We're fighting hunger, come with us
The River Nile, Aswan, cool courtyards and the rolling desert sands...wonderfully picturesque but poor Egyptians still need to be sure they have access to enough food for themselves and their families. Abeer Etefa takes us on a trip around Egypt, learning how WFP is working with the government to help poor communities develop ways to become 'food secure'. And, yes, we get to see the sunset on the Nile.
Abeer Etefa
Senior Regional Public Information Officer - Cairo
I spent most of my life as a journalist traveling around the Middle East, or studying and teaching about communications. I love playing with all types of cameras except for being in front of them. When I am not in the field listening to the people that WFP helps every day, I am watching TV.
In episode three, Abeer focuses her attention on traditional Egyptian 'baladi' bread - a central part of the diet of millions of Egyptians. It's also an ideal channel for addressing the lack of iron in the diet of many poor Egyptians. WFP is helping the government to put iron and other minerals into some of the flour used for the subsidised staple food. This means that the poor - those most exposed to malnutrition - will automatically benefit.
In episode two Abeer takes us to the Sohag district in southern Egypt, where people rely on farming for their livelihoods but often struggle to make ends meet. We get a look inside the local school and talk to a little boy called Yusuf who is determined not to miss a single day - so he can get his daily date bar snacks from WFP and the end-of-the-month rice ration that will help his family get by.
Follow Abeer down the Nile and then into the desert, where the idea of building a village was once out of the question. But, as Abeer sees, this is no longer the case. She takes us around one of these new villages and into a local woman's home. With the help of WFP food assistance and better irrigation, poor farmers can now grow the food they need to be self sufficient.
Donating is one sure way to help, but there are many others. Helping raise awareness about hunger is an important part of the solution. Please join the conversation on:
