Childhood Malnutrition Worldwide

There is no more important global goal than ending hunger. More than 800 million people around the world are hungry or malnourished. A large percentage of these are children.

Childhood malnutrition is a special tragedy. It can cause brain damage that permanently impairs an individual’s capacity to achieve his or her full potential.

Food security is a need so basic that neither families nor countries can effectively tackle other challenges when they do not have enough to eat. Hunger and malnutrition must be conquered in order to make lasting progress on education, health, and environmental problems.

Americans of all political persuasions have a strong commitment to addressing hunger. For Republican and Democratic administrations alike, overcoming hunger has been a top priority. For years, the United States has been the largest supplier of food aid and the largest contributor to the U.N.’s World Food Program.

Indulging with Nutrition

We all know how important it is to follow a wonderfully healthy eating plan, for that feeling of vitality and zest for life, but all too often we fall off the wagon with that incredible indulgence that leaves us feeling rather guilty and naughty.

Well here is a healthy recipe which should whet that appetite for something scrumptious, without leaving that `low’ feeling afterwards at having let ourselves down for wanting something really different and delicious.

200g butter , softened

200g Nature’s Choice Fructose

4 free-range eggs

75g Nature’s Choice Almonds –ground finely

100g Nature’s Choice Gluten Free Self Raising Flour

250g mashed potatoes zest 3 lemons

2 tsp Nature’s Choice Baking powder

Drizzle: 5 tbsp Nature’s Choice Fructose juice of 3 lemons

Heat oven to 180°C.

Butter and line a deep, 20cm round cake tin.

Beat the fructose and butter together until light and fluffy, then gradually add the egg, beating after each addition.

Fold in the GF Self Raising Flour, almonds, cold mashed potato, lemon zest and baking powder.

Tip into the tin (or jumbo muffin tins for individual cakes) level the top, then bake for 40-45 mins or until golden and a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Turn out onto a wire rack after 10 minutes cooling.

Bring the fructose and the lemon juice to the boil and simmer for 2 minutes, then spoon over the top of the cake, letting it drip down the sides.

Let the cake cool completely before slicing.

Meals on Wheels provide cooked meals to those elderly people who do not have the resources to prepare meals for themselves.

Elderly Activities

To keep elderly people both mentally and physically fit, it is advisable to introduce beneficial activities which are uplifting and stimulating, keeping them busy and interested in life itself.

An idle mind is all too often a workshop of destruction, bringing with it depression, sadness and loneliness, and who wants to spend their last years feeling that life is too much of a burden, too much effort. Elderly people should be stimulated and should be able to enjoy their old age instead of wasting away fruitlessly.

We all enjoy a little free time, yes but too much of it is not a good thing, enabling us to invite incorrect thoughts into our minds.

Sometimes one can`t remember all the things that they used to remember which is quite alarming, but it really is not surprising, and of course the first thing that comes to mind is “Alzheimer`s”. We all suffer mild degrees of forgetfulness, it is quite common, especially as one gets busy and has many things to think about.

Depression, anxiety or confusion causes forgetfulness sometimes, and not always caused by chemical changes in the brain. Stress is a huge factor, which is why recreational enjoyment is so important.

Engaging in fun activities, is to grasp life and live it to the full, keeping emotionally, mentally, and physically fit. There are so many ways to indulge without having to empty one`s pockets, it just takes a little imagination.

Apart from the usual arts and crafts that are most common activities such as knitting and sewing or painting, one needs to have the old favourites in music which is so uplifting, and can be enjoyed along with most activities. Growing a small flower garden or a herb garden can give one plenty of interest. If you don`t have a garden, plant in pots, and educate yourself on the benefits of each herb that you plant. Get a salad garden going.

Some brain cell activity and speed is lost as one ages, and keeping the brain active and stimulated plays a huge roll in delaying the possible onset of some form of dementia.

Crossword puzzles are an excellent way of keeping the mind active and alert, and we should remember that those elderly who are active in both mental and physical activities have a far better quality of life, and live longer.

Depending on one`s physical condition and limitations, physical activity such as walking, swimming, and playing table tennis is a wonderful way of stimulating the adrenaline.

Make it your business to love life, to be a pleasure to your friends and family - It all boils down to staying active, involved, eating well and indulging in plenty of suitable exercise.

Meals on Wheels provide the elderly with cooked meals when they are unable to fend for themselves.

