A Day In Her Food
Coronavirus has plunged up to 124 million new people into extreme poverty around the world, according to the World Bank.
I can’t even pretend that I can make sense of that number. I’m not sure that I could carry on with my day if I could.
Getting on with my day, brushing off the fact that 690 million people are living in hunger because of this pandemic, feels easier than it should.
On a completely related note, I re-watched Princess Diaries the other day. This film was a cultural shift and if you haven’t seen it, I wholeheartedly recommend you do. My reason being is that when Princess Mia, played by Anne Hathaway, finally decides that she wants to be Princess of Genovia. She makes this speech about the amount of times that she uses the word “I” and by simply adjusting our vocabulary and thinking of others from time to time, we would all be better off.
That scene blew my 8 year old mind and I still think about it. However, in the last year, I have found myself using “I” a lot more. There isn’t any one reason for it. Any of our lives can not be considered easy right now but I really have only had my own needs or concerns to worry about. This year has been about my studies, my career, my ambitions and there has been very little room for much else.
I am proud at how far I have come and I am looking forward to where I am heading. This is not about shaming every self-interested choice I have made. I just don’t want to get too comfortable with the word “I”. It really is a rather lonely word after all.
What is a “A Day In Her Food”?
The challenge was launched by the World Hunger Project as a chance for people to experience what it is like for women living in chronic hunger in Bangladesh, Peru and Senegal. These three countries represent the three continents that the World Hunger Project works in.
While hunger is undoubtedly a global issue, it does disproportionately affect women. Although women make up almost half of the world’s farming population, they are 60% of the world’s hungry. This campaign simply wants to shed a light on this.
What will my challenge look like?
I will spend the 2nd-4th of June attempting to imagine what it is like to live with chronic hunger. I will be documenting my thoughts and feelings about the challenge here on this blog and over on my Tiktok account @ beccacareyjournalist.
The one thing about challenges like these are that they often perceived as self-indulgent and I recognise the value in that opinion. I can’t compare what a three day challenge from the comforts of my own home to the lives of women living in extreme poverty. And I promise that I am not trying to.
What I am trying to do is raise awareness and inform. I will be sharing resources during this period about how you can directly support the project and others like it.
And as an aspiring solutions journalist, you can expect an analysis into how we can actually end world hunger by 2030 in line with Goal 2 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
What support you can give
I will be adding to this subheading through out the challenge but as far as my campaign is concerned, any comments or messages as well as financial donations would be greatly appreciated.
Donate here
The Shop
So, the challenge starts tomorrow- eeeek! I’ve been stocking up on coffee all day which I’m sure will backfire in the next couple of days but I wanted to make the most of it while I had it! I would have started the challenge today but it’s my Mum’s birthday and I don’t think I could resist the allure of cake! Plus it’s given me a good chance to go over the menus, go shopping and plan what I am eating.
Just looking at the menus, it is hard to imagine what I will be feeling in the next couple of days. You are supposed to follow once specific country’s menu throughout but for the sake of journalism, more interesting content not to mention-the added bonus of my sanity- I will be sampling the menus from different countries each day. So, it’s important to remember that no matter how hard I think I have it in the next couple of days, there are 690 million that live like this day in and day out.
When it came to shopping for the ingredients, I found most of them remarkably easily. I have been trying to reduce my plastic waste and wanted to keep this in mind while I was shopping for the challenge. If you look at the above Tiktok or the picture of my shopping trolley below, you’ll see what I’m going to be working with the next couple of days. I couldn’t find black eyed beans or cracked wheat so I have opted for more lentils and oat porridge.
Returing home, I tried to set and weight out as much as I could on a tray. I currently live with my parents and my sister, who will be going in and out of the kitchen and will be eating normally so I need to reduce my cooking and preparation time to a minimum. More for their sake than mine…so that I don’t go rabid and snatch toast out their hands with my teeth…that kind of thing.
