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Hunger Hero: Christine Khor, founder of Peeplcoach

There are many reasons why people feel drawn to supporting The Hunger Project; Chris Khor is candid about the moment in her life that drew her to our work.

“I was having my first midlife crisis at 45 in 2012. I call it “divine dissatisfaction”; I had a thriving
business, I had resources, I had a functioning family, but there was something that was not quite
there. I saw an opportunity to go to Uganda and I said right there and then – “I want to go.”
I’d never been to Africa, but something compelled me to apply.”

She recalls raising $20,000 in a whirlwind of activity – before spending the flight there in a flood of
tears.

“I still have the journal. I was writing about how I hated my job and who I was working with, the
sense of fulfillment just was missing,” she reflects.

“Then we went out and saw the work and it changed me. I went from being this crying, entitled,
middle-aged woman to someone who felt incredibly blessed. I got over myself on that trip.”

The trip gave Chris the clarity and focus she needed.

“When I came back – I changed everything except my husband! I went back uni, I sold the dream
house, I changed where the kids were going to school. Within a year I had started a new business,
Chorus Executive.”

As well as running a successful business, Chris utilised her extensive network to spread the word of
our work, while also joining our Board to contribute further to ending hunger.

Adding to her list of achievements, she has since gone on to found PeeplCoach, an online coaching
and leadership development business that empowers people to bring their best to work and to
face their biggest obstacle – themselves.

“PeeplCoach’s mission is aligned to The Hunger Project; it’s about giving individuals the tools and
education to define their own future to be more productive, successful and sustainable.”
“Our partnership allows us to have a big impact while also helping to create a fairer world.”

As a female founder and entrepreneur, Chris feels strongly about empowering women to be future
leaders.

“We’re very proud that 51% of our coaching cohort are women. We are equalising the playing field
– in executive coaching, the average is around 10%,” Chris explains.
“The women-led component is very important to me personally. I fundamentally believe in
education, keeping girls in school, ensuring they have the opportunity for education and access to
healthcare.”

On a personal level, Chris reflects on the life-long friendships The Hunger Project has fostered.
“Two of my closest friends are from that period of time, and the calibre of the people we are
friends with, the kindness and generosity is next level. It’s also allowed me to bring a realness to
others and added an extra layer of purpose to my life.”

To find out how your business can partner with us, get in touch here.

The Purposeful Present Edit 2023

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These gifts help end hunger and poverty for women and girls – what a gift.

Want to give a gift that makes a positive impact, for both the giver and receiver?

Look no further than our Purposeful Presents 2023 Edit! Featuring an amazing range of gifts from our most excellent partners, you’ll find something for everyone at a range of price points, from budget to splurge. 

$50 and Under

Hey Tiger premium chocolate $10
Proceeds to THP: 2% from every block

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Unicorn Charity Bags, Camilla $29
Proceeds to THP: 100%

Camilla-Unicorn-Bag-2

Wash Wild $8
Proceeds to THP: 50c from every bottle

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Dock and Bay quick dry towels $49
Proceeds to THP: 20%

Dock-and-Bay-1

Montalto Wines Range starts from $25
Montalto supports over 1,000 young girls in India through our Adolescent Girls program

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Bared Footwear$24
Profits to THP: 100%

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Clemence OrganicsFrom $25
Profits to THP: monthly donation

ClemenceOrganicsBodyEssentials

Under $100

THP x Kinnon Card holders$50 – $60
Proceeds to THP: 50%

Kinnon-Mixed-Card-Holder

Showpo sweats$79.95
Profits to THP: 100%

Showpo-Grey

Amazing Decjuba tee$59.95
Proceeds to the Decjuba Foundation (THP is a beneficiary)

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Women Empowered Fund Impact Report

It’s been a big year for women’s empowerment at The Hunger Project and our Women Empowerment Fund has lifted up thousands of women and girls in Africa and India.

Small things we take for granted become game changers, like internet access, going to school, getting a small business loan; we’re delighted to share just some of the inspiring stories in the below report and in this short video.

