What Young Nigerians Are Doing to Achieve SDG Goal 2, Zero Hunger

Gift Samuel

A Non-governmental organisation, Hunger Eradication Movement (HEM) is set to end hunger in Nigeria, and to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, especially Goal 2 [Zero Hunger] through its Programmes.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a collection of 17 global goals set by the  United Nations General Assembly in 2015 for the year 2030, with the aim to improve lives all around the globe and HEM is focussed on Goal 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.

Hunger Eradication Movement (HEM) in her maiden outreach, August 31, 2019, visited a family of seven based in an inner-city slum in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, where it gave out food items and relief materials to them.

The Team Leader, Ms. Blessing Celine Samuel, stated that the Movement is out to end hunger, one family at a time, noting that it is a feat that can be achieved with support from well meaning Nigerians.

Ms. Samuel who spoke after the visit to the family of Mr. Okechukwu Mba—a father to five children who are currently out-of-school due to lack of money, expressed dissatisfaction with the family’s condition and wished the Movement had more to offer.

“I was not really happy that we could not offer much but I bless God that we could give little,” she said. “I am hopeful that as we continue, we will have much more to give. I wish more youths will come and support what we are doing”.

She further revealed that her passion for  the Sustainable Development Goals, especially Goal (2), was the reason for the establishment of the Non-governmental organisation, HEM, adding that she will work with her team to ensure that people have good food to eat, one family at a time.

Also speaking, the Project Coordinator, Ms. Aboyi Agnes Agbogo, noted that though the journey has just begun, it is a great step that the Movement has taken to end hunger.

She however called for more support from Nigerians to provide food for families that are in dire need.

For his part, the head of the beneficiary family, Mr. Okechukwu Mba welcomed the HEM with open arms and thanked them profusely for the laudable initiative. He, however expressed dismay that he could not provide enough food for his family and send his children to school, due to the economic situation in the country.

According to him, “My children are not in school, they are pressuring me to put them in school, but the resources are limited to register and give him qualitative education”, he said. “Anybody that cannot give his child qualitative education, it looks like child abuse, if you cannot feed your child well and train them well, it’s child abuse”.

“Even to feed them now as the country is…, it is very difficult to put three square meals on the table. I don’t have a strong job, my shop where I sold second-hand clothes was demolished so I joined a security organization where I receive little token which is not anything to write home about considering the situation of things in Nigeria.

“If you rely on Government, you are on your own. This very government are not helping matters. They are talking of change, we don’t know if it is positive or negative change that we are facing,” he ended.

With such Interventions, HEM is working to ensure that families have good food and as such, is soliciting for support to help more families and to also send some out-of-school children back to school.