You Against Hunger by Will Armstrong

you against

hunger

SPRING 2013

INDIA

the challenges of tackling child hunger

Climbing, swimming and running against hunger

Exclusive recipe from a top chef

A motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s journey to save her son

How your support helps fight hunger

www.actionagainsthunger.org.uk

Uniting against hunger I recently visited India, where a staggering one third of the world’s malnourished children live. I saw for myself the daily struggle families have to feed their children and the devastating effects of hunger. Our teams are working tirelessly and passionately in India and in over 40 other countries around the world to save children’s lives and help families prevent hunger for the future. But we would not be there without you.

As conflict and natural disasters continue to destroy lives and ongoing poverty traps families in vicious cycles of hunger, our teams are working in some of the most difficult humanitarian contexts in the world. But as long as child hunger exists, we will be there. We know that one day, if we work together, we will end hunger. Thank you for being part of the journey to get there.

Jean Michel Grand Executive Director Action Against Hunger

Action Against Hunger are proud members of a powerful coalition of aid agencies who are uniting to make 2013 the beginning of the end of hunger. The world produces enough food for everyone, but not everyone has enough food. This year, the world’s leaders will meet in the UK for the G8 Summit. They could change the future for millions of people who live with the day to day struggle of hunger, but only IF we work together to force them to address four big IF’s:

To make this happen we need YOU. ©Samuel Hauenstein Swann

We continue to assist over seven million people every year and it is thanks to you, our supporters, who make this possible.

Enough Food For Everyone

we give enough aid to stop children dying of hunger and help the poorest families have enough food to live. we stop poor farmers being forced off their land, and we grow crops to feed people not fuel cars. governments stop big companies dodging tax in poor countries, so that millions of people can free themselves from hunger.

You can get involved by joining the campaign, emailing your MP and helping us spread the word. Join us and together we can be the generation to end child hunger. Sign up at: www.actionagainsthunger.org.uk/if Facebook: Action Against Hunger UK Twitter: @ACF_UK

we force governments and investors to be open and honest about their actions that prevent people getting enough food.

You Against Hunger Action Against Hunger ACF International 2013 Managing Editor: Claire Blackburn Designer: Becky Alford (weareneo.com)

Contact us: Action Against Hunger – UK First Floor, Rear Premises 161–163 Greenwich High Road London SE10 8JA T: +44 (0)20 8293 6190 F: +44 (0)20 8858 8372 info@actionagainsthunger.org.uk www.actionagainsthunger.org.uk Registered UK charity number: 1047501 Front cover: ©Sanjit Das

Can we help? If you have any questions about Action Against Hunger’s work please do get in touch.

News

A mother’s journey to save her son

Mali

Fatoumata and her baby fled their home in Gao after conflict erupted and her husband was shot dead by a stray bullet when the city fell under armed groups’ control. Fatoumata says: “Before long I had nothing, I could not even make a small bowl of porridge for my baby and could not take him to hospital as I didn’t have enough money for the transportation to go there. Thanks to a friend of my mother I was given a free bus ticket to Bamako. My mother was too old to make the trip with us and so remains alone in Gao. I am very concerned for her. But I had to leave as by this time my son could not even open his eyes as they were so swollen.”

Fatoumata Zahara sits on a hospital bed in Bamako, Mali, next to her two-yearold son Salim. The little boy is severely malnourished and is suffering from kwashiorkor, where his body has become bloated from hunger and his skin is cracking painfully.

Salim is now getting the help he needs to get better

Since the start of the military intervention in Gao, access to food supplies has deteriorated massively, with families struggling to survive. Major supply routes to Gao have been cut off and food stocks are deteriorating rapidly, with most shops and businesses closing as the conflict worsens. As they left Gao on the bus Fatoumata looked out the window and saw airplanes bombing the skies behind her. The road to recovery As soon as Fatoumata arrived in Bamako, she took Salim to a local health centre, where Action Against Hunger is working to diagnose and treat malnourished children. The team immediately saw that Salim was in danger of dying and admitted him

for intensive round the clock specialist care. Luckily Salim reached Action Against Hunger in time and is now getting the treatment he needs. After a few days his swellings are beginning to go down and the pain is subsiding. The team are confident that, with time, he will make a full recovery. “ I really hurt in my heart for everything that has happened,” says Fatoumata. “I do not know what we will do next but we will have to stay in Bamako until there is peace in the north.” Action Against Hunger is supporting 14 health centres in Bamako, and teams are working round the clock to save malnourished children’s lives, just like Salim’s, every day.

