The Hope in Hunger
October 22, 2009 | 12:00-1:00 pm | Science Building 010
Presented by Muriel Arrowsmith, Calvin Nursing Student
Across the globe, hunger remains one of the most formidable threats to the health and flourishing of society. The lack of access to sufficient quantities of healthy food sources leaves millions at risk for starvation and compounds other serious health issues such as HIV/AIDS.
This presentation sums up the finding of a study carried out in the summer of 2009 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The study focused on 42 children in the Yezelalem Minch Children’s Home – a community-based, Ethiopian non-profit working to provide local children with the resources to access basic health care, education, and nutrition. The study identified specific children at greatest risk for malnutrition within the Yezelalem Minch program. The study included an assessment of local resources available to the community and the barriers to accessing such resources.
The crux of the study was the formulation of a plan for each of the children to identify means and strategies to increase their health and caloric intake. The plan included preventative measures such as establishing collaborative partnerships with local organizations, identifying key members of the community to prepare and distribute food to the children, and the establishment of basic health education classes at the community level.
The study concludes with an examination of what it means to engage this issue as a Christian, and specifically as a nursing major at Calvin College.