Life After Retirement

Does one simply wake up one morning and say – I am retired – I am tired – twice tired - I`ll spend my day in bed. I don`t think so!! This is a time that most look forward to, to do the things that they haven`t had the time for in many years.

Yes, there may be a short time when one feels kind of lost at the thought of not having to go to work, something that has been a way of life for so long – it is quite natural, but that is the time to be on the go and have some enjoyment planned.

Remember that being at home and not having to answer to others requires a certain amount of discipline, it`s too easy to say – i`ll start tomorrow. Don`t put it off, record your `start’ date and ensure that this is what you abide by.

Too many people die within a year of their retirement, the reasons being that they feel that they are worn out as an individual, which is often caused by phsycological trauma. We can prevent this happening by simply enjoying what we have and being thankful for life itself. Take this period of your life and make it worth living, to explore new and exciting things.

Physical activity is the best way of getting the adrenaline active and enables one to feel the zest for life. I am not saying that you now have to make up for all the exercise in one week that you lacked in the last twenty years! Please, no! Get started with walking, join a club or exercise class, take the stairs, slowly at first, instead of the elevator. Use your imagination, there are plenty of ways to be inventive. Perhaps you always wanted to play golf, or try your hand at painting, now is the time to really enjoy learning those skills at your leisure.

Go out and meet up with friends that you`ve missed out on, perhaps with important events, plan outings with them, they are perhaps feeling lonely. Organise a game of golf. Organising requires a bit of effort of your part, but it`s well worth it. Friends may need more than a little nudging, but persevere.

Start a herb garden, and educate yourself on the benefits of each herb. If you don`t have a garden, herbs grow very well in pots. Growing a few salads can also be very rewarding. Likewise with a flower garden, there is a lot to learn about how to tend to the plants, when they should be clipped, how and when they should be watered etc.

It`s never too late to learn something new, and don`t surrender yourself to `old age’. What is old age – it`s when you have given up. Fulfill all your life`s desires, take up with a dance class and show the world around you that you are not ready to throw in the towel.

Take life, embrace it, love it, and be a pleasure to your family and friends.

For those who cannot fend for themselves, Meals on Wheels delivers nutritious cooked meals to the elderly.

Respect for the Elderly in Modern Society

All too often we are inclined to think that “old people” are a nuisance, they are no longer functional, and don`t understand what is going on around them.

Yes, most of them may have fallen a bit behind when it comes to technology, but they certainly have a host of experience in this world, and we need to just stop and listen sometimes because we must remember that they are the ones that have gone before us and paved the way and are the backbone of the society we live in today.

People are living to a good age these days and the elderly are no different to the younger people, they still need to live their lives with enjoyment, socially, and emotionally and if they are still active, should be doing as much as possible to live a fulfilling life.

Instead seniors are often made to feel useless, or they are ignored most of the time. This is the one time in their lives where they are free to do the things they enjoy, so it would be unfair to hold them back in any way, and to tell them how to live. If they enjoy reasonably good health mentally and physically our responsibility towards them ends at making sure that they are safe, that they have all that they need in the way of comfort, nutritious food, and that they are enjoying life. There is so little time these days for one to actually feel free of stress and worries, and to be able to do the things that really make one happy.

What a pleasure to reach the Senior Years in good health and to be able to enjoy life to the fullest. This is why it is so important to keep active and exercise regularly and enjoy healthy nutritious meals that help to ward off some of the ills of old age or merely slowing down generally for as long as possible.

It is never too late to start looking after ourselves and to start taking nutrition seriously. One should have regular check ups, eat well balanced meals, being careful of the animal fats, and other colesterol producing foods, eat plenty of vegetables, especially the dark green leafy ones, and fresh fruits. Fruit and vegetables should be eaten as raw as possible, so plenty of salads is a good way of getting plenty of vitamins. Stay away from too much sugar and alcohol, and if you are not one to exercise, at least take a walk as often as possible, or do creative movements whilst listening to your favourite music, making it as much fun as you can. It is important to enjoy the exercise that you do, and this helps to relieve any stress and tension and keeps the joints supple.

Meals on Wheels are committed to helping seniors with nutrition by providing them with cooked meals.

Good Nutrition for Seniors

As we age certain obstacles arise which sometimes affect the way we eat, and with certain health and emotional issues, and not quite the same zest for life, we are inclined to neglect the importance of healthy nutrition. The metabolism starts to slow down at the age of forty, and unwanted and unhealthy weight gain can be experienced.

