Author: shaunak wanikar

Across four districts in Bihar, India, something remarkable has been unfolding. Young women who were once told their future was already decided — a marriage arranged, a voice not needed — are standing up, speaking out, and changing the course of their own lives. This is the story of The Hunger Project’s Adolescent Girls Program, and what three years of dedicated, community-led investment can achieve.

The stakes have never been higher

A recent Lancet article makes the case plainly: investing in adolescent girls works, and we cannot afford to stop. Globally, adolescent girls face urgent, intersecting challenges.

• They are nearly twice as likely as boys their age to be out of school or training
• one in five girls worldwide marries before 18 
• a quarter have already experienced intimate partner violence
• by 2030, the number of adolescent girls living in low- and middle-income countries is projected to reach 900 million

Yet overseas development assistance for girls’ programs is declining. 

Bihar is a microcosm of this global reality. Persistent patriarchy, intergenerational gender norms, and economic vulnerability create formidable barriers for girls. It is precisely here that THP chose to invest — and where the evidence of impact is most compelling.

A framework for change: The Four Powers

Our program is built around a feminist framework that understands power not as something given to girls, but as something unlocked within them and between them. The Four Powers framework — Power Within, Power To, Power With, and Power Over — guided both our approach and our evaluation.

Power Within is where the most profound change begins: girls discovering their own worth, identity, and sense of possibility. 

Power To is the realisation that they can take action — to access education, healthcare, or legal protections. 

Power With is the collective strength that emerges when girls organise, advocate, and hold institutions to account together. 

Power Over addresses the hardest challenge: dismantling the social norms and structural barriers that have long constrained girls’ lives.

Our model is proven

Our 2021–2024 endline evaluation, conducted by external evaluators across 753 adolescent girls, reveals results that are both meaningful and measurable.

• Over 95% of girls surveyed reported awareness of their fundamental rights as young women and citizens — a critical foundation for everything else
• 83% said they had a say in decisions about their own marriages, including delaying or stopping them altogether
• 79% had participated in collective action to claim their rights and entitlements 
• 83% had raised their voices against some form of gender discrimination

In communities where girls have historically been the last to speak and the first to be silenced, these figures represent a genuine shift in power.

Continued investment matters

The Lancet evidence is clear: the most effective interventions start with the girl and extend outward — to her family, her community, her institutions. They engage families and community influencers. They treat girls as active participants, not passive beneficiaries. This is exactly the model THP’s Sukanya Clubs embody, providing safe spaces where girls build skills, solidarity, and the courage to lead.

The evidence also shows that education paired with financial literacy and vocational training yields lasting gains in employment and resilience — a direction our next program phase is already building toward.

Girls in Bihar are proving every day that when you invest in their power, they change everything around them. The question is whether the rest of the world will keep up.

We are attending Women Deliver 2026 – world’s largest gender equality conference – this April. We’re also continuing the conversation with I am my own leader – our own series of events across Melbourne, Sydney and Perth bringing grassroots leaders from India, Mexico and Uganda directly to you. Join us for both.

This April, Khushi boards a plane for the first time, travelling from rural Bihar, India to Melbourne for Women Deliver 2026, the world’s largest gender equality conference. One of the first graduates of The Hunger Project’s Adolescent Girls’ Program, she grew up in a household where two meals a day were uncertain and early marriage loomed. She resisted and chose education instead. Her story is proof that when girls are supported at the right time, they become change-makers for others.

For many adolescent girls in rural Bihar, life is shaped by poverty, restricted mobility, and deeply rooted gender norms. Decisions about education, marriage, health, and work are often made for them, not by them. Safe spaces where girls can gather, speak freely, learn about their rights, and imagine a different future are rare. Khushi’s life reflected this reality.

Born into a poor and marginalised family, Khushi grew up witnessing instability and hardship. Her father abandoned his responsibilities, leaving her mother to raise five children through daily wage labour. As the eldest daughter, she carried domestic burdens from a young age and dropped out of school after Year 8.

I was called Khushi, but there was no happiness in my life”, she recalls.