A couple of friends and I have joked about how this challenge will affect me. I’ve trained for half marathons and abseiled off the Forth Rail Bridge but this is new. I wouldn’t go as far as to say that I am a walking Snickers advert when I’m hungry but I have my moments. Also I want to keep working in the next couple of days as much as I can. Although I have finished with my course, I am still working and applying for jobs. I wouldn’t bet a lot of money that I’ll be able to do that though.
Keep you posted x
Day 1: Senegal
Day 1…day 1…day 1. What to say. It’s been interesting. And I hate rice. Pretty much sums it up. I honestly thought that this would be the easiest day so I strategically selected Senegal’s menu first. It’s mostly rice with a little but of smoked fish and truthfully, seemed like the most unappealing of the three- no offence.
Breakfast: Bouillie de riz blanc
This is all the proof you need that just because it’s in French…doesn’t mean it’s good.Translation= it’s boiled rice with a little bit of sugar. Of course, it could have been worse but it was so tasteless and difficult to eat.
When I was reading up about chronic hunger before the challenge, I was actually really surprised to learn something. Chronic hunger is less about having limited food. Of course, that it is part of it. But rather, it’s about a lack of nutritious food available. Hence, the giant portions of rice.
It certainly filled me up but I have to admit it actually made me feel quite sick. I have been drinking water all day, mostly to curb my caffeine-withdrawal headache but I still feel bloated and gassy.
On top of this, I got my period this morning. You’d think I would be better at planning after having it for over 10 years but here we are. It’s definitely going to make this challenge even more difficult considering the blood loss, lack of energy and irritability (and all the other delightful emotions that come with your period). Plus as any menstruating person knows, you are always hungrier on your period! Although I am definitely not thrilled at the idea but there is something almost feminist about having your period when you are trying to raise awareness of what it is like for women around the world living in chronic hunger. Anything you can do, we can do bleeding after all. Jokes aside though, it’s just a burning reminder about the difficulties women constantly have to face. To be hungry, dehydrated and impoverished is enough but to do it bleeding without proper sanitation amidst the stubborn stigma that still surrounds menstruation, is unimaginable.
Lunch: Tiébou Guédji
I cannot wrap my head around eating rice for every meal and how it would make me feel this sick? I defintiely needed the Tiébou Guédji after the boiled rice breakfast. I have never been so grateful to have the flavour of fish. Feeling pretty much the same compared to Breakfast. I am still feeling fairly bloated and tired. I haven’t got the caffeine headache yet that I was expecting but there’s still time! I’ve looked at the dinner menu for later and it’s pretty much the same as lunch but smaller so not a whole lot to look forward to but at least there are no surprises!
Dinner: Mbakhalou Guedji
Grateful that this is my last meal of today and that I’ll be moving on to Bangladesh and some flavour tomorrow. Nothing against Senegal here and I’m sure it would be better with the black-eyed beans but this is why I put you first!
Day 2: Bangladesh
Breakfast: Two roti
*Disclaimer* I am a terrible cook and an even worse baker. I did, however, do my best. The roti are made up of plain flour and water which you then roll out to make thin pancake-like circles and fry them in a dry pan. Then, sprinkle a little sugar and serve- easy. Right? Well it was certainly described as a simple breakfast and I didn’t do too badly but a tip for when I never make these again, they should be a lot thinner than that!
Lunch: Boiled Rice, Potato Smash and Spinach
The worst thing you can do on this challenge is leave it too long to make your food. In my case, I couldn’t find the motivation to get up. I had done a bit of work after breakfast and that was me wiped for the day. I got round to making lunch around 3pm and by that point, my headache from the morning had rumbled into a full-blown brain quake. It was like I was hungover, trying to navigate my way through an Arcade. Everything was too loud and I could feel myself getting overwhelmed by it all. It subsided a little when I ate but I’ve put it down to the power that coffee has over me. One might expect that these three days have given me a chance for reflection of my eating/drinking habits. And they have, I swear. That being said, at least when it comes to coffee, I’m not sure how long that lesson will last.