Women Empowered Impact Report The Hunger Project

World Food Day: Water is life, water is food. Leave no one behind.

We are proud to join our global community this World Food Day in raising awareness about the importance of water and creating sustainable solutions to conserve it. 

Clean water is key to creating a world without hunger. It is connected to nutrition, health, the environment and the economy. At The Hunger Project, we partner with rural communities to enhance water access, sanitation and conservation, developing new water sources and promoting sustainable practices.

Global access to safe water remains a challenge. Approximately 2.4 billion people in the world reside in water-stressed countries. Among those affected, women bear a disproportionate burden due to the scarcity of clean and safe water. Often tasked with fetching water, women endure long walks and even violence during their journeys. Reliable access to clean water not only reduces risks but also mobilizes  women to invest in their families and communities and enables girls to attend school. 

We recognise that the majority of freshwater used globally supports agriculture. Most people living with hunger depend on agriculture for their livelihoods, leaving them susceptible to environmental degradation, water scarcity and climate change impacts. Therefore, efficient, low-barrier water conservation methods are critical to create thriving communities. 

Additionally, every year, countless adults and children lose their lives due to diseases spread through unsafe water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene. Illnesses like cholera, dysentery and diarrhea are prevalent, causing hundreds of thousands of children to live with malnutrition. 

Climate change, agriculture, population growth, urbanisation and economic development are putting the planet’s water resources under increasing stress. Now is the time to work with communities to find sustainable approaches to water conservation and to ensure that every person has access to clean, affordable water.  

What we do.

  • Promoting Local Food Varieties
    Our food consumption has a direct impact on water resources. At The Hunger Project, we work with communities to identify native crops that thrive under local conditions. This helps reduce the need for complex irrigation systems and promotes biodiversity.
  • Promote sustainable farming practices
    We work with our community partners to create and manage community demonstration farms. Community partners learn techniques to sustainably improve crop yields, providing entire communities with increased access to food. Through taking part in The Hunger Project programs, farmers like
    Issa, have learnt how to practice sustainable farming and to grow climate resistant crops.
  • Build water and sanitation capacity
    We establish water project boards made up of community leaders who are trained by experts on how to monitor, maintain and repair water systems; training people in the use and repair of water pumps and generators; and training a core of local leaders in water safety and purification so they can lead workshops throughout the community and expand grassroots knowledge. We also partner with philanthropists such as The Petre Foundation to deliver the Water First project across sites in Africa to increase access to clean, safe water. 

Digital Generation. Our Generation

In today’s rapidly evolving world, the digital landscape offers boundless opportunities for growth and progress for girls. As we celebrate International Day of the Girl under the theme “Digital Generation. Our Generation,” we’re reminded of the incredible potential that technology holds for empowering girls to become leaders, innovators and change-makers in their communities and beyond.

Systems of inequity, like a lack of access to online resources, are keeping hunger in place in communities around the world. When girls have the opportunity to connect to online platforms it gives them the power to access rapid and current information, which improves their education, businesses and engagement with civil society and political processes. In turn, each of these facets of life contribute to ending hunger in communities around the world. 

 At The Hunger Project, we are committed to harnessing this potential, by encouraging girls to embrace digital resources as a tool for personal and societal advancement. Our programs equip girls with vital skills in digital literacy, enabling them to confidently navigate the virtual world and drive positive change in their communities.

As girls navigate the digital landscape, they become architects of their own destinies, defying traditional barriers and stereotypes. Through this empowering program, The Hunger Project envisions a world where the potential of every girl is realised, and where their contributions, both in the virtual realm and the real world, drive meaningful change for generations to come.

At The Hunger Project, we recognise the intersection between digital engagement and hunger as a powerful avenue for transformative change. We envision a future where technology enables girls to not only uplift themselves but also contribute to the fight against global hunger. 

The Legends of Larapinta!

