World Food Day: young ambassadors speak out about hunger

Hello! I’m Tilly Wood, a Youth Ambassador for Save the Children.

I am writing on World Food Day in order to talk about hunger and malnutrition.

Frank Kapeta is another Youth Ambassador in Tanzania who experienced malnutrition as a young child. He is also working with Save the Children to help raise awareness about hunger and malnutrition.

Frank has answered some of my questions about the type of food he eats and the importance of a healthy and nutritious diet. I have also provided my own answers to the questions as a comparison:

1. What type of food do you eat at school?

Frank: My school doesn’t provide food to students, but sometimes I eat porridge and boiled cassava sold by vendors at a nearby school compound during morning break.

Tilly: We are sold a wide range of healthy and easily accessible food at school, and school meals can be free if you can’t afford them.

2. What do you cook at home?

Frank: At home we always cook ugali (stiff porridge made from corn flour) and beans; this is what my father can afford to buy.

Tilly: At home we buy many different foods, and we always have a balanced meal, as it is vital to have a varied diet and eat fresh fruit and vegetables along with carbohydrates and proteins.

3. How expensive is food?

Frank: Food prices are very high, my father used to buy cheap stuff like corn/cassava flour and beans. It is difficult for him to buy rice and beef as they are very expensive and his income is very low.

Tilly: Food prices are varied in the UK as well but my family is lucky to be able to afford a nutritious diet. It is important that healthy, varied food should be available to anyone who may not be able to afford it under normal circumstances to prevent malnutrition.

4. What is the importance of nutritious food?

Frank: Nutritious food is important because it helps build the body and protect from diseases like malnutrition, it also helps us to have a sharp mind. When I was a little child I suffered from malnutrition-related diseases because of a poor diet.

Tilly: Nutritious food is essential for the body, mind and immune system, and it is important that we make sure people like Frank are getting the right food for a healthy life.

5. Why did you decide to work with Save the Children in hunger and malnutrition?

Frank: I heard about Save the Children through a Children’s Council and Young Reporters Network and decided I wanted to contribute my efforts to fighting hunger and malnutrition,advocating for my fellow children, and also providing a testimony of how I suffered because of hunger when I was a little child.

Tilly: I decided to work with Save the Children as I wanted to make a difference and to give something back by helping people who are less fortunate than me.

Frank and I hope that this blog will draw attention to the inequalities in the global food system and the importance of doing all we can to make sure that no child goes to bed hungry.

While child poverty does exist in the UK and we should do more to stop this, most children in Britain will never experience severe hunger and malnutrition as in other developing countries.

It is important that we try to make sure as few children as possible experience malnutrition in countries where it is common.

You can play your part in ensuring children get the food they need.

Please sign Save the Children’s petition to help give every child a life free from hunger