World Food Safety Day: here’s how your food donation can reduce malnutrition in India

FOOD. It is the fuel of life that keeps us alive and in good health. Food contains nutrients that our bodies require to function. Food from each of the food groups is essential to make sure that our bodies receive nutritional support in the form of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals. For proper tissue growth, repair and maintenance, nutritious food eaten at regular intervals is important for both children and adults. Food is also what enables our bodies to build a strong immune system and fight off infection and illnesses. In a nutshell, food is what our bodies need to stay alive and help us live to the fullest. 

It is difficult – although not impossible – to live without our basic rights. But human life cannot exist without food. Even though food is an essential component of life, it is denied to millions of people across the world. It is estimated that more than 800 million people worldwide suffer from hunger and malnutrition, an increase from pre-COVID assessments. For these millions of people, the lack of access to food results in malnutrition, muscle and bone loss, disease and ultimately death. In India, there are around 190 million people suffering from hunger, almost 1/4th of the total number of people in extreme hunger.

Mission: Feed The Hungry distributes nutritious food donation packs to the most underprivileged and destitute people suffering from hunger. In working with on-ground NGOs across India, Mission: Feed The Hungry identifies the most at-risk people and feeds them daily nutritious meals to improve their strengthen their bodies and build their futures.

How food insecurity affects the underprivileged 

If people have no access to clean and nutritious food, they are forced to search for scraps of food discarded on the streets, in the garbage and even eat non-food items such as paper or sand just to satiate their crippling hunger pangs. The impact of this on the human body is disastrous. It leads to infections, diseases, deformities and untold suffering that people are forced to bear alone with no hope in sight. 

Hunger and the lack of food affects children in permanent ways since their bodies are still growing and developing. Malnutrition leads to stunted growth, slow brain development and weakened immune systems which leads to a host of diseases. In adults, hunger and starvation leads to reduced bone density, cognitive decline and mental disabilities. But in both children and adults, the physical effects of starvation are worsened by the mental anguish of having no food or no one to help them. 

Mission: Feed The Hungry 

To help millions of children and adults suffering from hunger and starvation, people can join Mission: Feed The Hungry. Mission: Feed The Hungry provides a food donation packet each day to underprivileged children and adults in desperate need of regular and nutritious meals. For children, their packed food donation midday meals are sent to their schools. This is to make sure that in addition to improving their health, the food donation meals also encourage them to attend school. For destitute and homeless adults, nutritious food donation packs ensure that their health improves so they can access employment opportunities to improve their futures. 

How will your food donation help underprivileged children?

The food donation meals distributed to children through Mission: Feed The Hungry improve children’s lives in various ways, from health to education. As the children start to eat regular and nutritious meals, they experience weight gain, higher energy levels, improved concentration and better overall strength. This allows them to enjoy their childhoods, and importantly, attend school. With better focus, memory and temperament in the classroom, the children are transformed into promising students who are on their way to improving their futures through education. 

How will your food donation help destitute adults?

Mission: Feed The Hungry changes the lives of destitute and homeless adults through food donation meals which improve their physical condition and enable them to access jobs to earn an income. Many of these adults are also advanced in age, so the lack of food accelerates the aging process and their bones, tissue and muscle deterioration go into sharp decline. Once they start eating the healthy meals from Mission: Feed The Hungry, their muscle mass improves, they have stable blood sugar and cholesterol levels and they are able to take care of themselves.

How Mission: Feed The Hungry meets the objectives of World Food Safety Day

World Food Safety Day is observed each year on June 7th to raise awareness on the importance of access to safe, clean and nutritious food for all people. Food contamination is a major focus on World Food Safety Day. The people helped by Mission: Feed The Hungry are often forced to consume rotten and contaminated food from garbage dumps just to survive that day. The objectives of World Food Safety Day are directly related to Sustainable Development Goal 2 which is Zero Hunger. But the impact of eradicating hunger through packed food donation meals leads to meeting the objectives of other SDGs such as Good Health & Well Being, Quality Education, Decent Work & Economic Growth. 

Support Mission: Feed The Hungry 

When you support Mission: Feed The Hungry, the food donation that your financial contribution enables goes straight to children in schools and homeless people on the streets. To help millions across India suffering without life-giving food, you can support Mission: Feed The Hungry here: 

Support Mission: Feed The Hungry

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