Freedom from Hunger
Encyclopedia
Freedom from Hunger is recognized for fighting hunger with innovative self-help programs. An international development organization working in seventeen countries across the globe, Freedom from Hunger is a nonprofit, nongovernmental, nonsectarian organization classified by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) charity. All donations to Freedom from Hunger are fully tax-deductible.
health and nutrition education program. As of December 2009, 1,304,802 women were participating in Credit with Education in 15 countries around the world. This number has more than tripled since 2005.
loans to poor women in rural areas. The loans, which can vary from as little as $5 to as much as $400, allow the women to become entrepreneurs who run home-based businesses, such as making food products or crafts to sell. The key difference between Credit with Education and similar programs is the emphasis on providing education to the women at their weekly meetings. The women learn about health
, nutrition
, family planning
and sound business practices. In combination with their additional business income, the women act on this knowledge and begin to break the cycle of chronic hunger and poverty. Providing access to these resources in a single integrated program simultaneously teaches women how to help her children and earn the money they need to act on their knowledge.
Initiative is sponsored by a grant from GlaxoSmithKline
's African Malaria Partnership program. The project focuses on the development and manufacture of anti-malarial drugs, the pursuit of an effective malaria vaccine
, and initiatives to build the capacity of poor communities to fight the disease directly. When including the costs of health care
, lost productivity
, and decreased tourism
, malaria costs African countries an aggregate of over $12 billion per year. Malaria often eats up more than 40% of all public health expenditures.
The malaria initiative includes three components. The first component teaches women about how malaria is transmitted, how to recognize the early symptoms of malaria, and how to properly prepare doses of anti-malarial drugs for their children. Because many of the women that Freedom From Hunger works with are illiterate, the educational component is presented through alternative mediums such as role play, story, or song.
The second component is the subsidized distribution of insecticide
-treated bednets. Through partnership with local manufacturers and distributors, women can buy the bednets for a highly subsidized price of approximately $4 per net. The program has been highly successful in encouraging the purchase and daily use of bednets and has been shown to demonstrably reduce the incidence rate of malaria. Freedom from Hunger has also secured access to local stores of anti-malarial drugs which can be purchased directly.
The final component of the malaria initiative is intended to ensure the sustainability of the program. Freedom from Hunger has trained local organizations to implement the malaria initiative as part of the Credit with Education program. As a result, the cost of the program is covered by interest payments on microfinance loans.
Reach brings knowledge, lifeskills, and linkages to massive numbers of poor rural women to build futures of health, hope and dignity for themselves and their families. Reach does this by leveraging the power of groups and the dynamism of private enterprise to deliver proven services brokered from an array of global development organizations.
Reach seeks to
Reach is being piloted in three very different and populous areas of the world, India
, Mexico
and West Africa
. Each of these areas has large numbers of poor rural people that suffer from chronic hunger, each has a large informal network of self-help groups of women that are served in limited ways by local organizations.
, this innovative program not only protects the household incomes of poor families (the cost of paying for treatment can be a major setback for very poor families), it also improves their ability to repay loans on time.
Another important benefit is the improved sustainability of the local organization providing microfinance services to very poor communities. Their ability to sustain and grow their operations is directly linked to the health of their clients.
MAHP is an innovation on Freedom from Hunger’s proven Credit with Education program. Credit with Education combines credit and savings services with education on health topics of vital interest to poor communities. Women who participate in Credit with Education programs come together every week or two to borrow money or repay loans. At these same meetings, women participate in learning sessions on topics such as breastfeeding, child health and nutrition, family planning, women’s health and business training.
Credit with Education is one of the few microfinance programs proven to have statistically beneficial impacts on child health and nutrition.
MAHP takes Credit with Education a step further by adding new services such as:
MAHP partners are trained by Freedom from Hunger to provide these services sustainably and to extend special outreach to rural areas where communities are more vulnerable to illness because of increased exposure and few health care options.
Freedom from Hunger is partnering with five microfinance institutions to develop and test MAHP innovations: Bandhan in India, CARD in the Philippines
, CRECER in Bolivia
, PADME in Benin and RCPB in Burkina Faso. As MAHP demonstrates impact, Freedom from Hunger will bring the successful services to many more countries and organizations.
.
