Hunger

A couple weeks ago I posted about Malnutrition and the effects it has on children.  Today I wanted to share a few stories regarding hunger::

It's 9:00am and breakfast is being served at preschool.  The children are sitting and eating around a table engaging in conversation with their peers and teachers.  Out of twenty 3&4 year olds, four of them have not eaten since yesterday's snack at preschool which was at 3:00pm.  How do they cope?  They eat a lot while they are at preschool and their teacher allows them to eat as much as they want.  When we can, we send food home with them, in hopes that they will have something more to eat and other family members will not take it from them.

In her younger years, she never knew when her next meal would come.  In response, she learned to horde food, to take more than she needed, to hide it in her pockets, to shove it under her pillow, and do whatever it took to insure one more meal.  Now, as a well fed young adult, she can't stop the compulsion to take food, to hide food, to horde food, to buy or make extremely more than is needed regardless of the cost.  She doesn't fit in.  She feels awkward, but she can't let go.  One may say she has overcome her childhood as she has become successful and is able to afford even the finest restaurants in town, but her emotional state has not changed with her physical successes.

Many have heard of the devastation and tragedy in the Phillipines as the worst storm swept through.  Thousands of people were killed, and those who were not are suffering.  This natural disaster has left them without power, shelter, food,clothing, money, and even friends and family.  They are overwhelmed with confusion, heartbreak, and are not sure what moving on means.  Relief efforts have provided food and water, shelter materials, medicine, clothes, and other relief aids.  Through the efforts of many individuals and combined efforts of organizations and worldwide government assistance programs many are being treated, but this does not mean hunger has subsided, that disease is not spreading, that shelter is adequate, that violent outbreaks don't continue, and that support systems from family and friends have been restored.  How do they cope with these stressors?  How will this affect the young children who have survived in the long run?  While there is much we are all doing to help minimize the effects, the reality of the situation still lies heavy on the minds, hearts, and souls of so many.

Read more from:
http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2013/11/10/philippines_destruction_a_great_human_tragedy_as_more_than_10000_feared_killed.html
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/11/11/philippines-haiyan-recovery/3494327/
http://thefaceofhunger.stophungernow.org/
http://lightbox.time.com/2013/11/19/seven-days-of-tragedy-photographer-recounts-covering-typhoon-haiyan-for-time/#1

The list goes on ...  Natural disasters and relief efforts have been going on for years.  The effects and stressors on an individual and family can go on for years as well.