Creating safe spaces for girls

The turning point came in 2021, when The Hunger Project supported the formation of a Sukanya Club (Girls’ Clubs as part of THP’s Adolescent Girls Program) in Khushi’s village – a safe space where girls could speak openly, learn about their rights, education, health, and the harms of early marriage. For Khushi, it was an entry point to dignity, confidence, and choice. She learnt about:

• Girls’ rights and entitlements
• Education and life skills
• Harms of child and early marriage
• Gender equality and decision-making
• Health, including menstrual hygiene

From dropout to decision-maker

Within months, Khushi returned to school. When her family pressured her into marriage during Year 10, she resisted – drawing on knowledge from the Sukanya Club to explain how child marriage harms a girl’s future. Marriage proposals resurfaced repeatedly. Each time, she negotiated for time to study, work, and become financially independent.

I will be the first woman in my family to complete both school and college.

Building economic and educational independence

Khushi saved every scholarship and incentive she received, using them for school fees and books. After completing Year 12, she began teaching at a local private school – supporting her own education and contributing to her siblings’ schooling.

Today, Khushi is pursuing her Bachelor’s degree while preparing for competitive examinations. She continues to teach and has emerged as a youth leader and role model in her community.

Khushi now mentors adolescent girls, encourages them to delay marriage, and speaks openly about gender-based violence and discrimination – using the same safe-space approach that transformed her own life.

The Sukanya (Girls) Club gave me strength, courage, and direction to live a life with dignity…I refused the life of (back-breaking) bidi-making and chose a different future.

Khushi’s journey reflects what becomes possible when safe spaces are created and girls are enabled to lead their own change. This May, she’s travelling to Australia for Women Deliver 2026 and our I am my own leader events in Melbourne and Perth. Come meet her in person.

Through THP’s programs, Indigenous woman Nereida transformed from speaking in whispers to addressing the UN and inspiring several other women along the way. Here’s the transcript of her speech The Hunger Project’s Fall Event on October 18, 2025.


My name is Nereida, I am a (Sabateko) Indigenous woman from Oaxaca, Mexico. I have traveled a long road to be here with you tonight, and I want to tell you just how long that journey has been.

In my community, San Pablo Huitla, violence against women is a constant threat — a reality that women face every day in nearly every home. This violence has become normalised, seen as a custom.

People say, “You’re a woman — you must endure it, and you must stay at home.” My mother lived for many years with my father’s violence. She didn’t stay because she accepted it, but because she couldn’t abandon her daughters. She would say to my seven sisters and me, “What will become of you? For you, I must endure. For you, I will stay.”

Then one day, when I was 23 years old, I had a kind of awakening — a spark. I made a commitment to myself that things in my family had to change. I confronted my father and told him his violence had to end.

He saw how serious I was — that I would not stay silent. And you know what? My father surprised me. He began to change. He started helping at home. He began treating my mother with respect.

From that, I learned something that has stayed with me ever since: that even the deepest, most ingrained patterns can be transformed. And I also learned that inside me, there is a spark — a spark that wants to find all the barriers women face and tear them down.

I was the first in my family to go to university. I went further and became a lawyer — because even though I am a small, brown, Indigenous woman, I wanted at least the chance to be heard.
But even with a law degree, I was shy. I had little confidence. When I spoke in a room full of men, I felt out of place — profoundly alone. Racism and machismo erased me, as if I didn’t exist.

Later, I got married and had a son. Tradition and expectations told me I should abandon my career — that my life should now be dedicated entirely to raising my child.

One day, I saw a post from The Hunger Project Mexico, inviting people to join something called the Community-Led Development School — a kind of experiential learning laboratory focused on critical thinking and local leadership.

I almost let it pass. My heart said yes, but all the voices around me said no. “Don’t go. You can’t. You’re a mother now. Stay home. Stay small. Stay silent.” But I applied — and I was accepted.

A voice inside me said, “There’s no turning back now.”

On the first day of the school, I sat quietly in the corner of the room and spoke almost in a whisper. If you had been there, you might not have even noticed me. I couldn’t yet see myself or hear myself. I didn’t know if I even belonged there. But the school is much more than a classroom. It’s a space of transformation — a place where community leaders, women, men, and youth dare to imagine a different future together. A space where we begin to understand that there are people we have never met who believe in us.

I began to see myself differently. I learned that I am a citizen — with rights and responsibilities. I rediscovered that spark I had felt as a child. Together with other women, I began practicing saying in one united voice: “Yes — our voices matter.”