Eight women. 39 kilometres. One stunning ancient landscape.

All of us were from different places and life stages but found ourselves sharing common ground early on; in search of deeper connection with ourselves, with nature and with each other. In fact, interconnectedness became our unofficial ‘theme’ for the week!

As the Senior Partnerships Manager at The Hunger Project, I’ve had the great privilege to visit some pretty amazing places, but doing the Larapinta Trek with seven incredible women was a life highlight.

Before I go into the details of the trip itself, I’d like to acknowledge that all of the participants – Chelsea, Carlie, Jen, Jodie, Sharon and Vanessa, all fundraised a minimum of $6,000 to take part – collectively raising an incredible $46k for The Hunger Project. A massive effort!

Facilitating the trip was the fabulously talented Kemi Nekvapil (check out her books and podcast!). Kemi is a long-time supporter of our approach to ending hunger, which focuses on the VCA principles: Vision, Commitment and Action. These principles were weaved into our journey, guiding us through to our destination.

Also guiding us was Anna from Autopia Tours. What a phenomenal woman! Anna was so passionate and knowledgeable and guided us beautifully throughout our trek.

We all arrived in Mparntwe/Alice Springs excited and full of anticipation. After a special Welcome to Country at the Olive Pink Botanic Gardens, where we learnt about the deep connection First Nations people have to the land and each other, we all gathered for dinner to meet and get to know one another before spending the next three days on the land and under the stars.

The first day was a mild trek to ease us into the absolutely majestic scenery and the days to come. The sounds of nature surrounded us, as we had space away from our busy lives and constant streams of information to think about what we wanted for our futures. Throughout the day, we found quiet, reflective spots where we would rest and talk through a part of The Hunger Project’s VCA approach and how it related to our own lives.

After a day of walking and a tasty campfire dinner prepared by the brilliant Autopia team, we snuggled into our tents and prepped for a 1:30am alarm. We were getting up in the middle of the night to climb Mount Sonder (Rwetyepme) – in the dark with head torches no less! The walk up the mountain was very windy and cold, but there was a certain point in the trek where the stars appear BELOW you and we were enveloped in night – it was a magical, spiritual experience. Reaching the top of Mount Sonder for sunrise, with a hot thermos full of tea to share in the company of this group of women, was well worth the lack of sleep.

On our final trek day, we walked through Ormiston Pound and into Ormiston Gorge – as you can see by the pics, it is breathtaking. We finished our trek with a water crossing up to our waists – a symbolic conclusion to an unforgettable experience.

Some of the words that the participants used to describe the trip were “life-changing, awe-inspiring and profound”. For me, the camaraderie, vulnerability, shared laughter and tears was what made this trip so special. A huge thank you to the inimitable Kemi, who has supported The Hunger Project and lives our values each and every day, and she generously shares her gifts so that others may grow.

Latest report advancing Adolescent Girls in Bihar

The Adolescent Girls program is one of our most inspiring and important initiatives, and the results in 2022 are no exception.

I’m proud that this yearly update includes the following positive outcomes:

• As of December 2022, 97% of the Adolescent Girls enrolled in the program remain unmarried

31 Sukanya Club members stepped up to help prevent 18 early marriages of other girls in the program. These girls remain unmarried and are continuing their education

126 Adolescent Girls took the lead in saying no to their own forced marriages

• 79% of girls who had dropped out had been re-enrolled in school

25 schools now have functional toilets and drinking water after 99 Adolescent Girls took the lead to ensure the availability of clean toilets and drinking water after following up with school administration and School Management Committee members.

These amazing achievements are a collective effort, and we are very grateful for your unwavering belief in girls to shine and thrive

You can read the report in full here.

 

Philippe Magid
CEO, The Hunger Project Australia

Life before The Hunger Project

You might have heard us mention the Majete community in Malawi before; it’s a cluster of eight communities surrounding Majete Wildlife Reserve.

