World hunger

It’s safe to say that over the course of our lifetime, we have all come across some sort of advertisement that talks about hunger. Maybe you’ve seen all the ads in newspapers or on the television that ask you to donate a dollar or two to help end world hunger. Sometimes we even come across those pictures of skinny African children in rural villages, and we just gloss over them. Those kids who display signs of malnourishment, with ginormous bellies and fragile bones. Even I, as an African, sometimes get a little bit fed up with the aggressive ways of campaigning. It’s not like I don’t have a heart, but sometimes seeing too much of a particular thing can get boring at times.

It is also easy to forget that I belong to an elite society. I’m a Duke student... And, as far as I can remember, I have never been plagued by hunger. I have food points. I can simply swipe freely (up to a certain point). When I eat on campus, I don’t eat solely for the purposes of survival. I eat to satisfy myself and for pleasure. When I eat, I do not think about what somebody out there is going through.

This past weekend made me put things in perspective. I realized that, even though I may never be malnourished, I do need to understand what the hungry go through. It all started off with an exceptionally full plate, filled with far too many things to do. I was so busy that I forgot to eat for 22 hours. It felt like nothing. I was somewhat convinced that I was just going to fall asleep and wake up the following day to eat. However, I realized that I could not go ahead anymore.

I may not have come close to what undernourished or malnourished individuals experience, but it was a life lesson. Hunger is a nasty thing! In fact, it is the worst thing that one should ever go through. However, people go through it every day. Inequality exists in the world, and there are global problems that might never be solved. But, what of if each person could do something to help solve the problem of global hunger? I know that might sound very cliche, but what if we could all play our role in eliminating hunger in America and in the globe?

The World Hunger Education Service reports, “In 2010, 17.2 million households, 14.5 percent of households (approximately one in seven), were food insecure, the highest number ever recorded in the United States.” The same year, an estimated 925 million people in the world were undernourished. The vast majority of these individuals lived in Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and the Pacific.

These numbers are pretty high to begin with. Is it luck or fate that I am not on the wrong end of this statistic? Whatever it is, I know that I could easily have been born into a different situation.

Even when I hop on the Bull City Connector to go to work in downtown Durham, I’ve come across hungry individuals. They usually ask me to spare them some change, so that they can buy food. Given how often I come across these people, I know that not everyone who asks for money wants to buy food. I feel some sympathy for them, but I also know that there’s little I can do to help them.

Nevertheless, even when I am short on cash and can’t donate to an organization that combats hunger, I remember that it is the little things that count. I can start with trying to stop wasting food: Instead of getting large amounts of food, I should actually start with what I can eat. Instead of bypassing food drives organized by several on-campus organizations, maybe it is time I start showing up with a couple of cans of soup. I can also start being grateful for every meal that I have the chance to indulge in. These abstract things may never change the situations of hungry individuals, but it should help me put things in perspective. When I have the resources to donate a couple of bucks, I should definitely do so. Even if it is only $5 or so, it still makes a difference.