The Millennium Development Goals established in 2000 with the aim to end poverty by 2015 are wrapping up.
While great strides have been made, we still have a long way to go! World leaders have been working on a new set of global goals called the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). On September 25th, 2015, 193 world leaders will commit to these 17 new goals designed to end extreme poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and fix climate change.
As a participant in the global effort to end poverty, Food for the Hungry (FH) Canada is already fully engaged in sustainable development and is directly impacting eight of the new Sustainable Development Goals.
SDG GOAL #1. NO POVERTY: End poverty in all its forms everywhere
FH Canada's stated purpose is "To end poverty, one community at a time". To accomplish this purpose, FH partners with communities stuck in poverty and helps them implement a 10 year holistic development plan to address the physical, spiritual, personal, and relational dimensions of their poverty.
SDG GOAL #2. NO HUNGER: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
To help eliminate hunger, FH Canada promotes sustainable agriculture in all their partnered communities through training and equipping farmers to improve farming techniques, make organic fertilizer and natural pesticides, diversify their crops, install irrigation, and replenish depleted soil. Through kitchen gardens, cooking classes, and promoting breast feeding, FH staff equip families to sustainably improve their nutrition.
SDG GOAL #3. GOOD HEALTH: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
FH Canada organizes its programming within four sectors: health, education, livelihoods, and disaster risk reduction. Health initiatives that are found in all FH partnered communities include Cascade Groups (women teaching women the basics of health education), household and family hygiene training, clean water initiatives, nutrition, and improving community access to professional health services.
SDG GOAL #4. QUALITY EDUCATION: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
Through Child Sponsorship, FH helps parents understand the benefits of sending their children to school and then equips them to do so. Emphasis is especially given to raising school enrollment for girls and preventing their early drop-out. FH conducts leadership training with teachers and school headmasters, helps build and equip safe and functional school blocks, and runs kids' clubs after school to help raise student engagement. They also facilitate adult literacy classes.
SDG GOAL #5. GENDER EQUALITY: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
Gender equality is a priority for FH in every area of programming. From the beginning of a partnership, women are brought into Village Development Committees to help steer their communities' future. Throughout the years FH spends with a community, women are equipped to take control of family health, empowered to create and manage their own finances, supported to attend school, encouraged to marry later in life, and trained on how to improve their harvest yields. FH also does domestic violence prevention and women's rights training with communities to help protect women and girls.
SDG GOAL #6. CLEAN WATER & SANITATION: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
Clean water and sanitation are key to improving community health. FH helps communities access clean water by digging wells, capping open water sources, creating gravity water systems, and training families on how to make their own water filters and boil drinking water. Emphasis is placed on hand-washing and installing and using sanitary latrines. Families are taught how to build kitchen shelving out of local materials to keep their cooking and eating utensils clean, and to separate their living space from their animals to improve sanitation.
SDG GOAL #8. GOOD JOBS & ECONOMIC GROWTH: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
FH provides locally relevant income generating skills training for all their partnered communities. This includes agricultural training as well as small business initiatives like sewing, soap-making, cooking, and hair cutting. Economic growth is promoted for both individuals and the community through Savings and Loans Groups where participants learn financial literacy, record keeping, and wealth management.
SDG GOAL #15. LIFE ON LAND: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
Environmental stewardship is a primary value for FH Canada and is promoted through reforestation projects, irrigation, crop-rotation, organic composting, natural pesticides, crop diversification, and fuel-efficient stoves.
While great strides have been made, we still have a long way to go! World leaders have been working on a new set of global goals called the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). On September 25th, 2015, 193 world leaders will commit to these 17 new goals designed to end extreme poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and fix climate change.
As a participant in the global effort to end poverty, Food for the Hungry (FH) Canada is already fully engaged in sustainable development and is directly impacting eight of the new Sustainable Development Goals.
SDG GOAL #1. NO POVERTY: End poverty in all its forms everywhere
 |
| A PROUD SELF-SUSTAINING COUPLE IN FH BANGLADESH COMMUNITY |
FH Canada's stated purpose is "To end poverty, one community at a time". To accomplish this purpose, FH partners with communities stuck in poverty and helps them implement a 10 year holistic development plan to address the physical, spiritual, personal, and relational dimensions of their poverty.
SDG GOAL #2. NO HUNGER: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
 |
| A WOMAN IN FH GUATEMALA COMMUNITY SHOWS OFF HER KITCHEN GARDEN |
To help eliminate hunger, FH Canada promotes sustainable agriculture in all their partnered communities through training and equipping farmers to improve farming techniques, make organic fertilizer and natural pesticides, diversify their crops, install irrigation, and replenish depleted soil. Through kitchen gardens, cooking classes, and promoting breast feeding, FH staff equip families to sustainably improve their nutrition.
SDG GOAL #3. GOOD HEALTH: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
 |
| A GROUP OF WOMEN IN UGANDA ENJOY A HEALTH EDUCATION TRAINING |
FH Canada organizes its programming within four sectors: health, education, livelihoods, and disaster risk reduction. Health initiatives that are found in all FH partnered communities include Cascade Groups (women teaching women the basics of health education), household and family hygiene training, clean water initiatives, nutrition, and improving community access to professional health services.
SDG GOAL #4. QUALITY EDUCATION: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
 |
| A YOUNG MAN IN UGANDA GETTING A QUALITY EDUCATION |
Through Child Sponsorship, FH helps parents understand the benefits of sending their children to school and then equips them to do so. Emphasis is especially given to raising school enrollment for girls and preventing their early drop-out. FH conducts leadership training with teachers and school headmasters, helps build and equip safe and functional school blocks, and runs kids' clubs after school to help raise student engagement. They also facilitate adult literacy classes.
SDG GOAL #5. GENDER EQUALITY: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
 |
| THESE GIRLS IN A FH RWANDA COMMUNITY ARE READY TO TAKE ON THE WORLD |
Gender equality is a priority for FH in every area of programming. From the beginning of a partnership, women are brought into Village Development Committees to help steer their communities' future. Throughout the years FH spends with a community, women are equipped to take control of family health, empowered to create and manage their own finances, supported to attend school, encouraged to marry later in life, and trained on how to improve their harvest yields. FH also does domestic violence prevention and women's rights training with communities to help protect women and girls.
SDG GOAL #6. CLEAN WATER & SANITATION: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
 |
| HAND WASHING IN AN INTEGRAL PART OF HEALTH TRAINING IN EVERY FH COMMUNITY |
Clean water and sanitation are key to improving community health. FH helps communities access clean water by digging wells, capping open water sources, creating gravity water systems, and training families on how to make their own water filters and boil drinking water. Emphasis is placed on hand-washing and installing and using sanitary latrines. Families are taught how to build kitchen shelving out of local materials to keep their cooking and eating utensils clean, and to separate their living space from their animals to improve sanitation.
SDG GOAL #8. GOOD JOBS & ECONOMIC GROWTH: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
 |
| THIS CAMBODIAN FAMILY SUCCESSFULLY EXPANDED THEIR STORE AND THEIR INCOME |
FH provides locally relevant income generating skills training for all their partnered communities. This includes agricultural training as well as small business initiatives like sewing, soap-making, cooking, and hair cutting. Economic growth is promoted for both individuals and the community through Savings and Loans Groups where participants learn financial literacy, record keeping, and wealth management.
SDG GOAL #15. LIFE ON LAND: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
 |
| AN ETHIOPIAN FARMER PLANTS TREES IN HIS NEW NURSERY |