We learned to engage in dialogue with local authorities — in an informed and organised way. At the end of the school, we drafted a community development agenda and presented it to our municipal government. Together, we insisted again and again until we were heard.

Now, I have an office in my community where women can meet with me and receive legal advice in their own language. I help them seek protection from domestic violence, obtain legal titles to their land, and start their own businesses. Thanks to this, we recently learned that two groups of women in my community received three years of funding from a community foundation. One group received support to open a bakery; the other to establish a small farm for home use and
local market sales.

Today, my community has both a bakery and a farm — both led by women. None of this would have been possible without The Hunger Project Mexico. They welcomed me as a whole person and walked beside me as I grew in my leadership. They didn’t give me money — they gave me something far more valuable: they recognised my ability to be self-reliant.

Last March, The Hunger Project Mexico invited me to speak before the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. Me — an Indigenous woman, a young mother, who left her community to speak on a global stage.

Again, many people at home asked, “How can you leave your husband and your child?” Tradition told me not to go — and even told my husband not to let me go. But something profound happened.

My husband began his own transformation. He chose to support me and stay to care for our son. He saw my leadership not as a threat, but as something we could share. He said, “We can do this together.” Together, we are creating a new kind of family — one built on true partnership at its heart We are what I always dreamed of: a team. We stand side by side — in our home, in our community, and in this movement.

When I returned from speaking at the UN, everything had changed. Women began walking long distances to knock on my door. They said, “If you can raise your voice, maybe I can too. If you can stand on a stage, then maybe I can too. Because when a woman like me rises, entire generations rise with her.”

Together, we are proving that traditions can be transformed — because when a custom endangers the life of a woman, that custom must change. And to all of you — to the women and men here tonight: don’t let anyone take away your dreams. Every dream you hold inside deserves to survive.

Thank you very much.
Gracias

If you’d like to invest in community partners like Nereida with the tools to change their own future, you can make a tax-deductible donation here.

Give a gift with a deeper meaning this festive season.

At The Hunger Project, we believe in the power of partnership. 

That’s why we’ve handpicked a collection of thoughtfully chosen gifts that align with our vision of a world where every person has the opportunity, resources, and dignity to build a life free from hunger and poverty. 

Each product in this guide comes from businesses and makers who share our commitment to empowerment, sustainability, and community-led change. When you choose these gifts, you’re supporting a global movement – one where women lead, communities thrive, and lasting transformation is possible. 

Scroll down to discover gifts that give back, knowing that your choices ripple outward – empowering our partners across Africa, South Asia and Latin America to create the change they envision for their own communities. 

This season, give gifts that transform lives with THPA’s Empowering Change Gift Guide!

At 70 years old, Jacob is doing something no one in his community has done before.

In Akode Epicentre in rural Ghana, he’s gathering cement, bricks, and timber to build the first household toilet his village has ever seen.

I want to be the first person to construct one so that others can follow my example,” Jacob says. “I am determined to be the pace setter.

A sanitation crisis that we can help solve

Across rural Africa, roughly three out of four people still lack access to safe, improved toilets. In Ghana alone, more than 70% of the population lives without proper sanitation facilities, and in northern regions, over half the community still practices open defecation.

These are they daily realities that shape health, dignity, and futures. When human waste isn’t safely contained, it seeps into wells and surface water. Diarrheal diseases follow, claiming 1.5 million children’s lives globally each year. In sub-Saharan Africa, waterborne illness remains one of the leading causes of death for children under five.

For girls, the absence of toilets means an education interrupted during menstruation, compromised safety, and limited privacy.

Changing habits and mindsets

Jacob remembers when open defecation was simply how things were done.

“We all practice open defecation since our childhood, so we see nothing wrong with it,” he explains. But when The Hunger Project partnered with Health Animators to bring sanitation training to Akode, everything shifted.” I got to know that open defecation causes disease and sickness which can easily be avoided just by changing our mind-set.”

Community-led transformation doesn’t happen simply by building more toilets.

Communities need to be partnered with, and equipped with knowledge, empowered to lead their own change. Jacob attended The Hunger Project’s trainings over the years, absorbing information about health risks, sanitation solutions, and the dignity every family deserves.