History
First known as Meals for Millions, the organization that developed and introduced Multi-Purpose Food, a high-protein powdered food supplement still used today in relief efforts around the world. In the 1970s, Freedom from Hunger began implementing Applied Nutrition Programs, focusing almost exclusively on the health and nutrition of mothers and children. In 1988, Freedom from Hunger developed the world's first integrated microcreditMicrocredit
Microcredit is the extension of very small loans to those in poverty designed to spur entrepreneurship. These individuals lack collateral, steady employment and a verifiable credit history and therefore cannot meet even the most minimal qualifications to gain access to traditional credit...
health and nutrition education program. As of December 2009, 1,304,802 women were participating in Credit with Education in 15 countries around the world. This number has more than tripled since 2005.
Application of microcredit
In comparison to institution-building microfinance organizations that only provide financial services, Freedom From Hunger supplements its financial services with education and health initiatives designed to improve living standards for the poor. In addition, Freedom From Hunger concentrates on serving the poor in the most rural areas.Credit with education
Freedom from Hunger works with local partners to offer microcreditMicrocredit
Microcredit is the extension of very small loans to those in poverty designed to spur entrepreneurship. These individuals lack collateral, steady employment and a verifiable credit history and therefore cannot meet even the most minimal qualifications to gain access to traditional credit...
loans to poor women in rural areas. The loans, which can vary from as little as $5 to as much as $400, allow the women to become entrepreneurs who run home-based businesses, such as making food products or crafts to sell. The key difference between Credit with Education and similar programs is the emphasis on providing education to the women at their weekly meetings. The women learn about health
Health
Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...
, nutrition
Nutrition
Nutrition is the provision, to cells and organisms, of the materials necessary to support life. Many common health problems can be prevented or alleviated with a healthy diet....
, family planning
Family planning
Family planning is the planning of when to have children, and the use of birth control and other techniques to implement such plans. Other techniques commonly used include sexuality education, prevention and management of sexually transmitted infections, pre-conception counseling and...
and sound business practices. In combination with their additional business income, the women act on this knowledge and begin to break the cycle of chronic hunger and poverty. Providing access to these resources in a single integrated program simultaneously teaches women how to help her children and earn the money they need to act on their knowledge.
Saving for Change
Saving for Change is a low cost and highly replicable methodology for self-managed saving and lending groups that bring basic financial services to areas that are typically beyond the reach of microfinance institutions. Saving for Change helps the very poor to better manage their money, by building useful lump sums for predictable needs through regular saving, with the opportunity to take out loans when they need them. The self-managed groups are extremely adaptable and responsive to member needs. Saving for Change creates sustainable, cohesive groups that tackle financial and social issues facing their members and their communities. Program growth is accelerated by the initiative of replicators—group members who in turn form other savings groups in their communities. With special training and support provided by field agents, replicators greatly expand the number of Saving for Change groups at comparable quality.Malaria initiative
Freedom From Hunger's MalariaMalaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
Initiative is sponsored by a grant from GlaxoSmithKline
GlaxoSmithKline
GlaxoSmithKline plc is a global pharmaceutical, biologics, vaccines and consumer healthcare company headquartered in London, United Kingdom...
's African Malaria Partnership program. The project focuses on the development and manufacture of anti-malarial drugs, the pursuit of an effective malaria vaccine
Vaccine
A vaccine is a biological preparation that improves immunity to a particular disease. A vaccine typically contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism, and is often made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe or its toxins...
, and initiatives to build the capacity of poor communities to fight the disease directly. When including the costs of health care
Health care
Health care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
, lost productivity
Productivity
Productivity is a measure of the efficiency of production. Productivity is a ratio of what is produced to what is required to produce it. Usually this ratio is in the form of an average, expressing the total output divided by the total input...
, and decreased tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
, malaria costs African countries an aggregate of over $12 billion per year. Malaria often eats up more than 40% of all public health expenditures.
The malaria initiative includes three components. The first component teaches women about how malaria is transmitted, how to recognize the early symptoms of malaria, and how to properly prepare doses of anti-malarial drugs for their children. Because many of the women that Freedom From Hunger works with are illiterate, the educational component is presented through alternative mediums such as role play, story, or song.
