What Hunger Feels Like

Most of us don’t know what hunger feels like. Not real hunger, anyway. Not the kind of hunger that causes permanent damage or even jeopardizes lives. In Guatemala, where I was born, hunger is a pervasive and tragic reality; the country has the fourth highest chronic childhood malnutrition rate in the world. The government has tried to curb the problem, but with mixed results.

If you read my recent reflections on God and Production in a Guatemalan Town you might have a feel for what village life is like for families just trying to get by. For a more personal look, here’s a recent clip featuring a 26-year-old mother who is reluctant to use birth control, but struggles to feed her six children.

Thanks to Mike at the Central America Politics blog for sharing this video.

Please consider supporting organizations working to serve families like these in Guatemala, and especially ones that recognize the multifaceted roots of poverty and respond in turn with holistic development programs. Lemonade International and Common Hope are a couple of smaller organizations worth getting to know, and Food for the Hungry and World Vision are larger organizations doing great work.