Find out more, visit www. actionagainsthunger.org.uk www.actionagainsthunger.org.uk

in focus

The challenges of tackling child hunger in India

Sandeep Dewal is a Project Coordinator with Action Against Hunger’s partner organisation (CECOEDECON) in Madhya Pradesh, a region where over eight per cent of children under five years of age are suffering from severe acute malnutrition – the most deadly form of hunger. Here Sandeep shares his experiences of tackling hunger in India and the challenges he faces every day. “The areas we work in are largely indigenous communities called the Kurku. These tribes do not tend to view malnutrition as a disease and favour traditional remedies over modern medicine. It is a long journey for us to help them understand the effects of malnutrition and the impact it could have on their children’s lives in the future. Action Against Hunger and its partners work together to improve the diagnosis and treatment of malnourished children across the region and raise awareness of malnutrition in communities. My role is to supervise our teams and develop their capacity to diagnose and treat malnutrition. I also work closely with the community, government and officials to advise about malnutrition issues. 4

The villages where we work are around 90km away from our office so I usually set off at around 7am, taking a bus or motorbike. Every day I see small children suffering from severe acute malnutrition and meet with their families. Here, malnutrition is not caused by a scarcity of food but by a lack of access to nutritious foods and a lack of understanding about the importance of breastfeeding, which is essential for the first months of life. A challenging role The most difficult aspect of our work is convincing some families to get treatment for their malnourished children. Treatment for severe acute malnutrition involves a child being admitted in hospital overnight for around 14 days. For many parents,

taking two weeks away from their work in the fields and losing their wage is simply not an option. They also have other children to look after at home and cannot leave them alone for so long.

Sometimes when a child is successfully treated they can relapse back into malnutrition once they return home, as their feeding routines have not changed and their families find it difficult to take them back to the treatment centre. This is a very difficult situation for us and it can sometimes feel like our efforts have gone to waste. But together we refocus our efforts to follow-up with children at home after treatment and raise awareness of healthy feeding practices.

ree One in th ldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s r o w e h t of ished r u o n l a m live children in India . ÂŠ Sanjit Das

I recently met a 15-month-old baby called Shobhit who was suffering with severe acute malnutrition. He had no parents and was looked after by his grandmother who was unable to take care of him properly, nor could she physically take him to the treatment centre. We arranged for a local worker to accompany Shobhit to the centre instead. Shobhit completed his treatment twice, but each time he relapsed back into malnutrition once he was home as his elderly grandmother did not have the resources to take care of him.

Sandeep examines a malnourished child

Once we understood what was happening we raised the issue with local community members and now there is a system in place where, between local field workers and the community, we ensure the little boy

is provided with nutritious cooked food every day. He is now improving fast and we are making sure he has everything he needs to grow and develop healthily in the future.

When I see a child who was suffering from malnutrition make a full recovery and become healthy at home, I feel that we have really achieved something. It helps motivate us all, move ahead and feel inspired to save even more lives. I get great satisfaction from my job and I will continue this meaningful work in the future.â&#x20AC;? Sandeep Dewal Project Coordinator

www.actionagainsthunger.org.uk

how we work

How your support helps save lives

Every day Action Against Hunger is saving malnourished childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lives and providing families with sustainable access to food and clean water. Our teams use an integrated approach in our programmes. We work across nutrition, food security, water and sanitation and advocacy to give families a healthier, hunger-free future. This infographic shows how your support is helping our teams tackle hunger around the world.

Nutrition and Health

ACF International teams are... Training health workers Building the capacities of national governments and local health workers for the long term.

Saving lives by diagnosing and treating malnourished children, as well as training local health workers to prevent malnutrition for the future. Diagnosing malnutrition Determining whether a child is suffering from malnutrition and if there are any health complications.

Treatment in hospital Children with severe acute malnutrition may require 24-hour care.

Use ds o y-toRead peutic Fo a r e Th

Treatment in the community with Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Foods Helping children to recover with their families in the comfort of their own homes.

Food Security

ACF International teams are... Providing communities with tools, seeds, training and knowledge to improve their access to food in a sustainable way to prevent hunger for the long term. Monitoring Predicting which regions could experience a lack of food and responding early to mitigate the impact.

Livelihoods Providing communities with the tools, the seeds and the knowledge they need to feed themselves for the future.

Animal health Ensuring livestock are healthy to protect familiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; livelihoods. Vegetable gardens Empowering families to grow their own food to feed their children.

