Today, October 16, is World Food Day. We’re celebrating food because we believe everyone deserves food for today and for tomorrow.
After visiting Kenya with us this summer, food blogger, author, and photographer Dennis The Prescott shares what this means to him.
There are moments in life that define us. A polar shift-like change in our perspective rocks us to the very core, making it utterly impossible to view the world through the same goggles ever again. For me, that happened this summer just outside of Iten, Kenya.
On a surprisingly chilling morning in the northern Kenyan highlands, our crew loaded up and headed to the local market to shop for ingredients for our lunch. Whenever you arrive at a market with a cinematographer, multiple photographers, a drone, and a wide-eyed and mystified cook with tattoos, you’re certain to attract a whole lot of attention. And that morning certainly did not disappoint.
Food brings people together. Sharing stories of our favorite meals, laughing and joking, and learning more about each other’s homeland. No matter where I travel, from Paris to Nairobi, I make it a top priority to visit markets, where the locals shop. It’s a fantastic way to get a real sense of the cultural pulse and the cuisine.
We left our market adventure and made our way — thanks to the indestructible and all too necessary Land Cruisers — through the rough, unpaved roads to Joyce and Daniel’s home. It was beautiful. Almost indescribably so. Their property is nestled in beauty, almost camouflaged by the maize fields, lemon trees, and papaya trees, and looks over a lush, painted green valley.
Joyce and Daniel greeted us with open arms, so excited about inviting our crew into their home. The generosity of the Kenyan people is beyond inspiring. Joyce and I almost immediately started cooking together, and she was beaming with excitement to share her recipe with me. On the menu that day: Green Gram Stew, a vegetarian dish she loves to make for her children. Packed with nutritious pulses and veggies, and tasty to boot.
After learning her recipe, I taught Joyce a favorite childhood recipe of mine: Classic French Toast. Super easy to recreate, inexpensive, and so versatile. It was an afternoon sharing a piece of each other’s heart, and catching a glimpse into daily life for someone on the other side of the planet. Through all of Joyce and Daniel’s struggles — and living in rural Kenya where there are most certainly struggles — they were full of generosity, ambition, and joy. It was beyond inspiring, and a privilege to get to know them that afternoon.
Community building, Delicious tasting, Life changing.
Food is community. It is meant to be celebrated, enjoyed, and shared, and something that every living soul on the planet should have access to. We currently process far more food than is needed to feed all of us, yet almost 800 million people go to bed hungry every night. Seriously. It’s 2016, y’all. We’ve sent astronauts to the moon, have personal computers in our pockets, and have invented a pizza with cheesy-stuffed crust. Surely we can once and for all solve this problem of global hunger and ensure everyone on the planet has the opportunity to not only survive, but to truly thrive.
It starts with each of us.
Everyone deserves food — enough to feed their families for today and for tomorrow. This World Food Day, celebrate food and consider what you can do to help turn the tide on global hunger, making it possible that families everywhere are able enjoy the same access that we do.
Consider sharing a meal with friends and family, either at home or your favorite restaurant, then make a donation using your bill as a guide for how much to donate. It’s a wonderful way to build community while truly impacting families all across the globe. World Food Day is a perfect opportunity to give thanks for the blessings in our lives, and in turn bless those that need it most.
You can help stop hunger! No child should have to wonder where their next meal will come from. Yet every 15 seconds around the world, another child dies from hunger. Millions more are at risk of permanent physical and mental impairment because of chronic malnutrition. Together with World Vision we can change this, by addressing immediate food needs and by empowering families and communities to grow food better. And thanks to grant funds, your gift will multiply 4 times in impact!
I believe in a hunger free world, and I’m so excited to see that dream become a reality.
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