Hunger Alleviation & Food Security

Hunger Alleviation & Food Security

Feeding the Hungry & Improving Production

In rural communities, women are the backbone of agriculture, yet they are the most likely to go hungry. They do most of the work on small farms but rarely own the land. Men, often taking on significant household responsibilities, also face unique vulnerabilities in securing adequate food. Climate change has made weather patterns erratic, leading to frequent droughts, frost or floods that destroy harvests. Families that once grew their own food are now forced to rely on purchasing it, but fluctuating market prices and a lack of income make this a daily struggle. When food is scarce, it is often the adults who eat last and least, sacrificing their own nutrition for their children. This chronic malnutrition has devastating, long-term effects on their health and the cognitive development of the children, and impacts the well-being of all family members.

Action Smiles Intervention 

From Food Aid to Food Security

ACTION SMILES INTERNATIONAL addresses hunger with a two-pronged approach: meeting immediate needs while building long-term resilience.

• Emergency Relief: In times of acute crisis, such as severe drought or displacement, we provide immediate relief in the form of emergency food parcels containing essentials like maize flour, beans, cooking oil, and salt, prioritizing households headed by the elderly, widows and widowers and those with young children.
• Climate-Smart Agriculture Training: We train family members in sustainable farming techniques that are resilient to climate change. This includes training on drip irrigation for water conservation, the use of drought-resistant seed varieties (like sorghum or millet), early maturing seeds, soil conservation methods, and natural pest management.
• Kitchen Gardens and Poultry Farming: We promote the establishment of small kitchen gardens for every household, providing seeds for nutritious vegetables like amaranthus, nightshade, spinach, kale, and tomatoes. We also support small-scale poultry farming, which provides a consistent source of protein (eggs) and a small income.
• Post-Harvest Management: A significant portion of what is grown is often lost due to poor storage. We provide training on simple, effective post-harvest techniques like use of traditional food preservation methods like ash, rodent management, and improved grain storage to reduce waste and ensure families have food during the lean seasons.