The second component is the subsidized distribution of insecticide
Insecticide
An insecticide is a pesticide used against insects. They include ovicides and larvicides used against the eggs and larvae of insects respectively. Insecticides are used in agriculture, medicine, industry and the household. The use of insecticides is believed to be one of the major factors behind...
-treated bednets. Through partnership with local manufacturers and distributors, women can buy the bednets for a highly subsidized price of approximately $4 per net. The program has been highly successful in encouraging the purchase and daily use of bednets and has been shown to demonstrably reduce the incidence rate of malaria. Freedom from Hunger has also secured access to local stores of anti-malarial drugs which can be purchased directly.
The final component of the malaria initiative is intended to ensure the sustainability of the program. Freedom from Hunger has trained local organizations to implement the malaria initiative as part of the Credit with Education program. As a result, the cost of the program is covered by interest payments on microfinance loans.
Reach Initiative
Reach is a global innovation that breaks through old ways of thinking. It gathers the most effective self-help programs from around the world and makes them available to local organizations that serve the rural poor. It establishes regional service agencies as social enterprises to train thousands of these local organizations to deliver high-quality programs sustainably. In short, Reach breaks the bottleneck between supply and demand to deliver proven self-help services to the people who need them.Reach brings knowledge, lifeskills, and linkages to massive numbers of poor rural women to build futures of health, hope and dignity for themselves and their families. Reach does this by leveraging the power of groups and the dynamism of private enterprise to deliver proven services brokered from an array of global development organizations.
Reach seeks to
- Gather and broker proven self-help services produced by Freedom from Hunger and other development organizations.
- Strengthen the capacity of local organizations to provide poor groups of women and their families with proven, high-impact self-help solutions (like savings, credit, insurance, health education and training, and other critical needs) and facilitate linkages to complementary services provided by other institutions (like health clinics).
- Cover its own operating costs at the regional level to reduce dependency on subsidies.
- Improve the lives of vast numbers of poor rural women and their families.
Reach is being piloted in three very different and populous areas of the world, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
. Each of these areas has large numbers of poor rural people that suffer from chronic hunger, each has a large informal network of self-help groups of women that are served in limited ways by local organizations.
Microfinance and Health Protection Initiative
Freedom from Hunger launched the Microfinance and Health Protection (MAHP) initiative in 2006 to help their local partners create and sustain key health protection services that complement their credit services and help credit clients safeguard their families' health. Made possible through funding by the Bill & Melinda Gates FoundationBill & Melinda Gates Foundation
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is the largest transparently operated private foundation in the world, founded by Bill and Melinda Gates. It is "driven by the interests and passions of the Gates family"...
, this innovative program not only protects the household incomes of poor families (the cost of paying for treatment can be a major setback for very poor families), it also improves their ability to repay loans on time.
Another important benefit is the improved sustainability of the local organization providing microfinance services to very poor communities. Their ability to sustain and grow their operations is directly linked to the health of their clients.
MAHP is an innovation on Freedom from Hunger’s proven Credit with Education program. Credit with Education combines credit and savings services with education on health topics of vital interest to poor communities. Women who participate in Credit with Education programs come together every week or two to borrow money or repay loans. At these same meetings, women participate in learning sessions on topics such as breastfeeding, child health and nutrition, family planning, women’s health and business training.
Credit with Education is one of the few microfinance programs proven to have statistically beneficial impacts on child health and nutrition.
MAHP takes Credit with Education a step further by adding new services such as:
- health savings plans to help women cover the cost of seeking medical care for their families
- low-cost health products to support women’s use of proven preventions such as insecticide-treated bednets and water purificationWater purificationWater purification is the process of removing undesirable chemicals, materials, and biological contaminants from contaminated water. The goal is to produce water fit for a specific purpose...
systems - group rates at approved health clinics and hospitals to encourage women’s use of vital services such as prenatal carePrenatal carePrenatal care refers to the medical and nursing care recommended for women before and during pregnancy. The aim of good prenatal care is to detect any potential problems early, to prevent them if possible , and to direct the woman to appropriate specialists, hospitals, etc...