 

 

Less than 20 years ago, the Reserve was an empty forest with almost all of its animals – including elephants, rhinos, lions, leopards, and buffalos – hunted out. Local communities had traditionally relied on the reserve’s animals and natural resources for food and income. In 2003, African Parks was brought in to rehabilitate the reserve. Despite the return of animals, tourists, and jobs just a decade later, the communities surrounding Majete had yet to benefit. Without access to the reserve’s resources, communities were still experiencing poverty, underserved by government services, and critically in need of support to develop alternative livelihoods.

 

Our Epicentre Strategy was identified as the holistic and integrated approach needed to enable the communities surrounding Majete to thrive.

So far, The Hunger Project globally has supported six of the eight Majete communities. On a recent trip to Malawi, I – along with a group of committed Investors, including Bared Footwear and the WA consortium – visited Majete 7, a community that has been waiting patiently for us for years. This was one of my first real experiences of life before the Hunger Project in Africa. It certainly gave me serious motivation to work harder for our mission.

We spent time with the women of the community and heard their stories. Some were hard to listen to – such as women giving birth on the roadside before they could reach the far-away health centre – and some were uplifting. We spent time with the young people of the community, and again, the stories are very dire with little to no employment or education opportunities.

The water situation is also shocking. The stories from the water well – a hand-dug hole that is disease-ridden, with cholera taking numerous lives in the community already – were heartbreaking.

It was an emotional visit. With the support of our incredible Investors, we were able to share the news that a locally-led THP-Malawi team will be on the ground in the coming months.

This is the reality for many people in Africa. Visits like these fuel my determination to keep trying harder, to be faster in funding, to share these stories and to encourage generosity so that no person, no matter where they were born or their gender, must live under the heavy burden of hunger and poverty.

 

Philippe Magid

CEO, The Hunger Project Australia

An electric moment in Malawi

In June, I travelled to Malawi with eight of our fantastic Investors to celebrate the Self-Reliance milestone achieved by the Kachindamoto and Nsondole communities.

I have been so fortunate to experience several Self-Reliance celebrations in my short time at The Hunger Project, and I love that you can visit two communities that have benefited from similar approaches, but both end up in a different but more positive place.

Kachindamoto is a poorer area of Malawi and is further away from major infrastructure and towns. Their creativity and vibrancy were on full display during their self-reliance ceremony – their dance and musical performances were amazing to witness.

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One of the moments that we really will cherish was switching on the maize mill. The community’s creativity and positive energy was an awesome experience. A big thank you to the WA consortium, led by Deb and Miles Protter, who have invested in Kachindamoto and their success.

Nsondole’s community development approach was in full swing; they had already funded a new building themselves, to lease out as a shop and hairdresser. One of their biggest wins was the moringa processing centre (they love moringa so much it features on their Epicentre logo!) Moringa is an African superfood, it grows well in the heat and is packed with essential nutrients – just 100g of moringa leaves is the same Vitamin C found in an orange. It was fantastic to have a crew from our longstanding partner Bared Footwear there, who have been one of the lead investors in Nsondole Epicentre.

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A huge thank you to all of the Investors who made this trip one to remember!

 

Philippe Magid

CEO, The Hunger Project Australia

The Sustainable End of Hunger Happens Locally, New UN Report Released

783 million people are living in hunger. Rural communities hold the answer.

This year’s State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) Report, launched July 12, 2023, revealed that up to 783 million people around the world are living in hunger. While this remains relatively unchanged* from the previous year, factors such as conflict, poverty, climate, economic shocks and COVID-19 have made it unlikely that we will meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal of ending hunger without significant changes to our global and local food systems.

In line with this year’s SOFI Report findings, we at The Hunger Project know that the global food crisis demands a bold, comprehensive, locally-led approach that addresses the complex issues that intersect with hunger, such as gender equalityaccess to educationthe digital divideconflict and climate action in community development. Across the rural communities we work with in Africa, South Asia and Latin America, we have seen the development of sustainable, equitable food systems — locally-led systems in which every person has reliable access to nutritious food. We know that, through radical collaboration, a world without hunger is possible.

