAIC East African Region.
“When food crisis hit in 2008, President Obama during the G-8 summit in Italy in 2009, stated that the purpose of aid was to help people become self- sufficient, provide for their families, and lift their standards of living in a co-ordinated effort to support comprehensive plans created by the countries themselves,” notes Faustine.
In a bid to feed the future, Obama’s global feeding programme christened feed the future was allocated 3.5 billion dollars and started in 20 countries. These countries were picked after an analysis on their burden of nutrition and poverty levels. Countries that had shown opportunities for growth and improved investments in agriculture were also considered. Some of the countries that benefitted in Africa include: Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Ghana, Liberia, Mali, Malawi, Rwanda, Mozambique, Senegal, Uganda, and Zambia. In Asia; Bangladesh, Cambodia, Nepal, Tajikistan. While in Latin America; Haiti, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua are part of it.
She urges governments to learn to dialogue with the people and listen to their needs to ensure that there is enhanced collaboration rather than threatening each other.
“At the Bread for the World, we do a lot of research and analysis that informs the policy makers to decide and make the desired change. Our arguments when we face the policy makers, are usually backed by sufficient data. For us to engage with the leaders effectively, we need to have facts. Part of the responsibility we take is to ensure that we have access to information that will help us to face the leaders courageously and this is what I would like to urge all of us to do. When facing leaders, we must have facts that back our arguments as this will always make our cases strong; engaging smartly,” urges Faustine.
Faustine with other delegates
“Malnourishment affects a child’s development, it stagnates his or her growth as it affects full brain formation. It is evident that we are losing people’s ability to fully participate in issues of importance and especially for the children. Many parents should be made aware that the period between birth and 2 years is a critical period in the development of a child. Due to poverty and other underlying issues, they fail to pay keen attention to their children and feed them on improper diets which in the long run will be detrimental to their full growth and development. If they don’t get proper nutrition, the effects are irreversible and thus an unhealthy society in the long run,” adds Faustine.
Bread for the World is in partnership with an organisation called The Sun, which is in 27 countries most of which are in Africa, seeks to ensure that issues to do with nutrition are given special attention. The strategy is to have 1,000 Days of Partnership to emphasize a “window of opportunity” where the health of the mother is put into sharp focus until she gives birth and the child is 2 years old. Faustine says that these interventions if implemented and supported by appropriate policies will reduce deaths and diseases as well as improve nutrition for mothers and their children.
Faustine who was speaking during the Growing the Harvest Conference in Limuru,Kenya, where 76 delegates from 18 countries attended, urged the delegates to start conversations in their various countries on food security that would seek for long-term solutions aimed at alleviating the hunger puns.
“People on the ground need to be heard. We need to follow up on the various policy issues and engage with the governments all over the world smartly. By not being abrasive and realising that the people in power may as well listen to us if we talk to them rather than at them, may just bring the desired change. They are the people who have been elected to serve us thus there is no need of being confrontational. If you want to build allies, you must play smartly and avoid being confrontational. You will be surprised at how many doors will opened for you and this may even attract your enemies. When we communicate next, we will be asking where the next engagement is,” urges Faustine.
Bishop Eliazaro Onyando - Kenya -
She opines that there are gaps that need to be addressed with regard to policy making and implementation.
“Maybe the money provided may not be reaching the intended recipients on the ground; perhaps ending on the wrong hands or doing projects it’s not intended for. Development needs to be country led and country on in order to see how it translates on the ground,” she states.
Letters to the congress is one smart way that Bread for the World engages with the policy makers. They ask their members for a special donation, not monetary, but rather ask the members to write letters to the Congress men on some of the issues that they think should be fixed. Millions of letters are written every year and Bread of the World delivers to the policy makers which has necessitated change greatly.
Bishop Eliazaro Onyando from Kenya complains that he has resided around Lake Victoria for a long time but the residents there seem to get a raw deal with regards to the fish market.
“People residing around the lake eat mgongo wazi – the bare backbones of the fish -. After fishing, the middle men take centre stage and control the market. They remove the flesh from the fish and sell it to different markets. The small bits – the bare back bones – that remain known as mgongo wazi is what we get. Is this not serious? This has been going on for a long time and we need your intervention. Is this not serious?” ponders Bishop Onyando.
Vincent Obulengo, OAIC’s East Africa region chairman says that development aid has been provided to look at some of the underlying issues on hunger but most of the time the organisations responsible for the sensitization process prefer to organise health and related workshops sidelining issues to do with nutrition.
“Currently, you will find the rich eating the wrong foods while the poor concentrating on quantity rather that quality which in most cases is not nutritious. Companies like GNLD and Tianshi have come in the market and are offering supplements which are slowly gaining recognition. There was an instance where such companies would offer to diagnose someone’s illnesses using some machines at UShs, 15,000 and one would be required to start treatment after the diagnosis. The subsequent treatment was so dear and many people lost a lot of money that the government had to regulate them. We need policies that seek preventive measures rather than treatment and more of such fora to address the underlying issue of nutrition,’’ states Vincent.
Amon Chinyopiro a delegate from Malawi notes that the problem with Africa is that they tend to react rather than preventing calamities. That rather than increasing productivity in the farms, farmers should pay attention to the quality and nutrition of their children and thus look at the foods they farm.
Faustine and Fiona
Faustine notes that issues that Bishop Onyando raised were legit and needed immediate attention and says that the fact that there are many underlying issues that need the government’s attention, requires that the people demand for them.
“The US cannot come and make policies for Africa. America should support our polices and not make decisions for us. We need to engage with our leaders effectively to ensure that all our issues are addressed effectively. Societies can only grow fully, if they engage fully. The government at times thinks that the church is even better placed to meet the needs of society and thus the need to approach issues smartly. I have learnt that you can do all the research you want and scream all you want but if don’t have smart ways to engage with the line institutions, it is not easy to win. They can shut you down or throw the whole agenda out. They are our fellow brothers and sisters and thus the need to be thoughtful on how we work with them,” states Faustine.
Bread for the World operates from the US in Washington D.C with regions all over the country. They however, seek partnerships with like-minded organisation in a bid to bring justice to the people in need of it.
Fiona Imbali,
OAIC Communications.
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