As an opinion leader in Akode, he made a choice to show leadership and to be the example.

Now, Jacob’s son is helping him construct the toilet and bathroom that will serve his family. But he’s already accomplished something greater: he’s sparked a shift in his community’s collective consciousness.

“Just by taking this step, others have realised that we need to stop spreading diseases around this community and be responsible,” Jacob reflects.

This is community-led development at its finest. No one imposed this change on Jacob or his neighbors. Instead, they were given knowledge, support, and the space to envision a healthier future—then trusted to build it themselves.

Flushing equals flourishing  

Expanding toilet access in rural Africa is one of the most cost-effective public health interventions available. Improved sanitation directly correlates with reduced child mortality, better nutrition, and stronger educational outcomes. It builds climate-resilient communities where children can thrive.

Jacob’s toilet won’t solve Ghana’s sanitation crisis alone. But his leadership, and the ripple effect it creates, represents how sustainable change happens: one decision, one household, one community at a time.

“I am very grateful to THP for the bold effort in reshaping our mind-set on this issue,” Jacob says. On World Toilet Day, we share Jacob’s story of leadership with pride. Access to a toilet is about dignity, health, and the fundamental belief that every person deserves to live without preventable disease.

If you’d like to invest in community partners like Jacob with the tools to change their own future, you can make a tax-deductible donation here.

In this edition of our Employee Spotlight Series we profile Talia Smith, our incredible Programs & Impacts Manager, who helps bring our programs to life.

1. What inspired you to join THPA?

It was The Hunger Project’s model of self-reliance. I joined as I was doing my studies in international development, and one thing I learned about constantly was, how broken the system of international development can be when it’s leading to this dependency model; so working for an organisation that addressed that and confronted it and made sure that the model was completely the opposite of creating dependency was something that was really important to me.

2. What programs resonate most with you in your work?

The program that resonates with me the most is the Vision, Commitment Action workshops. It’s something that I think is so unique to the Hunger Project. And, it’s one thing that I’ve seen on the ground with our community partners, time and time again as being the most transformational part of the work, having, just that knowledge that you can transform your life to be without hunger and poverty is such a shift in mindset for so many people. And, I’ve heard from so many community partners that it’s that workshop that has been to transform their lives.

3. What’s one piece of advice that you’d want to give to someone who is looking to make a difference?

There is no action that’s too small. I think for so many people, and especially young people, it can seem like there’s so many horrible things going on in the world and that the problems can just be too big to even hope to address in our lifetime. But doing something small, a small action or a small donation can still be so impactful. So doing whatever in your capacity to do can also still have an impact.

4. What’s one quote that’s influenced you in your life?

A quote that I love is, the best day to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best day is today. And I think that resonates so much with our work and with your personal life. I guess it would be better to have started 20 years ago, but any action that you can start today will still impact your future.

5. How do you like to unwind in your free time?

I love doing anything creative that I get to make something, any arts and crafts, knitting or pottery or something a little bit creative, or even just cooking from my friends and family and showing my love in that way.

To learn about our other staff, check out our news page here!

We’re excited to celebrate an extraordinary decade of partnership with DECJUBA that has transformed communities across India, Bangladesh, Senegal and Uganda.

For me, to be great, it means you have to have big dreams and most importantly you have to have people who want to come with you to achieve those dreams…we exist to support incredible partners to do what they do best, create a sustainable change, drive better outcomes and impact this one life that we all have.

– Tania Austin, Owner, DECJUBA

In India, DECJUBA has championed women’s political leadership, supporting Elected Women Representatives to run for local village councils. These women are now driving transformative change in healthcare, education, sanitation, food security, and gender equality.

Across Bangladesh, DECJUBA’s investment has mobilised rural communities to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals at the grassroots level – addressing poverty, hunger, gender inequality, and child marriage.

In Africa, the impact has been profound. DECJUBA has supported eight Epicentre communities across Senegal and Uganda. Six communities – Namarel, Dodel, Mpal, Dahra, Diokul, and Mpigi – have achieved self-reliance, now having the leadership, skills and resources to continue their development independently. Oruka will reach this milestone next year, and DECJUBA has just begun supporting Amuru Epicentre.

Walking alongside communities

The DECJUBA team hasn’t just invested from afar but have also witnessed transformation firsthand through immersion experiences in India and Uganda. To amplify impact, they’ve created customised collections with us and responded immediately with emergency funding when COVID-19 threatened communities in India.

At the heart of this milestone is the incredible DECJUBA team. From head office to every store, they’ve been true champions of this partnership. Their passion and creativity have not only raised vital funds but have inspired thousands of customers to believe in what’s possible when business and purpose come together. Together, we’ve reached over 10 million lives – from empowering women leaders in India to drive change in their communities, to enabling women to give birth safely in Uganda, to ensuring families can access clean drinking water. It’s a remarkable testament to what’s possible through shared vision and commitment.

Beyond the numbers, it’s the spirit of DECJUBA that shines through. Time and again, their team has shown up with generosity, kindness and a genuine desire to create lasting change. Ten years of partnership is an extraordinary milestone, and we are so deeply grateful – they are more than partners, they are part of The Hunger Project family.

To learn more about our partnerships click here and to see the vital impact they’ve created, click here.

Today marks International Day of Charity (observed globally on September 5th), recognising the role of charities in alleviating humanitarian crises and human suffering. This day encourages people to give to causes they believe in and reminds us of the power of collective action in creating positive change.

We’re excited to share insights from our valued partners at Peeplcoach. Co-founders Christine Khor & James Chisholm have been instrumental investors in The Hunger Project, personally contributing to, and helping to raise through introductions to their networks, over $4.7 million toward ending hunger.

(Republished with permission from Peeplcoach’s blog)

For those who know James Chisholm and me, you’ll know we’re completely different people. James is 6 ft tall, a rugby player, and loves adventure sports. I’m 5 ft nothing, get completely bored by Monday morning chats about the latest sports results, and prefer exercise to be calm and peaceful — something that lets me have a chat while moving. And yet, despite being very different in so many ways, we’re aligned in two big areas: our commitment to The Hunger Project, and our vision and dedication to Peeplcoach.

It all started with The Hunger Project.

Without The Hunger Project, we may not have become co-founders. It’s fair to say that when we first met, we didn’t exactly click. What we both noticed were our differences — and, if we’re honest, some stereotypes and unconscious biases came into play.

If you had told either of us back then — 25 years ago — that we’d one day build a business together, we probably would’ve quoted Darryl Kerrigan from The Castle:
“Tell him he’s dreamin’.”

But what brought us together was a shared commitment to equity, fairness, education, empowerment, human rights, and above all — leadership. These are the values that underpin both The Hunger Project and Peeplcoach, which is why James, Peeplcoach, and I have personally given and fundraised more than $193,000. Additionally, through our advocacy and introductions to our networks, we have helped raise a total of $4.7 million towards ending hunger. THP is our principal charity partner because, like us, they believe in human potential, leadership, and in the power of individuals, teams, and communities to create sustainable change.

Today, the need could not be greater. In 2024, 673 million people faced chronic hunger — that’s 1 in every 12 people worldwide. Women and children are most affected, with only 48% of women and 25% of children in Africa having access to the essential food groups they need.

Why The Hunger Project?

No one says it better than the village partners themselves — or Rowlands Kaotcha, The Hunger Project’s Global CEO and President. We encourage you to take just five minutes out of your day to be inspired by the impact of The Hunger Project , but for those of you who like to read rather than watch, here are the reasons we at Peeplcoach are committed to the work of THP:

In 2024 alone, THP reached 12.9 million people across Africa, India, Bangladesh and Mexico. Communities where THP operates have seen a 20% decrease in hunger, a 24% decrease in child marriage, and a 27% increase in women-owned businesses. In fact, 96% of community partners report an improved quality of life.

1. Mindset matters — reframing problems into opportunities and believing in leadership as the foundation of sustainable change
2. It takes a village (or a high-performing team) to embed lasting change and success.
3. Vision, action, commitment — It starts with every individual having a clear VISION of their future, putting ACTIONS in place and then COMMITTING to take those actions. Ideas are easy, implementation is hard!!
4. Lifelong learning — curiosity, education, training, and development are essential.
5. Asking for help is a strength — none of us has all the answers, and we can’t do it alone.
6. Sustainable change takes time — it requires ongoing focus, commitment, and practice.
7. Innovation comes from need and passion — and from everyday people stepping just outside their comfort zones.
8. Say yes — say how, say when. Don’t let “no” or “I can’t” be your default.
9. Leadership is a verb — not a title, not a reward. It’s about how we think, communicate, and take action.

