World Hunger End Hunger

It’s World Food Day on Sunday, 16 October. It is a day of action against hunger; a day when people from around the world come together and declare their commitment to eradicate hunger in our lifetime.

 

It may all sound like a lofty dream, but JAM Founder Peter Pretorius tells us that it can be done.

“It’s no small challenge, of course,” he says. “But if we all focus our attention, if we each play our own part, the ‘real amazing’ truth is that we can make that dream a reality in our lifetime.”

JAM, an African-founded international humanitarian organisation dedicated to eradicating starvation in Africa, recently launched its ‘Real Amazing’ campaign to a star-studded gathering at a glittering fundraising event held at the exclusive Avianto Wedding Venue.

The Real Amazing campaign was inspired by the palpable transformations JAM has seen as a result of its work over the last three decades. JAM is not an organisation that plans to feed people forever. Its vision is to help Africa help itself, and it is particularly emphatic about sustainable transformation.

JAM places a hefty emphasis on education, skills development, and agricultural development as well as feeding.

JAM has not only found a way to feed a child a nutritious meal for less than R2 a day, it has also impacted education, skills development, employment, sustainable farming, and even given communities access to their own clean drinking water.

To date, JAM has served over 1.6 billion meals to children in need, and has turned life around for many communities.

But Pretorius will not rest while he still knows that even one child is going to bed hungry. And while it’s not work that one individual can do alone, Pretorius tells us that even if less than 10% of South Africans were to commit to feeding a child a day we would already have an effective impact on our country’s food security challenges.

The humanitarian organisation makes it easy for people to commit to change. And it makes it exceptionally rewarding too. People can share their time, their money, or their networks, and JAM finds many ways to connect their donors with their beneficiaries to share that deep fulfilment that can be felt by changing the life of another.

The simplest and easiest way to become involved in this war against human suffering is to help JAM feed a child a day. For just R600, you can feed a child for an entire year through JAM’S school feeding programmes. You can also make donations for a crèche makeover or a community garden.

JAM takes great care to ensure that all contributions reach the children and communities they are intended for.

You’re also more than welcome to share your time. JAM is always in need of passionate people who can raise awareness about their programmes and find exciting ways to get more people involved. You can do things as simple as helping them sort shoes that will be donated, you can help out at events, or you can even go so far as to host your own fundraising event.

And then there’s your network, which thanks to social media is probably far larger than you imagine. JAM wholeheartedly believes that everyone has the ability to effect change. And it all starts with a simple conversation. Don’t ever underestimate the power of your network – the conversation you start could lead to much bigger conversations. Invaluable support – even grants and policy changes – all begin with someone who decides to speak out.

Pretorius says, “Believe me, we need to speak out. According to The United Nations World Food Program, hunger kills more people every year than AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis combined – a perplexing statistic when you consider that the world actually produces enough food to feed every person on the planet.”

“Let’s not allow another World Food Day to slip by without opening our hearts to the very real changes we can so easily make.”

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About the Author

Brent Lindeque is the founder and editor in charge at Good Things Guy.

Recognised as one of the Mail and Guardian’s Top 200 Young South African’s as well as a Primedia LeadSA Hero, Brent is a change maker, thought leader, radio host, foodie, vlogger, writer and all round good guy.

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