As we age so does the activity level drop, that along with a less functional metabolism, calories are not burned as efficiently as in earlier years.

On the other hand one`s appetite and taste as well as sense of smell diminishes as the years follow and one could experience loss of appetite.

One creates less saliva and stomach acid due to changes in the digestive system, which makes it more difficult for the body to process certain minerals and vitamins which are necessary for mental health and circulation.

Eating well in your Senior Years should be a priority :

One should eat fresh fruit and vegetables, some of which should be eaten raw to provide you with vitamins and minerals, fibre and enzymes to aid digestion.

A source of good carbohydrates like whole wheat bread, brown rice and rolled oats should be consumed as opposed to refined white bread and rice etc.

When vegetables are steamed or lightly sauted it is the best way to preserve the nutrients.

Protein should be lean, which includes turkey or chicken without the skin, grilled or baked fish, eggs, beans, peas, nuts and tofu. Red meats should be eaten in moderation as they contain saturated fat, and salty meats such as bacon should be avoided as much as possible.

We should remember that healthy eating need not be rigid, we all go off course sometimes, and one does not have to be perfect, but moderation and balance is the key. Even if you work slowly towards setting yourself up for a successful way of eating, rather than making a dramatic change all at once. Plan ahead, and educate yourself on how to eat and embark on the journey to preventing illnesses such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, alzheimers`s and watch how your energy levels improve and how much better you will feel for it. It certainly is worth the effort, and if you adopt the right attitude towards good eating patterns, it can become a rather interesting and exciting project.

No matter what your age, you can gradually make small changes to your diet and work towards reaping long term rewards. Allow yourself to have the foods you enjoy, with the occasional off-course treat.

Meals on Wheels provide for seniors who do not have the resources to cook for themselves.

Challenges for the elderly

Older people are often presented with so many daunting challenges, especially those who are experiencing some sort of disadvantages, perhaps even health-wise, and they often feel that these golden years should be a time for celebration, something they have looked forward to all their lives. They feel that it should be a time when they have no family responsibilities and can do the things they have always wanted to do but didn`t have the time.

Unfortunately older people often feel that they are ignored, and they face challenges such as not being able to get around with transport systems not being frequent enough or even safe enough. They feel that they would like to be treated with more respect and have their voices heard. All too often they are ignored as people who have had their share. They also feel that they would like to enjoy plenty of entertainment, and be able to learn new hobbies.

There are retirement villages which provide transport, entertainment, fun and a healthy lifestyle, but it is not everyone who can afford to live in these villages, and although they might have independent living, cannot always take advantage of what is on offer out there in the way of enjoyment.

People are living longer than ever before, and even many of those who provided well for their old age have found that with the rise in costs and extended years of living, there is just not enough to go round.

Many older adults develop mental or physical disorders which will eventually cause them to require extra or outside, professional help.

Those adults who are moving into the elderly age group have probably had fewer children, which presents a problem of having fewer individuals to take on the caregiving role. The divorce rate has also had an impact, as there are fewer families who are staying together, and as it is usually the woman in the home who becomes caregiver, she may not be in a position to take care of an elder. The woman may also be approaching old age and have concerns as to how she will manage.

There are many caregivers who themselves are over the age of sixty five, and these women are often known as the “hidden victims” of caregiving because of their advanced age, and yet having the added strain of having to care for another.

Meals on Wheels care for the elderly by providing them with cooked meals when they do not have the resources to provide for themselves. Visit them on www.mowglobal.org

Looking to Help Others

It is quite remarkable that Meals on Wheels has been in operation since 1939. This fact in itself speaks volumes, the fact that it is managed efficiently and effectively. They have touched the lives of countless people in many cities and rural areas and in various countries.

Hunger is an issue that most people cannot even imagine, having perhaps for whatever reason maybe skipped one or two meals at the most in any given day, but to go longer than that and all too often, without a cooked meal is something most of us cannot comprehend.

There are so many tragic stories of struggling seniors, perhaps having to single-handedly look after their own orphaned grandchildren and without the resources to provide good nutrition, this responsibility can be daunting to say the least. It is during these times especially that nutrition is so important, because grief and sorrow together with poor nourishment can have disastrous effects on health.

Meals on Wheels recognise situations like this and have warm hearted volunteers who selflessly give their time to those in need. What a comfort to be able to turn to an organisation like Meals on Wheels for support.