Dinner: Boiled Rice, Lentils and Spinach
I have come to the conclusion that this might be it for rice and I. It was nice while it lasted and I wish it no ill will but if I see it again, it will be too soon. Today has been much harder than I expected it would be. I’m actually really annoyed at myself about it. I cried. It’s been two days. I don’t even have the right to complain considering that this is the daily reality for so many people. Not to mention, I still have all my creature comforts. I can drink as much water as I like, watch TV and I don’t need to do laborious work all day. Our lives just don’t compare.
Day 3: Peru
Breakfast: Potato Stew with Boiled Wheat
I have woken up with a burst of energy. I am not sure what that is about? Every morning I feel alright until about 2pm when I crash and I am eaten up by the day. I made a video before making breakfast about the the video of me in the Tiktok above. I feel much better today, much more positive about the fact that I am coming to the end of this challenge. The sleep did me good to put my little crying session into perspective. This is a challenge. It’s meant to be difficult because no one should live like this. It’s true that this challenge is only a tiny insight into the lives of women living in chronic hunger around the world. It is also true that my life, one filled with comfort and privilege does not compare to theirs. However, I am proud of myself for trying to understand, even for three days, what that is like. I am proud that I didn’t back out when I got my period or my parents offered me the chance to see my best friend in York for a few days. And I hope that it will inspire me to keep on trying to learn, challenge myself and share those experiences with you. Also porridge oats are no substitute and they taste odd with potatoes and tomatoes.
Lunch: Fried potatoes and carrot
This is the first meal that I have been excited about but also the first that has left me properly hungry. Up until now, I have felt the lack of nutrition over the lack of food. When I realised that I was to cube and fry the potatoes for my lunch, I could have squealed. I was having glorified chips!!! The menu is very specific about the amount of oil (if any) that you are allowed to use. So, it was safe to say I was thrilled. However, now as I am writing this, I am struggling to think about anything else but my dinner. And it’s only 15.01. Great. This is going to be a long afternoon.
Dinner: Wheat and Potato Soup with mint, and corn on the cob
I had such a mental block with this meal. I’m not sure if it was something to do with being my last meal or whether it truly was just flavourless but I could barely bring myself to eat it. I was looking forward to making something like a soup and the prospect of corn on the cob was more exciting than I care to admit. But overall, it felt like a very disappointing meal to end on which I suppose was rather the point.
Solutions to World Hunger
What would you ask for if a genie came to you and inexplicably gifted you three wishes? Besides the obvious loopholes of infinite wishes ( or my personal favourite) infinite genies, most of us would want to make a wish that would benefit the rest of humanity. Be it wishing for world peace or for argument’s sake ending world hunger. Shame that the world doesn’t work that way. There is no quick and simple solution to putting an end to world hunger. If there was, I’d have hoped that we would have put it to good use already. That being said, it doesn’t mean that there is nothing to be done.
I’m naturally a rather pessimistic person, truth be told. I have to work very hard to be positive and as part of that approach is looking for solutions to the big complicated problems that we all have to ignore on. the day-to-day.
When I set myself this challenge, it wasn’t just to see how much I could fundraise for the World Hunger Project or how much rice I could eat in a three-day period. Although, I certainly have achieved answers to those open questions. I wanted to take this opportunity to learn why, despite all of our resources and scientific developments, a problem that has existed as long as we have, still exists.
I had hoped that I could go on blaming the world’s billionaires for not intervening. And while I will never be quite able to shake the feeling that they could do more (or the sound of AOC’s voice ringing in my ears, relying on the world’s wealthy to provide relief year in- year out, is not a solution in itself. At least, not a sustainable one.
We can’t hope to solve a problem without understanding what is causing it in the first place. Stands to reason. Unfortunately, there is no one thing that is causing 690 million people to be living in chronic hunger every day. According to experts, man-made conflict remains the biggest contributing factor. The disruption that stems from war, causing forced migration, the widening of inequlaities and a strain on resources causes further interruptions in food production and therefore, forces people into poverty.