, HIVHIVHuman immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
/AIDSAIDSAcquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
testing and family planning - micro-insurance that allows women to pay a small, fixed fee in advance of health services they and their families need
- health loans to give women immediate financial support when their families face an emergency (eliminating their need for high-interest moneylenders who keep them in debt for months or even years)
MAHP partners are trained by Freedom from Hunger to provide these services sustainably and to extend special outreach to rural areas where communities are more vulnerable to illness because of increased exposure and few health care options.
Freedom from Hunger is partnering with five microfinance institutions to develop and test MAHP innovations: Bandhan in India, CARD in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, CRECER in Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
, PADME in Benin and RCPB in Burkina Faso. As MAHP demonstrates impact, Freedom from Hunger will bring the successful services to many more countries and organizations.
Freedom from Hunger Day
In October 2006, The Yolo County Board of Supervisors proclaimed September 28 to be Freedom from Hunger Day "in recognition of Freedom from Hunger’s 60 years of success in fighting hunger with self-help programs that achieve a lasting end to hunger while promoting the dignity of women and families living in poverty." The date was also declared an official day of awareness by the State of CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
See also
- Bread for the WorldBread for the WorldBread for the World is a non-partisan, Christian citizens' movement in the United States to end hunger. The organization describes itself as a collective Christian voice urging nation's decision makers to end hunger at home and abroad...
– Nationwide Christian citizens movement seeking justice for the world's hungry people by lobbying. - Empty BowlsEmpty bowls“Empty Bowls” is an international project to fight hunger, personalized by artists and art organizations on a community level.The promotion and growth of the project is managed by The Imagine/RENDER Group, a 5013 organization. However, each community’s events are self developed and independent...
– A project where participants create ceramic bowls, then serve a simple meal of soup and bread. In exchange for a meal and the bowl, the guest gives a suggested minimum donation of ten dollars. The meal sponsors and /or guests choose a hunger-fighting organization to receive the money collected. - End 4 HungerEnd 4 HungerEnd 4 Hunger is an interactive campaign created by the non-profit anti-poverty organization Freedom from Hunger. Users take four steps in four minutes to spread awareness about world hunger through social networking and email...
– An interactive campaign created by the non-profit anti-poverty organization Freedom from Hunger. Users take four steps in four minutes to spread awareness about world hunger through social networking and email. - Food FirstFood FirstFood First, also known as the Institute for Food and Development Policy, is a nonprofit organization based in Oakland, California, USA. Founded in 1975 by Frances Moore Lappé and Joseph Collins, it describes itself as a "people's think tank and education-for-action center".Its mission is “to...
– A member-supported, nonprofit 'peoples' think tank and education-for-action center. Their work highlights root causes and value-based solutions to hunger and poverty around the world. - Kids Can Make Difference – An educational program for middle and high school students, focuses on the root causes of hunger and poverty and how students can help.
- Project Bread – Project Bread's mission is to alleviate, prevent, and ultimately end hunger in Massachusetts.
- RESULTS – An international grassroots citizens lobby, creating the political will to end hunger and the worst aspects of poverty, and empowering people to realize their own personal and political power.
- United Methodist Men's Meals Millions – provides direct relief to the nation's hungry through education about the causes of hunger and the delivery of more than 50 million meals per year.
- World BankWorld BankThe World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
PovertyNet – The PovertyNet site is maintained by the Poverty Reduction Group, part of the Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Network at the World Bank. The site provides resources and support for people working to understand and alleviate hunger. - World Food ProgrammeWorld Food ProgrammeThe World Food Programme is the food aid branch of the United Nations, and the world's largest humanitarian organization addressing hunger worldwide. WFP provides food, on average, to 90 million people per year, 58 million of whom are children...
– WFP works to put hunger at the centre of the international agenda, promoting policies, strategies and operations that directly benefit the poor and hungry. - World Hunger Awareness – A dedicated news blog created in order to bring into consciousness the sad reality of the hunger around the world in the 21st century.
- World Hunger ReliefWorld Hunger ReliefYum! Brands' annual World Hunger Relief campaign is the world's largest private sector hunger relief effort to raise awareness, volunteerism and funds to benefit the United Nations World Food Programme and other hungerrelief agencies...
– Provided for a program in agroforestry and related technologies to address the needs of the hungry, both foreign and domestic.
External links
- Freedom from Hunger official website
- Innovations in Integrated Services Freedom from Hunger's technical service provider
- Catalyst Newsletter published by Freedom from Hunger