Maternal care and breast feeding Offering families practical advice and support on good nutrition practice.

Income and employment Giving communities the opportunity to work themselves out of poverty.

Water, sanitation and hygiene

ACF International teams are... Improving and developing communities access to safe water and sanitation, and equipping families with knowledge of safe hygiene practices, a leading cause of malnutrition. Building wells Ensuring communities have a lasting supply of safe, clean water.

Water Networks Building and improving water networks across communities. Hygiene training Helping families develop safe hygiene practices to prevent against disease.

Water taps Improving communities access to clean water for the future.

Building latrines Improving sanitation and dignity.

Emergency response and disaster prevention

ACF International teams are.. Responding to emergencies and natural disasters to support families through difficult times and help them rebuild their livelihoods. Water trucking Providing families with supplies of clean water.

Life-saving response Distributing supplies of food, water and other essentials.

Cash grants Providing vulnerable families with cash to purchase food and other essentials.

building resilience Building communities lives and improving their resilience to future crises.

Treating malnutrition Providing emergency treatment for malnourished children.

Mother and baby tents Providing a safe and quiet environment for mothers and their children.

Advocacy

ACF International teams are... Raising awareness of hunger and influencing governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s policies to make child hunger a political priority. Filling the knowledge gap Using field based research to contribute to the policy debate.

E nd H u n g er

ÂŁ Calling for investment Ensuring that funding matches governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commitments.

End Hunger

Initiating debate Raising vital awareness of issues surrounding malnutrition.

Working in partnership Increasing pressure to bring about effective change in policy and practice.

Lobbying for change Influencing key nutrition forums at global and national level for an integrated response to hunger.

www.actionagainsthunger.org.uk

you against hunger

Our Action Against Hunger Starts With You Here are some of the inspiring ways our supporters are getting involved in the fight against hunger. Find out how you can join them in 2013 and visit www.actionagainsthunger.org.uk/get-involved

Pedal Power

A trio of challenges Not content with taking on one challenge for Action Against Hunger, Elena Parry is taking on three! Elena will be donning her vest and running shoes for the Virgin London Marathon, where every step she takes will raise vital funds for the fight against hunger.

Paris

Bibendum employee Elena says: “Running 26 miles isn’t going to solve world hunger but my hope is that by doing this I will be able to raise some money which will go towards making someone in the world a bit less hungry.”

Senegal

Five friends saddle up to fight child hunger

Five students from Imperial College London took on the challenge of a lifetime for Action Against Hunger when they got in the saddle for an epic 5,500km cycle ride from Paris to Dakar in Senegal. Cycling across two continents in their two month adventure, Shamoon, Chris, Ed, Ben and Dan raised a staggering £1,640. Shamoon says: “This trip was inspired by Africa, a continent I have heard so much about but have never visited. In my opinion the best way to really experience a place is to travel through 8

it by bicycle. The people, the sights, the sounds and the sheer challenge of actually cycling this incredible distance is what motivates me to undertake this journey. I am proud to be pushing myself to the limits in support of Action Against Hunger, who are saving children’s lives across Africa and beyond.”

After her marathon efforts Elena will then scale the three highest mountains in England, Scotland and Wales in just 24 hours, before challenging herself to ‘Live Below the Line’ and survive on £1 a day for food for a week. There are lots of ways you too can get involved with fighting child hunger. Visit www.actionagainsthunger.org.uk/ get-involved

Elena has her goal in sight

Two Toby’s in a boat

The Two Toby’s put in an extreme effort to raise vital funds

Two Sheffield students, both called Toby, took on the challenge of a lifetime recently when they embarked on a 125 mile mission along the River Thames... in a pedalo! The pair pedalled tirelessly from Oxford to Putney Bridge in a brilliant effort to raise funds for Action

Against Hunger’s life-saving work. They completed the challenge in nine days and raised a whopping £4,100. After crossing the finish line Toby Balaam said: “We both never want to get on a pedalo again! But the whole challenge was worth it to support such an important cause.”