Each individual`s situation is assessed and dealt with accordingly. Those who can afford to pay, do so at a minimal fee, and of course for those who do not have the resources, the meals are provided free of charge.

It is amazing to see how people look forward not only to receiving their meals, but to have the interaction with friendly volunteers who have built up quite a friendship with the regular recipients.

Perhaps you are in need of the services that Meals on Wheels can provide, or perhaps you would like to support struggling Senior Citizens on a monthly basis. You may sponsor as many meals each month as your budget will allow – for as little as R15.00 per meal. The meals are cooked and delivered by the voluntary helpers. Remember that collectively each donation makes a huge difference in many peoples lives.

Nutrition is so important, to help ward off illnesses and also when fighting or recovering from any illness, which in fact leaves us with – at all times.

Saving Our Children

Hunger and obesity. It might seem odd to find these epidemics mentioned together, but they are two of the greatest threats to the health of America's children and the future of our nation.

And Congress is running out of time to do something about it.
Childhood hunger and obesity are problems known all too well in my home state of Arkansas. A recent Feeding America report found our state to have the highest rate of childhood hunger in the country at nearly 25 percent. That's one in four children living in hunger.

Another report found 20 percent of Arkansas children to be obese, the seventh highest rate in the country.

As Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, I have authored the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, which addresses these two threats by making strong improvements to our federal child nutrition programs. Funding authorization for these programs expires in 78 days.

Children who are hungry or obese will face learning challenges and lifelong health problems. And their poor health will add significant cost to our health care system and a significant cost to our nation's future economic security.

Fortunately, hunger is a disease for which we have the cure. And we know healthier meals are part of the solution to reverse the growing epidemic of childhood obesity.

But time is running out, and current programs expire on September 30. If we fail to enact this critically-needed legislation, we will have to expand current law and our children will be forced to live with the status quo. That's why I hope you will take action now. Washington's leaders need to know that you stand behind our nation's greatest blessings, our children.

My counterpart in the House of Representatives, Congressman George Miller, and I have sent a letter to President Obama urging him to make child nutrition reauthorization a top priority of his Administration over the next two months. You can help by adding your name to this letter on behalf of our children and our future.

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 unanimously passed my committee earlier this year and is completely paid for. It is a common sense solution that provides additional resources to help our schools serve healthier meals. For the first time in nearly 40 years, Congress would provide an increase in the reimbursement rate for schools that agree to serve healthier lunches. I have spoken to dozens of Arkansas school food professionals who tell me these additional funds are desperately needed.

For the first time ever, the Secretary of Agriculture would have the authority to establish national nutrition standards for all food sold at schools. This will mean that healthier, more nutritious foods will be more widely available throughout the school campus. For parents, they can be more comfortable knowing that less nutritious options will be reduced. My bill also reduces the bureaucratic red tape that inhibits families from receiving the school meals for which they are eligible.

Nationwide, over 30 million children participate in the National School Lunch Program each day, including more than 350,000 Arkansas children. More than 10 million children participate in the breakfast program, 18,000 of them in Arkansas. We have a real opportunity to improve access and food quality in these and other life-sustaining programs.

A bipartisan majority of Senators and House members are already on record supporting reauthorization of our child nutrition programs. We must not squander this historic opportunity to make strong improvements to our child nutrition programs that will put us on a path toward ending childhood hunger and reversing the trend of childhood obesity.

Congress has 78 days to send a robust child nutrition bill to the President to avoid another extension of current law. By taking action now and adding your name to our letter today, you can show that you're standing with our children. It's for their future, and for our own future.

Nutrition for the Elderly

As one ages it becomes more important to eat foods that are nutritious, with very often a reduced appetite, it is important to ensure that what you eat is healthy and rich in calcium, fibre, iron, protein and vitamins A, C and folacin.

The elderly have a challenge in meeting the same nutrient needs as in their younger days, and should have enough exercise and stimulation to obtain a feeling of well being, which would in turn give them the urge to `eat right’ and stay healthy.

Unfortunatey too many elderly people cannot afford to eat even one nutritious meal each day, and don`t even get to think about all the good leafy greens, calcium intake, plenty of fruit etc., having to make do with whatever is available to them, which is usually very little.

So many elderly people have worked hard all their lives and never ever thought that they would spend their retirement having to eek out a living on a small pension.