However, using one of our genie’s wishes to end all wars would not magically wish away world hunger along with it. That’s because climate change is what is known as a “threat multiplier”. As climate conditions become increasingly erratic and unpredictable, the security of food production, accessibility, quality and usability is jeopardised.
It is well know that conflict, poverty and climate change disproportionately affects women. By this logic, it means that hunger also disadvantages women to a greater extent too. While gender inequality continues to plague our planet, hunger is also likely to as well.
With the root causes of hunger stacking up, it’s difficult not to feel disillusioned at the prospect of fixing it. However, practical solutions already exist and I want to share them with you.
Just as in my above videos for Tiktok, I have divided the solutions to world hunger into four main groups.
Climate
One of the biggest factors that contribute to global hunger is Climate Change. Extreme and unpredictable weather conditions makes it difficult for farmers to produce and protect their crops. Prioritising climate action is a necessity if we want to end world hunger. Easier said than done right? Well, there are practical solutions that are already working.
This is an all-encompassing term for agricultural methods that seek to neutralize our climate’s unpredictability. If we invest in diversifying crops, low-water sack gardens and conservation agriculture which is about managing the soil by rotating crops for example
2. Reducing Food Waste and Improving Food Storage systems
Here’s a solution that we can all get involved in. Currently, we are wasting 1/3 of all the food we produce (over 1.3 billion tonnes). Of course, this is detrimental to our natural resources including the water needed to grow crops plus it harms our planet by generating 3.3. billion tonnes of greenhouse gases. By introducing solar dryers to sun dry vegetables can improve their shelf life and on a bigger scale, the building and improving of grain stores would accelerate this process
3. Investing in “Disaster Risk Protection”
Natural disasters disproportionately affect our poorest. Disaster Risk Reduction/ Protection is a systematic approach to identifying, assessing and reducing the socio-economic impact of disasters on vulnerable people. By fortifying infrastructure for example, we can break the cycle of: disaster→ response → dependency → repeat that we are currently trapped in.
Health
Protecting the health of farmers and their crops is crucial into maintaining food security. By ensuring that an area maintains good hygiene practices and proper sanitation, we can literally save lives. We’ve seen already that climate change is increasing the likelihood of unpredictable floods and famines that risk lives and disrupts food production.
This remains a threat, but farmers also have to consider the risk presented by pest and fungus infestations. Even using something as simple as an aerial srays, paired with bigger climate smart agriculture approaches we’ve talked about before, can protect farmers’ interests and livelihoods in the long term. Another way of doing this, is to biofortify crops. In impoverished communities, it is not uncommon for farmers to grow a limited set of crops including the likes of maize, rice and beans. These farmers are often growing the food that they will go on to eat and therefore, this lack of variety leads to a lack of essential nutrients like Vitamin A for example. There are organisations like Concern that support biofortified crops that have been grown in countries that are already promoting them.
Forced Migration
Forced migration is unique as both a cause and side effect of hunger as the result of conflict and climate change too. We already know that conflict is still the biggest contributing factor to global hunger and sadly, forced migration is inevitably linked in that process. Refugees and internally displaced persons are acutely at risk to hunger. Avoiding conflict is something that needs to be prioritised at a government level but we can practically help displaced people support themselves too by helping them generate new ways of income and skills that can transfer to wherever they settle.
Gender Equality
The reason I decided to take on the “A Day In her Food” in the first place was because I realised just how disproportionately women are affected by conflict, poverty, climate change and consequently, hunger as well. At the moment, women make up just under 50% of the world’s farmers but are 60% of our hungry. According to the World Hunger project, if women were given the same resources as men, there would be 150 million less hungry people in the world and increase agricultural production from 20–30%. With this is mind, if we want to rid the world of hunger, we need to empower the world’s poorest women through education and access to resources.
Other Resources
More About The Day In Her Food Challenge
The Broken News Podcast: “Give A Man A Fish”
Solutions to help end world hunger
Facts About The World Hunger Crisis:
