Building Change – Fighting Hunger in Africa
Posted by Jenna Hall on Tuesday, August 10, 2010
My best friend, Jamie, left for Africa last summer. After a lengthy process of waiting for placement with the Peace Corps, she left the U.S. and flew over the Atlantic. I remember her being ecstatic when she said she would be going to the country of Benin. I smiled and joined in on her enthusiasm, of course, though I’m ashamed to admit, at the time, I had no idea where in the world the country of Benin was in the massive continent of Africa. South Africa? That’s simple. I could even place Ethiopia on a map if tested, but, Benin?
After a little bit of research I first found out where Benin was located, (a small Delaware-sized country in west Africa, next to Nigeria), as well as a number of disheartening facts about the country. It has a 40% literacy rate, is considered the 8th poorest country and has one of the highest rates of infant mortality in the world. And, of course, the continent of Africa is known for issues of hunger, the famine in Ethiopia being the spark that created Share Our Strength. I was both excited and scared for Jamie. I knew she would make a great impact on the children she would serve as an English teacher but I was also afraid the amount of poverty may prove to take a toll on her idealism.
Nearly one year since she left, her passion and spirit are still strong. So much so that I occasionally feel like the whiner when we chat every few weeks as I complain about the traffic or the bills of a more-modern-but-still-stressful America. Despite being a world away from friends and family, she has maintained her impressive positivity and non-stop energy. The Peace Corps has simply given her a grander stage to develop and execute her plans for change.
She has been a direct witness to the struggle of the hundreds of children in her school every day. Sweltering classrooms packed with 80 students and only one teacher. Kids who are twelve years old but appear far younger because of malnutrition. She has seen girls disappearing in dresses that, at one time, fit them almost snugly. And, as we all know, seeing these things firsthand is often what drives us to action and keeps us dedicated to finding a solution, no matter how difficult that may seem.
As a result she has developed a plan to build a schoolhouse onto the overcrowded school where she teaches during the week. The project will solve a number of obstacles standing in the way of education for Beninese children, weaving together a solution for both physical space issues as well as the less tangible issues of hunger.
The first is an increase in the space by building additional rooms onto the existing school – no more 80-student classrooms, but instead, smaller settings where students can receive more direct attention and reinforcement. The additional building will allow the 2,000 students to spread out and enjoy more comfortable learning environments.
The second will address hunger. The trees that are torn down for the new school building will be replaced by edible Moringa trees to be cultivated by the students themselves. These sturdy and remarkable trees have been lauded for their ability to grow in difficult terrain and conditions, and they grow quickly. In addition, the edible leaves of these trees are rich with nutrients such as vitamin C, calcium, vitamin A, protein and potassium. Like a version of gardens that we fund, this project gives children the opportunity to watch progress grow before them and allows them to reap the benefits of nourishment at their fingertips.
These trees will provide a multitude of opportunities to teach children in Benin the value of good nutrition, information they can take home to their families, almost like an African version of Operation Frontline. The abstract concept of eating healthy can become a hands-on project for students to see and learn firsthand.
Jamie has a lofty goal ahead of her, but we all know a thing or two about big goals. As Bill Shore has said before, “Compassion is both blessing and balm. But unless hitched to the power of imagination it can leave us one step behind the next tragedy, and the next, always a day late and dollar short.”
More information about Jamie’s project is available on the Peace Corps site.
August 10, 2010 | 2 comment(s) | Tags: africa, no kid hungry
Comments
2 reader comments so far.
Just simply beautiful and inspiring.
Posted by Bridgette Harwood on August 10, 2010
Moringa trees!What a great idea. Simple, sustainable, healthy
Posted by Katya on August 11, 2010
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