HUNGER RELIEF INTERNATIONAL

In keeping our core objective at the heart of programs, HRI’s school feeding program is based on the premise that if we can feed children at school, their parents will be motivated to send them to school every day and the children will have the capacity to focus on learning, not being hungry. Simply put, hungry children cannot learn! Food is procured locally so that there is strong local and community involvement. The school feeding programs address chronic malnutrition amongst school-aged children and also serve as an entry point for HRI within the communities, working to gain community trust and involvement, and fostering relationships which are vital to the long term goals of HRI’s initiatives. The school feeding program is being implemented in 3 villages in Guatemala in 2022; however, it has been modified to a breakfast program as of 2021.

Open wood fired cooking stoves continue to be the norm for most rural households in Guatemala. This is especially true in impoverished villages and communities where few can afford modern cooking stoves and alternative fuel such as propane. Because these basic stoves lack one important detail – chimneys – chronic respiratory illness is a leading cause of death in children under the age of 5 in Guatemala. In an effort to alleviate chronic respiratory illness in women and children, decrease the financial burden on the household as well as to curb deforestation, pollution and subsequent watershed destruction, HRI is implementing an energy efficient stove project. Through this project, we are partnering with communities and families to build safer and more energy efficient stoves inside their homes. These stoves are designed to be used like traditional stoves but use 1/3 less firewood, maintain heat more efficiently, are raised off the ground to prevent accidents and injury and include a chimney to carry smoke out of the home. Sustainable cooking stoves serve traditional roles while incorporating basic sustainable practices. They are designed for local communities specifically so that women can easily transition into using them, they use the same fuel source (firewood) and are simple to construct and maintain. The sustainable stove project launched in the 3rd quarter of 2012. Our goal is to complete at least 150 energy efficient stoves by the end of 2022.

Our extensive experience working with children at high risk of mistreatment, abandonment, and exploitation (as well as with their families and communities) led HRI to make Child Protection a priority in our work. Our Child Protection programs are primarily centered around women’s empowerment initiatives which train, equip and inspire women to be the change they want to see in their lives. We believe empowerment is essential to breaking the cycle of extreme poverty. We are engaging women in topical workshops and conversations that encourage and build self-esteem, confidence and understanding of personal rights. Our goal is to create supportive learning environments that help women realize a healthier more economically secure future themselves and their families.

During the implementation of HRI’s school feeding program in Guatemalan schools, it became very clear that children ages 0-5 years who were not yet old enough to attend school, were experiencing serious malnutrition during vital growth years. Chronic malnutrition so early in a child’s life can lead to stunted growth and chronic illness and also impedes a child’s cognitive development. The need to address this life threatening situation lead to a new initiative – Infant and Toddler Supplemental Feeding, which targets children 6 months to 2 years old. By providing supplemental feeding to these young children we can facilitate their achievement of normal physical and cognitive development for their age. It also enables us to work closely with the mothers on critical educational activities relating to childhood nutrition, health and development. This program is complimented by our Organic Home Gardening Initiative, which helps mothers develop a sustainable source of nutrition for the whole family moving forward. HRI's Infant and Toddler Supplemental Feeding program started in 2012.

Children First is a whole-family, multi-pronged approach to protecting Haiti’s most vulnerable children. Through targeted parent-child interventions, this program works to keep families together, protect children from harm, and build strong parent-child relationships through a host of support services. In addition, the program ensures that children become enrolled in school, eat a nutritious meal each day, engage in afterschool activities and receive academic assistance. By providing families with the supports they need to sustainably overcome poverty-related stress factors, children have a better chance to reach their full potential and thrive. Each parent participant who completes the program receives a small loan to help launch their business. 100% of all participants of paid their loans back and then HRI reinvests those funds to pay for the families' children's school fees.

Today’s youth will be the next generation of leaders in their communities and nations. Youth growing up in highly impoverished and dangerous communities face a myriad of challenges including lack of prospective employment, lack of access to continued education and few productive activities. HRI youth programs combat this tragic reality and demonstrate there are attainable alternatives for youth. This program works in impoverished and dangerous communities with teens that are at risk for gang membership and violence, undocumented migration, child and sex trafficking, teen pregnancy and perpetual poverty. It engages teens on a variety of life skills and leadership topics with the goal of demonstrating that they have other attainable options and opportunities. Teens join HRI in multiple safe spaces in a few communities for weekly activities.

A program dedicated to stopping the cycle of poverty, exploitation, fear and anxiety confronting young adults aging out of orphanage care. This program works to better equip teens with a combination of training and real-life experience to develop marketable skills that can be applied in their communities and allow eventual financial independence. Teen orphans are learning how to earn income by starting, managing, and operating their own small business.