If you feel inspired to tackle a challenge of your own, visit www.actionagainsthunger.org.uk/challenge

Singing to fight child hunger Musical supporter, Dan Coffey, wanted to combine his passion for fighting hunger with what he loves best. So, he gathered together 15 friends from across six countries and filmed them singing the famous Band Aid ‘Feed the World’ track, in a bid to raise vital funds for Action Against Hunger. Once the video was online, the support and donations came rolling in and Dan’s efforts raised a very impressive £450. Dan says: “The video went down really well with all of our extended friends and family and they surprised us with their generosity. We are all very pleased with our efforts and very glad to have organised such a fun idea for a great cause.” www.actionagainsthunger.org.uk

you against hunger

Love food

Give food Action Against Hunger is proud to be the UK food industry’s charity of choice and we are very lucky to have the support of so many amazing top chefs who are turning their passion for food into action against hunger. Our chefs are paving the way for food lovers across the UK to make a big difference to lives across the globe. Find out how you can get involved, visit www.lovefoodgivefood.org Multi-award winning, Anna Hansen MBE, of The Modern Pantry (www. themodernpantry.co.uk) is one of our top chef supporters who has gone above and beyond to help fight hunger. She has lent her chef talents to many key events, cooking up a storm for lucky guests, and even cycled from London to Paris to raise vital funds! Here Anna shares a special recipe, exclusively for Action Against Hunger supporters:

Coconut & ricotta pancakes, star anise & pomegranate molasses roast figs, crème fraîche

Serves 6 Ingredients: • 150 g self-raising flour • 1 tsp table salt • 25 g castor sugar • 50 g desiccated coconut • 70 g egg yolks • 185 ml buttermilk • 65 g melted butter • 375 g ricotta • 140 g egg whites • Pomegranate molasses roast figs (see below) • 400 g crème fraîche Method: Preheat your oven to 180C. Sift the flour, salt and sugar together in a large bowl, add the coconut and mix well. Whisk together the egg yolks, buttermilk and melted butter and mix this into the dry ingredients. Carefully fold in the ricotta being careful not to break it up too much. Whisk the egg whites to slightly firmer than soft peak and fold them through the batter in three batches.

Heat a little butter in an oven proof frying pan and dollop spoons full of the batter onto it. Put the pan into the oven for 4 minutes or so then remove and flip the pancakes. Return to the oven for an additional 4 minutes or until the pancakes are cooked through and feel firm to the touch. Set aside somewhere warm while you cook the rest. Serve with pomegranate molasses & star anise roast figs and crème fraîche Pomegranate molasses & star anise roast figs Ingredients: • 6 ripe black figs • 3 tbsp pomegranate molasses • 1 tbsp demerara sugar • ½ tsp ground star anise Method: Cut the figs in half lengthways and lay in a roasting tray cut side up. Sprinkle over the sugar, star anise and pomegranate molasses and roast at 140C for 10 minutes or so until the figs are just beginning to collapse. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in their juices.

Get baking and raise funds for Action Against Hunger! Visit www.lovefoodgivefood.org 10

fight hunger © Stupane Remael

Help save children’s lives

Not just today, but every day With your help Action Against Hunger provides life-saving care to hundreds of children and families every day. Our programmes help not just to treat malnutrition, but to prevent it by working with communities to increase their access to food and safe water – so they will always have enough for their families.

©xxxx

Regular gifts help us to plan our work and reach more children and families who desperately need support.

Please complete and return the direct debit form on the back of this newsletter as soon as you can. Once you have signed up we can keep you up to date with our vital programmes as much or as little as you wish. And remember, if you have any questions about your donations I am always here to listen, and answer any questions you might have.

We’re there in over 40 countries worldwide, reaching over 7 million people each year. We have the skills and the expertise to reach millions of children and families within their communities. Together we can end child hunger, but to do so, we need your help.

In 2012 you helped us raise vital funds and what’s more during September – November all your donations were doubled by the UK Government in support of our Love Food Give Food campaign. We want to make 2013 just as successful, but we can only do that with your help! One of the best ways you can support us is by making a regular gift.

We’re there when a family has nothing to eat and nothing left to sell to make up for a failed harvest. Our innovative cash-forwork schemes can ensure a whole community can survive times of scarcity by helping families to help themselves.

Thank you so much for supporting Action Against Hunger.

We’re there when a child reaches such a critical level of malnutrition that they are too weak to eat. Our emergency nutrition specialists provide malnourished children with therapeutic and nutritional care to nurse them back to health.

We need you!

Make a regular gift and you can be there with us – with your help we can continue to save lives everyday.

Kind Regards Marie-Emilie Supporter care

Contact Marie-Emilie: m.ekombolo@actionagainsthunger.org.uk 0208 853 7571 www.actionagainsthunger.org.uk

©Burger Phanie

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©Tine Frank

©ACF Liberia

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a month could provide 500 people with access to clean and safe drinking water.

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