What can you do?

Communities have the answers, but they are often denied access to the resources needed to take action. Individuals and civil society organisations need to call on governments and the private sector to allocate meaningful resources to sustainable, community-led solutions.

Notable Findings from SOFI 2023
  • Up to 783 million people in the world live in hunger.
  • In Africa, 1 in 4 people face hunger, more than double the world average.
  • Approximately 630 million people will be chronically undernourished in 2030.
  • 27.8% of adult women are moderately or severely food insecure, compared with 25.4% of men.
  • Nearly 148.1 million children under five years of age (22.3%) are stunted, and 45 million (6.8%) face wasting
  • The majority of the people living with chronic hunger today are women, as 27.8% of adult women facing chronic food insecurity were moderately or severely food insecure, compared with 25.4% of men.
Investing Rurally is Investing Globally

This year’s report highlights how locally-led solutions in rural areas are critical to addressing the hunger crisis globally. As Alvaro Lario, President of International Fund for Agricultural Development, said during the SOFI 2023 Launch Session, “Investing in rural development is key to reducing poverty and hunger in rural, urban and peri-urban areas alike.” Rapid urbanization often leads to the neglect of rural areas, resulting in limited access to markets and services, further deepening food insecurity. Strengthening linkages between urban and rural areas is crucial for addressing global hunger.

Creating sustainable, interconnected systems requires full participation from those living across the rural-urban continuum. SOFI 2023 reaffirms the importance of local leadership, declaring that development will only be sustainable when people have the right tools and resources to lead their own development. Hunger Project programs build a path to self-reliance by leveraging local partnerships and positioning women as change agents to enable communities to develop their own solutions to unique challenges.

Calling for a Coordinated Approach

The report also calls for coordinated investment by governments, civil society and the private sector in ending hunger in rural areas as a tactic for preventing hunger in urban areas. At The Hunger Project, we are committed to forging partnerships with grassroots organisations, government leaders and communities around the world. We employ a holistic approach that empowers women, mobilizes communities and foster partnerships with governments to end hunger and poverty.

A one-size-fits-all approach often falls short in addressing the diverse factors contributing to hunger. As Director General Qu Dongyu of the FAO said at the SOFI 2023 event, “Solutions should be localized and transformed to meet local context.”

Gender Gap Progress

In positive developments, the report elevated progress in gender-based food insecurity at the global level. In the wake of the pandemic, gendered-based food insecurity in 2021 rose to 3.8 percentage points. In 2022, reporting finds that it has declined to 2.4 percentage points. A global emphasis on the importance of women continues to create a new future of possibility.

Why Local Context Matters

Engaging local communities and stakeholders in the design and implementation of solutions is essential for their success and sustainability. By understanding the local ecosystems, cultural practices and socio-economic dynamics, we can develop context-specific interventions that effectively tackle hunger and strengthen resilience. Localization also involves recognizing and leveraging traditional knowledge and indigenous practices that have sustained communities for generations. By harnessing technology, empowering individuals with relevant skills and tailoring interventions to local contexts, we can forge a more equitable and resilient food system.

By bridging efforts and enacting change within governments, food systems, education, health and communities, our work at The Hunger Project lays the groundwork for sustainable progress leading to self-reliance.

Widespread hunger signifies deep-rooted challenges and exposes vulnerabilities in our current food production, distribution and consumption patterns. Understanding these implications is crucial for addressing the global food crisis and shaping an equitable and sustainable food system. This year’s SOFI Report explores those implications and proposes a coordinated path forward for all of us.

 

Photo: Bangladesh, 2022, Photo for The Hunger Project.

The 2023 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report was published on July 12, 2023, jointly by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Health Organisation (WHO).

*Though this number is lower than last year’s report, SOFI 2023 reporting agencies caution against perceiving this as an objective reduction in hunger. Reporting gaps from key regions may not be presenting a comprehensive picture.