Meals on Wheels do a remarkable service in helping these elderly people when they deliver meals to their door with warmth and friendliness and words of encouragement. It means so much to the Seniors who receive these meals, to know that others care for them, and that they are not alone the world, and that they don`t have to go hungry.

Nutrition for the Elderly

Helping those in need

How does one reach out to those who do not have enough food to eat, or to those who are unable to prepare food for themselves? So many of us find it a rather daunting thought, and may often think that we`d like to help but don`t quite know how to go about it and therefore do nothing at all.

There are those who are equipped to carry out this wonderfully uplifting gesture, people who are pretty well organised at preparing food and delivering to these unfortunate people. The joy at receiving such a gift is quite remarkable, and with it the assurance that people care about them and that they are not alone.

Meals on Wheels is an organisation that really goes out and reaches the people. They rely on donations which is where each individual can make their contribution and then leave it to the organisation to do the rest.

Meals on Wheels have not only delivered meals, but have also selected a few houses that are in a state of disrepair, and made it their business to scrape, paint, repair and generally uplift the home.

Helping the Elderly

It is vital for Senior Citizens to have sufficient intake of nutrients to stay healthy and prolong the effects of old age in order to live an active life, but unfortunately too many of them are struggling to make ends meet and simply cannot afford to eat much at all.

Meals on Wheels are doing a fantastic job of looking after the elderly, and apart from delivering meals to those in need, they have also repaired a number of houses. They collected a team of willing people together to scrape, clean and paint, clean up the garden, and generally see to what ever needed attention.

Nourishment for the Hungry

Nourishment is vital to every individual, not just for survival, but one should be having all the nutrients and vitamins to stay healthy and to ward off illnesses, keeping the immune system functioning.

Unfortunately there are many who cannot even think about nutrition as such, having a battle to survive on whatever might be available to them. Eating well is just not a possibility, and sadly a situation like this takes its toll on physical and mental aspects of ones health, affecting people emotionally as well.

One need not feel helpless in this sort of situation, there is something each person can do to help reliever hunger, if only in one small way. Collectively it will make quite an impact. Tell your friends, tell everyone you know.

Relief from Hunger

Meals on Wheels are doing a fantastic job of providing meals for those who are unable to cook for themselves, and for those who simply don`t have any food to prepare and are often hungry.

It is quite incredible to see the joy and gratitude on the faces of those who receive these wonderfully nutritious meals.

Undernourished people tend to get depressed and sickly, have aches and pains and have no desire to live. This situation causes chronic illnesses and as one gets older, certainly would project the onset on dementia or one of the related memory illnesses.

Supplying these people with excellent nourishment is one way of giving them purpose in life, a feeling of well being and warmth, and a knowing that people care.

Making people happy is the best gift of all, and somehow giving creates a wheel that goes around causing so many to benefit, including the giver. One of the best ways of making oneself happy is to make someone else happy!

The joy of those who receive these meals is truly a lasting joy, it tells them that they are not alone in this world, it tells them that people care, it tells them that others are thinking of them, it tells them that their well being is important to others. That is truly a valuable gift which brings great rewards.

The heart and soul of The Hunger Site's mission

The heart and soul of The Hunger Site's mission, to help eradicate world hunger, is rooted in the struggle against poverty and hopelessness. Haiti, the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, is a part of that battleground. Eighty percent of the population lives under the poverty line, vulnerable to the country's all-too-frequent natural and socio-economic disasters.

In the past decade, the news from Haiti has been heart-wrenching. Entire communities and the crops they depend upon were repeatedly devastated by tremendous storms. Deforestation, exacerbated by charcoal production to cook or buy food, led to topsoil loss in a region where two-thirds of the population relies on sustenance farming. And word reached the world of people so desperate for food that they ate cookies of dirt mixed with a little fat and baked in the sun.

But Haiti is a place of hope as well as tragedy. In 1804, Haiti became the first black republic to declare independence. During the early days of the earthquake, that surviving spirit was visible to the world. Aid organizations could not immediately reach all of the Haitian population in desperate need of rescue, but that did not stop Haitians from helping each other. They fought to dig survivors out from the rubble with their bare hands. They treated wounds with what little they had. And amid unimaginable tragedy, survivors with nothing more than the clothes upon their back faced the dark nights together, lifting their voices in song.

At The Hunger Site, we are proud to support the Haitian people in their time of need.

