Achieving Food Security in Africa.

At The Hunger Project, our work is focused on people living in persistent, chronic hunger - rather than emergency hunger or famine. However, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, many of the people we work with could start to experience emergency hunger as the conditions in communities change. 

Our long-term work promoting strong systems, local leadership, and resiliency helps communities to manage these changes, especially in times of crisis. In response to the pandemic, The Hunger Project has mobilized over 500,000 trained, local leaders in 13 countries around the world.  

We are working through, and with, this network of local leaders to ensure our community partners have the tools and information needed to respond to any changes in their food systems. Women leaders, in particular, are rising as the “first responders” in this global pandemic. 

Women leaders…

                              ...speak local languages

                                                            ...have credibility with their fellow community members

                                                                                                   ...quickly identify the most vulnerable individuals and households. 

Community partners at the Sam Contour Epicenter Rural Bank in Senegal; April 2020

In Southern Africa, the harvest season is now over (the last crops are typically harvested in May / June).  Prior to the end of the season, our team of trained animators led the effort to restock local food banks. In other parts of the continent, people are harvesting and have received training on how to stay safe during this time - through social distancing measures and handwashing. 

Across Africa, our network is leveraging radios, loudspeakers and megaphones to share on food security and nutrition, as well as COVID-19 reduction protocols, to continue providing access to information, while maintaining a safe distance.