Hunger - it shouldn't be happening!

Next Friday I'm going along to one of the local Food Bank projects to see how it operates and investigate if I can help out on a regular basis. I know that hunger and poverty is rife in the world, I saw it firsthand when I travelled to Ethiopia with ONE in 2012. I also saw it far closer to my own home when I lived in Hertfordshire and befriended a lady who through a set of crappy circumstances had ended up without enough money to feed herself and her kids.

Since moving to East Sussex I've realised that Hastings is probably an area with a high level of poverty but I never realised how much of a problem it is. Tonight I've been investigating and according to the Campaign to End Child Poverty the level of children living in poverty (and thus hungry) in Hastings across all areas is 31%. When you look at some individual areas the figure is as high as 47% and I kid you not when I say I have a massive lump in my throat as I read that and type this.

I needed to read it too, it is so easy to live a comfortable life and think that everyone else is OK, but they are not and it is up to all of us to make a difference and do something about it and yes that is big and scary and feels like a massive weight but you only have to look at the progress being made in the battle to end world extreme poverty (defined as a person living on less than $1.25 per day for all their needs). In the last 20 years is has been halved and if we continue at the same pace it could be virtually wiped out by 2030 and that is surely something to whoop for joy about.

Taken in Ethiopia. Image Credit - Karen Walrond/ONE

So I choose not to get bogged down and to fall into the doldrums because the problem feels too big but I pledge to help with the Hastings food bank and to chat to people who are using the service and to help them feel valued and heard. But it is not enough for me to just help out locally I also have to keep playing my part in the bigger plan and I'll do that by working with the charities and NGOs that I believe in, like ONE, Compassion, Plan, Save the Children and Tearfund.

I'm trying to stay more up to date with what is going on at the moment, which campaigns are happening, who needs support and what with and also I'm heading to Washington, USA in October for the AYA Summit with ONE. At this meeting I will get to meet a whole host of inspirational women, and just like I was when I went to Ethiopia I expect to be fully humbled and inspired to do more, fight harder and be better. I feel more privileged than I can ever express to have this opportunity, in fact when the email came through inviting me I asked if they really wanted me, surely there were better advocates to spend the cost of the airfare on but it seems ONE believe in me and the people reading my blog and being influenced by my writing and travels. I sincerely thank you readers (friends) for taking the time to take small steps which help us change the world and change perceptions too.

I've never been to America before and I've not been on a plane since my amazing blogger journeys in 2012 but these are not the things that are really exciting me. What is really blowing my mind is the chance to meet some change makers. African women who with the necessary education and tools are making a massive difference within their families and communities. These are the real champions who are slicing the figures for those living in extreme poverty and I pray they impact me and inspire me to keep taking small steps or maybe even to return to the UK and to take a really bold and scary step. Who knows what lays ahead for me...

Can you add your voice and help ONE to campaign for an end to extreme poverty?

If you are not familiar with who ONE are, then please take a look at earlier posts of mine - here, here and here or Liska from New Mum Online interviewed me about ONE and you can read that post. Or go and check out the website. They will never ask you for money, they are an NGO (non-governmental organisation) not a charity, what they require is your support and voice. Can you sign a petition, tweet a message, talk to friends, share on FB or speak to your MP - all those things make a difference when a massive collective of people do them.

I'll leave you with this very short video, I've shared it before but I love it.  It is a bunch of kids talking about why poverty is not our problem!


Disclosure: ONE have invited me to be their guest at the AYA summit in October and they will be paying my expenses to be there. I fully believe in the work they do and I have not been instructed what I must write, I am free to be honest and always am.

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Are you coming to London on 8th June to show your support?

I posted about the launch of the Enough Food for Everyone IF campaign back in January. I'm really encouraged by this campaign as it sees over 170 charities come together to work towards the end of world hunger. Whilst I think it is really important for us to all take our responsibility seriously and use our voice and collective power to help others, I know that it can be a bit overwhelming to know which charity to support or blog for and in the end it can be all too easy to finish up doing nothing as you get bogged down in the politics.

So no need to feel overwhelmed with the IF campaign. There has already been some major success in that in March this year the British Government committed to spend 0.7% of gross national income on aid in 2013 and this is great news as there had been speculation about this figure being dropped. That alone is not enough though, we need David Cameron to take note of how we feel about millions of people starving across the world.

We need him to know that we are appalled and we want it to stop. There is enough food for everyone, yet one in eight people do not have enough food and go hungry. The fact they are denied a very basic need is outrageous. The IF campaign focuses on aid, land, tax and transparency as the four big focus areas that need to be tackled as a way to sort out the global hunger issue.

BIG IF London - 8th June
In June this year from 8th - 17th there are a series of summits happening in the lead up to the G8 summit in Northern Ireland on 18th and 19th June. This is the time when the most influential leaders from across the world come together and make plans to change our world.

The 8th June sees a hunger summit being hosted in London and as such it is the right time to make some noise and create a presence to show how Britain feels about injustice towards the worlds poorest people. I plan to go along to the BIG If London event in Hyde Park to add my support to tens of thousands of other committed and caring people. From 2pm in Hyde Park we will all gather with the intention to create an iconic symbol of support for tackling hunger. This will be made out of spinning flowers, a powerful reminder of the 2 million children who die because of hunger every year. Each of us will add our own flower to this symbol.

There will be a host of inspiring speakers and artists from across the globe, as well as us joining together to demonstrate against hunger. I'm told it will be an event for all the family, I'm probably just going alone though and hoping to meet up with some like-minded friends.