Partners in Health has been working in Haiti for more than twenty years not only to provide direct aid for those in need, but also to train Haitians to become doctors, nurses, and medical staff. Now more than ever, every one of those Haitians is better equipped to save lives, and PIH is on the ground to help them accomplish that goal. Donations to The Hunger Site to aid earthquake survivors go directly and swiftly to Partners in Health for emergency supplies and aid

Hillside Allotment Garden

On December 13th, people were welcomed to the HILLSIDE ALLOTMENT GARDEN (Utanon alang sa Masanag nga Kaugmaon). This new garden was established through the joint efforts of the Community in Sitio Hillside, Barangay Lapasan, the City of Cagayan de Oro and Xavier University’s Periurban Vegetable Project (PUVeP). Financial support was offered by the Allotment Garden Association of Sint-Amandsberg (“Volkstuinen Slotenkouter”) and the Provincial Government of East-Flanders (Ghent, Belgium). Technical assistance was provided by the German Development Cooperation (CIM).

Who could ever deny that allotment gardens merit to be promoted as one of the best practices to combat desertification, hunger and poverty ? Any time wars on this planet have disturbed the global life (see World War I and II), allotment gardens have been created everywhere on pieces of barren land. They have saved thousands of lives of poor people by offering them a chance to produce their own bit of food and the necessary vitamins and mineral elements for their children. As a young boy, I have seen myself the success stories of a number of allotment gardens in Flanders during and after World War II, and I can assure you that, even nowadays, numerous people in my country Belgium are still enthusiastic about these splendid opportunities offered by our cities and villages.

Imagine what such allotment gardens could signify for people in the drylands or for the most unfortunate ones in the refugee camps all over this world. This is one of the reasons why I still don’t understand why international aid organizations, donors and NGOs do not concentrate their efforts on the creation of gardens, be it allotment gardens, family gardens or school gardens, to provide food security for millions of people.

Could someone tell me why such gardens can be created thanks to individual efforts of some small associations or organizations, like the Allotment Gardens Slotenkouter and the Provincial Government of East-Flanders in Belgium, and why such a “best practice” is not yet applied at the global scale, thanks to the financial support of important international donors ? Could this be discussed within the UNCCD ? Could this be studied as a possible theme for some famous Foundations ?

Or, shall we continue for ages to send masses of food to hungry people at regular intervals, or shouldn’t we change our strategy and start creating gardens everywhere ? With my Chinese friends I say : “Don’t give them food, teach them how to grow it !“, even in the desert.

For many years already I have been building an e-mail network for people interested in desertification, poverty and dryland gardening. Recently, I opened a part of this blog to “container gardening“. The main reason for the establishment of such a network is that I noticed, when speaking with my colleagues of the Committee for Science and Technology (CST) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), that we all spend a lot of time searching the internet for interesting publications concerning our fields of interest. Everyone is looking for the same information, spending considerable time to find mostly the same articles, all of us reading these texts to see if their content is important enough, and if it is, to use that info for our own purposes.

There is no general communication whatever between the members of the CST and between many more people interested in desertification, poverty, agriculture, horticulture and sustainable development. It does not suffice to send them the addresses of interesting websites, because not all the articles on that sites deal with dryland gardening, desertification, poverty, sustainable development or container gardening, so that we all have to start again searching and reading the content of the different sites. In other words: we all waste the same amount of time !

Therefore, I started selecting messages on these topics and all related subjects that can be important for people interested in the issues mentioned above and republishing the texts (some entirely, some partly) on my blog, so that my visitors do not have to switch again to all those websites to look for the entire texts they possibly want to read. My main aim is to reflect the diversity of publications on these topics. Thereby, I try to ease up the access to a panoply of articles and stories and to a panoply of sites and blogs. From time to time, I am also publishing my own contributions, mostly about my own experience with ways and means to improve plant growth in the drylands with a minimum of water and fertilizer.

Some people seem to be not so happy with this system, claiming their property rights. If so, I respect their views. I do not wish to harm their proper interests, whatever their objectives to create a public site or blog may be. I only tried to bring the attention of thousands of people worldwide to their messages.

Again, for me all this is a question of offering time-saving to my readers. This is not MY BLOG, it is OURS for I am only the administrator to easy up the work of many colleagues and friends. My blog visitors seem to be very happy with this system, as I offer them a chance to save plenty of time by aggregating valuable information on all aspects of the topics in a sort of newsletter, in which I (re)publish that what seems to be of some interest to most of us. This way, we all save time for more practical things to do and meanwhile we bring interesting websites and blogs to the attention of many more people worldwide than one single site or blog could do for itself.