And finally, in the words of Rowlands Kaotcha:
“Every human being is the master of their own destiny.”

We recently spoke to Steven Marks, Founder and Co-CEO at Guzman y Gomez, to find out more about their mission for a healthier world.

1. Hi Steven, can you tell us a little bit about Guzman y Gomez?

Founded in Australia, GYG’s mission is to reinvent fast food and change the way the masses eat. GYG’s Hola Central head office and corporate restaurants employ over 4,000 people.

2. What was it about our work that piqued your interest?

We love that The Hunger Project’s Eat Well program in Mexico is working with women and communities to promote eating traditional and nutritious food. This approach to fighting hunger and malnutrition through innovative food programs is based on real insights and driving genuine impact, which feels powerful. GYG is proud to support the Eat Well Program that funds education and engagement with Indigenous families around locally grown, traditional, seasonal food. More than simply providing ingredients, the program invites the participants to learn skills in farming, compost and cooking to create lasting change.

3. How do GYG and THP’s values align?

At GYG we feel strongly that everyone should have access to healthy food. With over 673 million people living in hunger globally, there is a huge job to be done to increase awareness, funding and education around food, to end hunger and poverty. The work that The Hunger Project is doing to empower communities around the world through nutrition, education and farming programs is well aligned to our commitment to improving the way the world eats and creating generational change to serve children, women and communities.

4. Why does GYG place value on embedding purpose into your business model?

At GYG, purpose isn’t an add-on – it’s the foundation of everything we do. From day one, we’ve believed in the power of real food to create real change. Fast food doesn’t have to mean bad food, and that’s why we prepare fresh, clean meals daily as part of our mission to reinvent fast food and change the way the masses eat.

5. What does your partnership with The Hunger Project mean to the organisation?

GYG sincerely values the partnership with The Hunger Project as it allows our people and company to give back to the people of Mexico – a country that has provided so much inspiration for the food and culture of GYG. With 1 in 4 indigenous children in Mexico suffering from chronic malnutrition, the need is greater than ever to take action.

6. What advice would you give to other corporations who are considering giving back through a partnership?

Developing long-term, meaningful partnerships with community organisations like The Hunger Project is a fantastic way to make a positive impact outside of regular business activities. It also helps to inspire kindness that encourages everyone to make a positive difference in the world beyond their day-to-day routines.

To learn more about why partnering with The Hunger Project can benefit your business, check out our Partnerships page here.

In this edition of our Employee Spotlight Series we profile Jeena Joyan, our incredible Major Gifts Manager, who brings heart and purpose to everything she does at THPA.

1. What inspired you to join The Hunger Project Australia?

I’ve always had a soft spot for international aid and wanted to be part of an organisation or a cause that has far reaching impact and globally. And what the Hunger Project does, with its very female focused strategy and its opportunity to be part of programs that absolutely bring about self-reliance for the communities that we support, especially in Africa, was something that was really, really powerful and something that I definitely wanted to be a part of – so that we create a world without hunger in a meaningful, sustainable, and scalable way. 

2. What’s the program that’s resonated most with you in your work? 

It’d be the Epicentre strategy that the Hunger Project has. This is a really phenomenal strategy that is all about collaboration – to change the mindset of our community partners from I can’t to I can to we can. This strategy of working collaboratively, with local communities, local governments and the global The Hunger Project team, creates opportunities that allow the the people that we’re supporting to be able to rise above and really be the champions and the creators of a different reality to what they’re experiencing now has resonated most with me.

5. How do you like to unwind in your free time? 

I’d love to say I, curl up with a book or, you know, whatever. But to be honest, I rarely get the opportunity to be able to have unwind time. It’s something I’m working on! But if I had a good block of time, then one of the things that I absolutely love to do, is to pick up my paint brushes and do some painting on a canvas. It’s something that has been part of my childhood. Drawing or getting carried away in the act of creation inspires me.

To learn about our other staff, check out our news page here!