“When I’m hungry I think about not eating, otherwise it makes me more hungry,” said one boy. “When I’m hungry, I feel scared, cuz sometimes we don’t have enough food for our family,” said a girl. They highlight the story of Robert, who was coming to school every Monday hungry and exhausted. That’s when his teachers realized that he was barely eating over the weekend. He says that when he doesn’t eat, he simply pushes his tummy in, probably to keep his tummy from grumbling.
“It hurts having to tell them, ‘Momma can’t get you anything to eat right now, so just go to sleep and Momma will get you something to eat in the morning,” said Robert’s mom, who often goes to sleep crying hoping that her children could understand that she just can’t afford to buy food. Luckily, donations from Red Nose Day have helped them open a food pantry right on campus, so these children and their families don’t go hungry.
This is a real problem happening all over the world, but it’s a local problem too. If you’re able to donate to this organization, that’s amazing, but there are many ways you can help. You can contact your local food bank and donate food, or volunteer, since there is always a need for volunteers. You can host a food drive, donate money, and much more. Most importantly, if you know someone that is hungry, don’t stay quiet and help them. There’s no reason why children should go to sleep hungry.