Food baskets to 50.000 needy families in Colombia!

It is a known fact that food is the condition that has the most influence on health. In addition to its quality, the frequency of eating is also an essential factor for a healthy life. Three meals a day is a good supply of nutrients a body needs. Long intervals between meals provide adequate time for digestion. The latest survey conducted by the government showed that one in four Colombian households doesn't have access to three meals a day.

Millions of people, not only in Colombia but worldwide, regularly miss meals or reduce their portions. Unfortunately, food insecurity points to a catastrophic situation for families, as it puts them under mental stress and forces people to survive on the cheapest and least healthy calorie intake.

In the current evident economic and social uncertainty worldwide, the Bogota Food Bank continues its work to improve the living conditions of the most vulnerable families. Father Daniel, founder and executive director of the BAB, reiterates: "Today we want to thank the thousands of generous and supportive hearts that allow us to fulfill our task. Fifteen million Colombians are suffering from hunger, thousands of them children not only with chronic malnutrition but also with their rights infringed. Everyone must help them to have a healthy and dignified life".

Thank you for supporting our daily effort. Today, we invite you, once again, to walk with us and support our tasks to ensure that food in Colombia becomes a right and not a privilege.

To learn more about our job, please visit us at: www.bancodealimentos.org.co.

Links:

• Bogota Food Bank website

The fight against hunger is at the heart of the world's political agenda and headlines. The speed at which the effects of climate change, the volatility of food prices, armed conflicts, and the aftermath of the pandemic have caused millions of families to face the harsh reality of not having enough to eat. At the Bogotá Food Bank, with simple, practical, and generous actions, we support national and global efforts to defeat the longest-lived but avoidable virus: hunger.

So far this year, we have delivered more than 14 million kilos of products to thousands of low-income families and saved more than 3 million kilograms of food between our Agricultural Surplus Recovery Program (PREA) and our warehouse in Corabastos. Our work is possible thanks to the generous hearts of thousands of donors whom every day stand up to build a more equitable, fair, and inclusive country.

We are very grateful for the kind heart of our donors who continue to sow seeds of hope through GlobalGiving. Change does not come alone and does not depend on a few; this battle needs us to be united and with open hearts.

#TogetherAgainstHunger

Links:

• Bogota Food Bank

The experience of incredible at-risk older women, developing opportunities in the Colombian countryside.

The workbench is a wooden pallet supported by four baskets. It is not big, barely a meter long, ornamented with three nails that allow the white cotton yarn to be winded. Several turns are required; the thread must be tight to allow the tiding. Clemencia, 71 years old and Elisa, 75 years old, are in charge of this first step of manufacturing handmade mops. They do not stop, their hands are as nimble as a machine, and their determination is as steadfast as if they were thirty years old. When they have the exact amount of yarn, they give a blunt cut with a large knife. The lace in the center is just the right size.

Six older women from Viotá, Cundinamarca, work in this productive project supported by the Bogotá Food Bank (BAB). Some would say it's time to retire at that age, but these women think and do the opposite. They feel autonomous, empowered, free, but above all, helpful. There are needs in their homes, and they want to contribute with their experience, will, and strength to cover them.

All the mops must weigh the same: 250 grams. Patricia and Gilma, 59 and 74 years old, respectively, are the delegates to check, intervene and balance each tie of yarn they receive cut. They remove excess threads when too heavy and add missing ones when necessary. They are rigorous and precise; they do not miss the smallest detail.

Then they pass to the strong hands and tender eyes of Mariana, 58 years old. A medium-thick rigid board placed vertically is her support to perform her task. A hook in the middle of the cloth embeds the cup to the stick, fixed with a strong hammer, finishing by adjusting it with pliers.

For four years, this project has been transforming lives. With donations like yours, we have created spaces for integration and participation, giving opportunities to people living in vulnerable situations. With this program, older women have improved their quality of life, promoted economic autonomy, and provided value to the extraordinary power of women. The Agricultural Surplus Recovery Program (PREA), led by the Bogotá Food Bank. Some would say it's time to retire at that age, but these women think and do the opposite. They feel autonomous, emp , is also present in the territory, benefiting peasants and farmers in the countryside communities.

The last step is quality control. Gloria Inés, 55, weighs them again, cuts the threads that escaped during the process, and finally packages them in plastic bags, leaving them ready to be delivered. During the day, they manufacture 250 mops, working only in the afternoons because they do their housework in the mornings. Every month, we buy the total of their products so they can have their income guaranteed. Although this project has had to overcome many adversities due to the heavy rainy seasons, which have often flooded their work area, it continues afloat with an unstoppable force. It is an engine to ensure a dignified life for a community that is not resigned and wants to continue advancing along the path of equity.

#TogetherAgainstHunger

Links:

• Bogota Food Bank website

Hunger is a heartbreaking image of the extreme poverty in which thousands of families live. They are often found in excluded and abandoned areas, struggling day by day the indifference and fighting to get food that will allow them to regain their human dignity. In the midst of the holiday season and the health crisis that has increased social inequality in Colombia, we are grateful for the kind hearts of our donors who, through GlobalGiving, joined in with acts of generosity and solidarity to transform the lives of those in need.

There are many families living in poverty and food insecurity in Bogota, this time, thanks to your generosity we reached the neediest and vulnerable in the town of Ciudad Bolivar, promoting the importance of serving effectively and raise those who live the scourge of hunger.

While we celebrated the arrival of the holidays and planed new goals for 2022, almost 300 million people in the world suffer from food insecurity. In Colombia, more than five million people have no food, suffer from malnutrition and from chronic diseases caused by the deadliest and longest-lived virus that exists: hunger.

There is still a long way to go. The COVID-19 pandemic is still leaving its mark on our society and together with hunger became a global threat. If we join efforts, we can secure food packages for the most vulnerable, meaning a vaccine of life, energy and future, for thousands of people.

Thank you for supporting Bogotá Food Bank and being part of this crusade against hunger. Our daily task is to ensure that food in Colombia becomes a right and not a privilege.

#TogetherAgainstHunger

Links:

• Bogota Food Bank website