I'll tell you the truth, I'm a tad nervous about going, I logically know I have nothing to fear but I never imagined I'd be the sort of person who had become so passionate about the wider world. I'm so glad that in becoming a Christian my eyes have been opened and my knowledge expanded. It is my privilege and duty to be able to do what I can for all those who at the moment can not do it for themselves -people like the wonderful faithful Ethiopians I met last October when I traveled with the ONE Campaign.

Will you come and join me in Hyde Park on 8th June?

Read more about the Enough food for everyone IF campaign here, check out Facebook for the latest updates and keep in touch via twitter too. You can also join up to the ONE campaign to be kept informed about all the excellent work they do to campaign for an end to poverty.

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If you like what you have read and want to stay up-to-date then subscribe by email for free and receive blog posts directly to your in-box - just click the link Subscribe to Mummy From The Heart... by Email or perhaps you like to keep all your blog reading in one place, if that is the case you can follow me on BlogLovin too!

Bloggers - IF we make a noise then things change!

As a blogger time and time again I hear the same things -

IF charities provided me with better information and made the campaign engaging then I'd blog for them.

IF the PR representatives of charities were more engaged/ responsive then I'd write about their campaign.

IF charities did not waste the money they are given then I would give them a donation or blog for them.

You know what?  For me, these are not the IF's and THENs that I am interested in. Yes, things are not perfect and you might get fed up but this problem is far bigger than you or me and that is what we must stay focused on.

I have dealt with a load of contacts so far with regards to charities and NGO's and a few of them have not been great communicators, nor particularly organised nor have they even understood social media and what us bloggers do, but I don't care.  I'll keep on blogging and shouting out loud as I hate injustice. There is enough food in the world for everyone, but at the moment that food is not accessible to everyone. This CAN change. We have to help fight for that change. 

So a charity/ PR contact gets my name wrong and sends me boring bog-standard information - I'll live.  Aren't I lucky to be able to say that? Not everyone can - currently more than 2 million children die each year from chronic malnutrition.

Don't get depressed though, get mad and get your fingers typing on your keyboard and spread the word.

Today sees the launch of the Enough Food for Everyone IF campaign. This is being launched nationally by a collective of about 100 charities and NGO's. All the big regulars that you might support are part of this - Unicef, Oxfam, Save the Children, ActionAid, Tearfund, ONE..... so please get involved.

This year the G8 in being held in the UK and that means that world leaders are interested in what is happening here and we have a special opportunity to push for change. There are 4 centrals IFs to this campaign, these are the ones I'm interested in -

1. IF governments keep their promises on aid, and invest in small farmers, then the poorest people will not only have access to more food and better nutrition, but will lift themselves out of poverty too.
2. IF we stop poor farmers being forced off their land then we can use their crops to feed people and not cars
3. IF loopholes are closed to ensure companies pay the tax they owe in poor countries, then governments will be able to invest this money in their people’s livelihoods and futures.
4. IF we insist governments and investors are honest and open about the deals they make, then people in the poorest countries can hold their governments to account over how they spend their money.

But ultimately it all comes down to IF we all work together as one, then world leaders will hear us and will have to act.

You be part of this and work as one, it is easy -

1. Sign now to add your voice to pressure the govenment to listen and respond at the G8.
2. Visit the Enough Food IF site and see what it is all about or check out Save the Children's digital bloggers kit and get tweeting (#IF), blogging, sharing, liking, pinning - whatever it is that you do to get people engaged and responding to this new campaign.

Remember this isn't about you or me, blogging for a specific charity or becoming a celebrity blogger, this is about our world and justice for all people. Let's be part of the generation who changed our world. I pray my children will see an end to hunger.

Thanks for reading, please do what you can to help. You never know the impact, even one tweet or RT makes a difference.  Mich x

The Race Against Hunger - Play the game...

While we are all wrapped up in the glory of the Olympics here in the UK there is still a very real problem, one which is so much bigger and more important than gold medals. The eyes of the world are on London at the moment and I am pleased to see David Cameron make use of this with his global nutrition event to be held next week to coincide with the closing day of the Olympics.

Right now world leaders are in a position to act to help prevent another famine. How much of a privileged position is that? How can they sit on their hands and wait for the famine to take grip?  There really is no need to wait for us to start losing people at a rapid rate. Surely enough lives have been lost with the famine in East Africa?

There is time to change things for the people in the Sahel region. We must join together and urge David Cameron to announce the biggest ever push on hunger at his global nutrition event. This summit will be attended by influential business figures, non-governmental organisations and campaigners as well as prominent world leaders. We CAN pressure them to make a difference. When us average people stand together we CAN be heard.

One easy way is to sign ONE.org’s petition to show David Cameron the strength of opinion of the British public.  Please sign and share and do it NOW, the petition will be given in to No. 10 this Friday, ahead of the summit.

But if you are the competitive type who likes a bit of fun, don’t just sign the petition, play ‘the race against hunger game’.  It will take moments to sign in via Facebook and then you can play against your friends and family.  I have to admit I was really terrible at this game and my best score was about 20 seconds!  Whereas my contact at ONE is at 6.74 seconds, I have no idea how she got that good – I hope there has not been any cheating Claire?

Go on have a go at the game and let me know the score; surely you can beat my lame 20 seconds?  Then straight after sign the petition and share it.

Thanks for walking with me in this battle against injustice. There is just ONE people and we all deserve to live.

Mich x

Click HERE to play the game, the above is just a graphic on my blog!