AC T I V ISM
FEEDING THE HUNGRY SANDY BUKULA, CEO of Operation Hunger, delves into why addressing issues around food insecurity is critical
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f we are to hope for an equal future for all and end a vicious cycle of poverty, then access to healthy, affordable food and quality nutritional care is vital. But, such access is hindered by deeper inequities arising from unjust systems and processes that are part of daily life. Inequities in food and health systems exacerbate inequalities in nutrition outcomes, this, in turn, can lead to further inequity, perpetuating a vicious cycle. Operation Hunger, founded in 1978 to address malnutrition in South Africa, has witnessed first-hand the impact of malnutrition on the vulnerable in society. With an intimate understanding of the toll and anguish malnutrition has on the nations, the organisation has developed a pro-equity systematic model that responds holistically to Unicef’s Conceptual Framework Determinants Malnutrition, prioritising undernutrition, especially to women and children. In line with WHO standards, Operation Hunger continues to champion the nutritional development of all South Africans. The organisation reaches over 2.4 million families annually through its sustainable projects, developed to meet the immediate and long-term nutritional needs of vulnerable communities.
Operation Hunger has been addressing hunger and the nutritional crisis for 42 years.
However, the need for more equitable, resilient and sustainable food and health systems to address hunger is becoming increasingly urgent, especially during the current pandemic. Millions of people do not have enough to eat. Salary cuts and job losses continue to negatively affect the purchasing power of households. Focusing on nutritional wellbeing provides opportunities for establishing synergies between public health and equity. Operation Hunger’s 42-year effort to address South Africa’s nutritional crisis is centred on redressing inequality in food and health systems, aimed at ending malnutrition in all its forms. This requires strengthened co-ordination, alignment, financing and accountability.
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PERIOD POVERTY Menstruation activist, speaker and academic CANDICE CHIRWA shares why we should fight the stigma around sexual, menstrual, and reproductive health
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unt Flo. On The Rag. Girl Flu. Period. There are so many codewords for a natural function that we have been conditioned to be ashamed of. We rarely think of the implications and impact this silence has on young girls and women. I recall vividly when I first encountered period blood at the age of 10. This defining moment shaped the relationship I had with my body – and I admit that I hated my periods. All because I didn’t have the important conversations about what periods truly are: a transition between childhood and adulthood; that a young girl will experience hormonal fluctuations bringing on a wave of different symptoms; and, most importantly, that it is normal and okay.
My passion for feminism and reading unlocked my awareness around period poverty. Using my belief in feminism and acquired knowledge, I educate young people and society about menstruation. My passion for menstrual activism comes from a lack of critical education when I first started menstruating. It was and still is interesting that there is so much embarrassment, awkwardness and shame around a bodily function that impacts half of the population. A menstruator will menstruate for more than seven years – that is a long time to feel ashamed for existing. In South Africa, research has found that up to 30 per cent of girls miss school because of period poverty and being unable to afford menstrual products.
As the disruption to healthcare and the food chain as well as people’s livelihoods continues, due to the pandemic, social protection systems must be amplified.
ABOUT SANDY BUKULA Sandy Bukula has a strong sense of community development and empowerment nurtured in her youth while participating in community development and feeding programmes. Working at Operation Hunger aligns with her values. Her passion for the empowerment of all who call South Africa home is amplified at Operation Hunger. The NPO provides her with a scalable solution that has a tangible and Sandy Bukula measurable platform. This enables her to make full use of her MBA in Sustainable Development. Through the donors, support of the board and colleagues, Bukula’s confidence in Operation Hunger’s ability to change the nutritional status of South Africa is unwavering.
Thus, in tackling period poverty, I started my nonprofit company, Qrate, which focuses on enhancing critical thinking in young people about social issues. The company also hosts and facilitates fun and dynamic menstruation workshops as a way to provide young people with comprehensive menstrual and sexual education. It has been an uplifting journey to educate and empower the over 300 participants to date about a natural phenomenon. The Qrate workshops eradicate the fear a young person might feel when they first see menstrual blood and lets them know that while periods can be a pain, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about.
ABOUT CANDICE CHIRWA
Candice Chirwa
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