May 28 is World Hunger Day—an annual recognition that aims to raise awareness and inspires action to end world hunger.
One More Child is dedicated to meeting the needs of children and families facing food insecurity and acute hunger. Operating in 60 locations worldwide, we provided over 19 million meals globally in 2023. Together with generous supporters, we are reaching one more hungry child.
Understanding Global Food Insecurity
At One More Child, we believe no child should go to bed hungry, and, yet this is the reality for millions of children and families around the world. In 2023, an estimated 28.9 percent of the global population experienced moderate or severe food insecurity—this equates to 2.33 billion people. Food insecurity is defined as a lack of regular access to enough safe and nutritious food for normal growth and development and an active and healthy life.
of global population
2,330,000,000
Food insecurity can lead to compromised food quality or nutrition value, reduced food quantity or skipped meals, and, in the worst cases, no access to food for a day or more. In these more severe cases, food insecurity leads to hunger, or uncomfortable or painful physical sensation caused by insufficient consumption of dietary energy. Globally, an estimated 1 in 11 people—733 million—faced hunger in 2023.
1 in 11
people faced hunger in 2023
733,000,000
This problem significantly affects children and can lead to stunting in growth, irreversible damage from malnutrition, and in the most tragic situations, death. About 1 in 5 children—approximately 148 million— suffer from malnutrition globally.
1 in 5
children suffer from malnutrition
148,000,000
One More Hungry Child—Read Their Stories
MEET VANYA
Vanya* is a young girl in a family of six siblings whose lives were consumed by constant hunger. To try to help feed her family, Vanya would often take fruit left at temples and bring them home.
One day, Vanya’s mother was overcome by despair and contemplated taking her family down to the train tracks and putting an end to their suffering. But God, in His great mercy, had other plans.
The family encountered a stranger with a simple, yet generous offering—a handful of wheat grains and words of encouragement. This humble act of kindness renewed strength and hope in Vanya’s mother.
The family went to live with Vanya’s grandmother, where they began attending church and encountered One More Child’s ministry in South Asia. We provided Vanya and her family with a ration kit and connected the family with our after-school feeding program, ensuring they had the food needed to survive.
Vanya no longer searches for fruit at temples, and her family no longer lives in fear of starvation.
MEET BRYAN
Shortly after baby Bryan Antonio joined One More Child’s sponsorship program, a mission team visited Bryan and his mother, sharing the Gospel and offering prayer. During this visit, the team became concerned when they observed severe signs of malnutrition in Bryan.
Our ministry partner acted swiftly, arranging for Bryan and his mother to be escorted to the hospital for evaluation. Bryan was referred to a malnutrition center where he received the care he needed.
After five months of nutritional recovery, Bryan was discharged from the center. He is now a healthy and walking toddler!
MEET SUDHA
When Sudha first encountered One More Child’s ministry in South Asia, she was seven months pregnant and working at a garbage collection center to earn a meager living. Our team found her collecting garbage while living in a slum. Deeply moved by her condition, they invited her and her 4-year-old daughter to join the nutrition program.
The ministry team, Karuna Care, provided essential food and nourishment to encourage a healthy pregnancy and supply regular, nutritious meals for her growing daughter. Sudha remained in the program for a month, during which she also heard the Gospel and attended church, ultimately leading her to confess Jesus as her personal Savior.
Sudha recently gave birth to a healthy baby boy and is preparing for her baptism. One More Child’s ministry continues to support Sudha in her faith and health journey, bringing dignity, compassion, and hope to her life.
MEET MARYORI
Maryori is a second-grade student at a One More Child partner school in El Salvador. There, Maryori not only receives a valuable education that will open more opportunities for her, but she also receives a daily lunch, provided through One More Child’s Global Feeding program. These meals provide Maryori with a means to thrive.
Maryori cherishes every meal she receives at school because on days she doesn’t attend school, she may go without food. Her favorite food is pupusa, but no matter what is on her plate, she eats her entire meal every day. For Maryori and other children in similar situations in El Salvador, school is a privileged blessing and a vital means of survival.
MEET BABIRYE
Babirye Bushira was born into a polygamous family, in which the father often abandoned those he was supposed to care for. There was no hope for attending school, and oftentimes, they lacked sufficient food, which led to the children becoming malnourished.
When Babirye was 9 years old, a team of social workers examined her at a hospital and referred the family to One More Child’s ministry in Uganda. Our team put Babirye on a special feeding program to boost her immune system and diet, likely saving her life, and then enrolled her in our Child Sponsorship program to ensure a steady supply of food.
The sponsorship program became a massive blessing in the coming months by providing critical medical care when Babirye experienced an awful motorbike accident. Babirye has endured immense suffering and pain for a young girl, yet she finds hope and comfort through One More Child’s ministry.
Help Feed Hungry Children—Sponsor a Child Today
One More Child is stepping into the heartbreaking reality of world hunger—meeting needs and feeding hungry children nationally and globally. Our Child Sponsorship program is one of the primary means through which we accomplish this mission.
Through Child Sponsorship, we meet tangible and spiritual needs of children in developing countries, providing a personal connection and making a meaningful impact. Child sponsorship provides meals and nourishment children need to survive, grow, and thrive.
There are high-priority children in need of child sponsorship today—these are children who have been sponsored in the past, but recently lost their sponsor. Make a difference—sponsor a high-priority child today.
World hunger affects children, families, and individuals all around the world, in many walks of life. The enormity and devastation of world hunger can be overwhelming or even discouraging, but this is the hope from Jesus we cling to:
“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (NLT)
We cannot eliminate all suffering in this world. But we can and should pursue generosity, justice, and redemption with the power God supplies us through the Holy Spirit. This power, rooted in love, was established in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
God invites us into his story of redemption, but it is up to us whether we will accept His invitation. What will you choose today?