Who are we?

We are 500,000 individuals from 6 continents and 24 countries — from different backgrounds, ethnicities, religions, languages. 

We share the same vision and the same commitment. And we do what’s necessary to translate that vision into reality.

We are the revolutionaries who transformed the mindset of the world from “hunger is inevitable” to a worldwide commitment to end hunger.

We are change agents who are ending hunger in 14,000 villages in Africa, South Asia and Latin America.

We are women and men who have become authors of our own development.

We are the millions of women who now have voice in the decisions that affect our lives. 

The biggest wake up call - ever.

The world is in crisis. As of today, over 2.4 million people in 185 countries around the world are infected with COVID-19. Every Hunger Project country is affected. More than 165,000 people have died. Half of the world’s population has been asked to stay home. This health crisis has also become an economic one. And the worst is yet to come.

We’ve witnessed the virus take hold in China, Europe and the United States. Now the virus is beginning to take hold in the developing world. This presents a whole new set of challenges. Three billion people are unable to wash their hands at home. Food insecurity is a growing concern. One half of the world’s population does not have access to essential health care.

We are all in this together.

This virus is screaming, “we are all in this together.” This means I have your life in my hands. And you have mine in yours. What affects one person anywhere, affects everyone everywhere.

At the same time, cooperation among nations is just beginning. There is not yet a global coalition of countries to combat the virus. The Security Council of the UN has not yet passed a resolution declaring COVID-19 a threat to peace and security. Nor is there a Gandhi, Churchill, Martin Luther King, or Nelson Mandela who has emerged to light the way.

A new opening - new opportunity.

History teaches us that destruction and creation are two sides of the same coin.

Pandemics teach us that the world that emerges from crisis cannot resemble the old. This can be the end of an era — an end to divisions of race, religion, ethnicity, economic status. The challenge will be not just in developing new ideas, but in escaping the old.

We need to replace hatred with love, and disharmony with cooperation.

We need to come to realize there is no “other” – there is just “us.”

We need to think as one species, as one humanity.

The way we respond to this virus will depend on our values, our commitments and our sense of being part of the human race.

You are what's needed.

You have the experience and expertise to seize this opportunity.

You stand on a platform of Hunger Project principles – human dignity, transformation, equality, interconnectedness – from which to act and make a difference.

You are pioneers in creating a global consciousness.

You have a history of successfully building lives of self-reliance and dignity.

You know what it takes to transform individual and global mindsets.

My ask of you.

I ask you to stay safe, stay strong and follow the guidelines.

I ask you to renew your commitment, and strengthen your participation and leadership. The Hunger Project is needed now more than ever.

I ask you to look for and create additional opportunities in your school, place of worship, community, nation and world.

You are needed to shape the future. 

Joan Holmes

Founding President, The Hunger Project