Personally, I spend this time for collecting and aggregating the info because I am a retired professor of the Ghent University (Belgium) and I want to serve my colleagues and friends in an efficient way, without any other personal advantage than having the pleasure to serve and to do it the best way I can.

Of course, I mention always the source of the info I collect from the internet, so that the visitors of my blog can be immediately linked to my sources and go to these websites for additional interesting messages. Moreover, I am listing the links with important sites and blogs under my “Blogroll”, so that visitors of my blog can click directly the website’s address.

Observations, remarks, critics or additional ideas are always welcome. I also hope to find ways and means to improve cooperation and networking between people working for closely related websites. There is still a lot of improvement and collaboration to realize. Let’s do it together, in full respect for the work achieved by all of us, instead of “combating” each other in the battle of worldwide information!

SABINET

Corporate social responsibility:

In 2008/9, Sabinet continued to focus it’s CSR activities on the educational and social development of deserving communities in South Africa. In addition to formal corporate initiatives, Sabinet staff have contributed generously of their time and personal funds to assist in a number of projects.

The company donates 10% of its pre-tax profits to the Sabinet Chairperson’s Fund which then identifies, executes and actively manages and administers all CSR initiatives. Sabinet also made additional ad hoc contributions to the Fund over the past two years, bringing the average annual contribution to the Fund to 17% of profits before taxation.

The Fund was established in 2003 and registered as a Public Benefit Organisation in 2006. It ensures Sabinet’s CSR efforts receive the undiluted focus they deserve and that they remain sustainable and capable of delivering real long term value. All projects are closely monitored to ensure that they make a real difference to people’s lives.

Projects undertaken in 2008/9 include enterprise development, Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET), community library assistance, educational sponsorship of school children and support for various charities that uplift and empower young people in the community.

We believe these initiatives make a real difference in people’s lives. While the funds we contribute are essential and much appreciated by the communities, it is the passionate input and commitment of our staff that drive these projects forward and ensure that the communities truly benefit.

Koketso Nkuna’s computer training business, Shoma Institute for Computer Training, has grown significantly since 2007 when she was first sponsored by the Chairperson’s Fund with the donation of seven new computers to facilitate computer training courses at community libraries in Tshwane on behalf of Tshwane Community Library and Information Services.

In 2008, she expanded her business from the Mamelodi West community library, establishing new branches in Soshanguwe, Saulsville and Bodibeng. She also re-introduced training at Wespark Primary School. She is in the process of obtaining SETA accreditation for the courses.

A number of primary and high school pupils have since 2007 received a sponsorship from the Chairperson’s Fund to cover school fees, stationery, uniforms, trips and school sporting activities. The Fund broadened its focus in 2008 to sponsor more children in different regions with school uniforms and stationery. This is a project that Sabinet personnel have taken a personal interest in, becoming directly involved in liaising with the relevant schools to identify children in need and to purchase the necessary items for them.

TSWELOPELE UPLIFTMENT PROJECT

Tswelopele Upliftment Project (TOP-UP) an inter-denominationalorganisation were born 10 years ago through the passion and heart of God in the community for the community. There’s an Eastern proverb that says it’s useless to fight darkness, it’s rather better to light up a candle.Tswelopele is a Sotho word meaning to lift up, empower and to liberate people.This is what this project of the community in the community for the community is all about.

Today TOP-UP consist of a vibrant evangelist department with a woman’s ministry, children’s ministry, youth ministry, HIV&AIDS orphans and farm ministry (Morgan Beef) and a home based care unit for the terminally ill patients. (HIV&AIDS)

Job creation projects consisting of Hosios Christian Crèche, Pre-Primary and Primary School, Needlework project, screen-printing feeding scheme and vegetable gardens.

Top-Up Upliftment Project, founded in 1998,is a grassroots service NGO working with marginalized communities in the Delmas- Botleng areas.Its mission is to addresspoverty holistically by joining hands with Local Government, churches and business sector in order to address and support the needs of the society by providing education, jobs, health facilities and welfare. It focuses its work on improving the status of women, children and youth, through direct support and increased access to knowledge and information about the links between HIV&AIDS and other social concerns such as poverty, agriculture, nutrition, gender and general health. Our vision is to create a healthy, wealthy and educated society that will lead others in becoming responsible and dignified.

