The Problem

It's a tragic reality that 15,000 innocent children are dying of malnutrition or starvation every single day - more than 5 MILLION every year. And millions more suffer deformities, stunted growth, diminished mental development and diseases caused by malnutrition. Even in the United States, one of the richest nations in the world, 31 million Americans still face hunger. (Americas Second Harvest.com )

It's hard to imagine the agony of constant hunger that children around the world endure every day of their lives.

"There is enough food in the world today for every man, woman and child to lead healthy and productive lives. And yet, hunger afflicts one out of every seven people on earth?.there are 300 million chronically hungry children in the world today!"
(wfp.org = World Food Programme site)

In spite of worldwide relief efforts, and the promise of the 1996 World Food Summit to cut the number of hungry people in the world in half by 2015, they reported in June 2002 that "there has been no significant change in the past five years. An estimated 800 million people remain hungry every day."
(wfp.org)

Three major problems with existing relief efforts remain:

•   Much of the donated food is unfamiliar to malnourished people - indigestible to their systems. There are children literally starving to death every day with bellies full of food.
•   Humanitarian organizations depend on charitable contributions and donations. Unfortunately, global economic slowdown, stock market weakness, corporate downsizing and fallout from 911 have significantly reduced donations. There just aren't enough to meet the needs.
•   Due to drought, natural disasters, geo-political problems and wars, the need for food and humanitarian assistance worldwide increases every day. And almost two million Americans lost jobs during 2001, or had their hours cut during the school year.

"Joint UN missions to six southern African countries show that 12.8 million people are on the brink of starvation after one of the region's worst agricultural disasters in a decade." (6/27/02 press release - wfp.org)

Ordinary people like you and me can"Make a Difference".

Sandie Tillotson with
Brazilian orphans.