It is a challenge that is often measured in statistics but experienced in deeply human ways. A child who arrives at school hungry is not just facing a physical disadvantage, they are facing a barrier to learning, concentration and development that can shape their future long before they reach adulthood, the writer says.
Every year, World Hunger Day serves as a global reminder of a crisis we know too well in South Africa: hunger is not caused by a lack of food. It is caused by systems that do not ensure equitable access to food, opportunity and dignity.
It is a challenge that is often measured in statistics but experienced in deeply human ways.
A child who arrives at school hungry is not just facing a physical disadvantage, they are facing a barrier to learning, concentration and development that can shape their future long before they reach adulthood.
In South Africa, the scale of food insecurity remains deeply concerning.