OBJECTIVES

The organisations objectives are:

•Helping to discover their personal worth

•Creating employment and training opportunities

•Help with accommodation

•Teach people to be self - supporting

•Working with local Goverment to create opportunities for improved living conditions

•The organisation is a Christian based organisation and as such will also base all it's activities on Christian princepals and ethics.

The Hunger Project

Get Involved: Youth in Action!

Are you a young person that is interested in making a difference in the world?

Join The Hunger Project (THP) in its mission of ending hunger and poverty, while building your leadership skills. Here are some ways you can participate:

•Hold a bake sale/educational event at your school or in your community to benefit THP. Each item that is sold could have a label attached to it with some important statistics and facts about world hunger.

•Hold a fundraising event through your school, camp, youth group, religious group, or sorority or fraternity. Events could include yard sales, read-a-thons, benefit concerts and more!

◦The women of Alpha Chi Omega sorority in Quinnipiac University held a fashion show and donated the proceeds to THP. Staci Sherman (right), sophomore, said: "We thought that of all the other organizations out there, we loved the idea of ending world hunger and empowering women and their families to stay healthy every day."

◦Seventh and eight grade students at East Palo Alto Middle School in California had a special philanthropy project to research and choose ten non-profits focused on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to support. THP received one of the highest amounts of money: $1,700!

•End world hunger one grilled cheese at a time. FeelGood is an organization that was started in 2004 on the University of Texas campus as a grassroots effort to help provide solutions for an end to global hunger. Students distribute gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches in return for a donation, with all proceeds going to The Hunger Project. Participate in one of the FeelGood chapters on 27 campuses in the US and Mexico OR start a FeelGood chapter on your own campus. Visit their website.

•Help us reach out! Do a school and community drive to encourage people to sign up for THP's email list. Learn and share some basics about world hunger and THP and collect new members for our list.

•Run a Penny Harvest campaign. If your school partners with Penny Harvest, share about world hunger and THP with your friends and start/join a roundtable that will contribute to THP!

◦If your school is not yet a Penny Harvest partner, learn more about how to join! Since 1991, children between the ages of four and 14 have been converting their natural compassion for others into action by collecting pennies and turning those pennies into grants for community organizations.

◦In June 2009, two New York City schools participating in Penny Harvest collected more than $1,000 for THP! (Photo is Emma, Katrina and Casey from the Penny CAKES roundtable at P.S. 144 in Queens, NY with staff member Anastasia Andrzejewski)

•Dine at home instead of going out for dinner, ice cream or whatever with friends, and send money you would have spent to THP.

•Start a coin collection campaign for THP in stores in your neighborhood. Decorate a "coin can" and share about how important ending hunger is and that every penny counts.

•Write and put on a play. Help educate others about what hunger and poverty are like in the developing world by writing and putting on a play. A small admission fee could be charged with the proceeds going to THP.

For materials, more information, hunger facts and help in putting any of the above ideas into action, contact Anastasia Andrzejewski at aha@thp.org! If you have any more ideas, share them!

Save The Children

Save The Children

Operation Hunger

Operation Hunger

Operation Hunger

An integrated development programme is used throughout the country to combat the inter-related problems associated with long-term malnutrition and it is designed to address

nutritionally-insecure households in their efforts to combat chronic and acute malnutrition.
Currently, Operation Hunger is involved in implementing diverse projects in five of the nine provinces. These projects concentrate on developing skills with which people can control their own livelihoods. Because diseases such as AIDS and TB have devastating consequences for poverty and malnutrition, Operation Hunger provides a number of training and support programmes for communities related to these conditions.

The communities in which Operation Hunger works are usually situated in deeply rural areas or sprawling informal settlements with little or no services, very few resources and minimal health care. In addition, Operation Hunger has found that knowledge about the disease, and the way in which it is contracted, is very often non-existent and that people who have developed full-blown AIDS are not being properly taken care of. Again, because of the nature of the communities in which Operation Hunger works, there are very few programmes dealing with AIDS available to them – Operation Hunger seeks to fill this gap.

In short, the objectives of the organisation are to:

improve the nutritional well-being of the poor

promote the dissemination of knowledge about poverty and malnutrition in South Africa

improve existing facilities to reduce malnutrition in South Africa

promote the capacity of communities to reduce malnutrition in South Africa and to render financial assistance to develop such programmes

cooperate with communities, organisations and authorities to combat malnutrition generally.