Tour highlights hardship, hope in fight against hunger

A Manitoba representative with the Canadian Foodgrains Bank says global food insecurity continues to mirror economic pressures felt at home, but recent work in Kenya is offering signs of long-term hope.

Dale Friesen, the organization’s regional representative for Manitoba, travelled to Kenya in February as part of a learning tour examining food security initiatives supported by Canadian partners.

Friesen said many of the challenges facing families locally, including inflation and job insecurity, are also being experienced globally, often compounded by additional pressures.

“In many of these places, economic pressures and food insecurity are intensified by factors like climate change, violent conflict, and a lack of safety nets for families experiencing deep hardships,” he said.

The tour included visits to projects focused on approaches commonly used to address food insecurity around the world, including village savings and loan groups, poultry farming and conservation agriculture.

Friesen said those strategies help communities build financial stability, improve nutrition and adapt to climate-related challenges such as drought and flooding.

He recalls one participant memorably saying, “If you have a chicken, you have an ATM.”

Meanwhile, savings groups allow families to pool resources and better withstand economic shocks, while poultry farming provides both income and a reliable food source with relatively low upfront investment.

Conservation agriculture techniques, meanwhile, are aimed at improving soil health and boosting crop yields in regions increasingly affected by extreme weather.

Friesen said the initiatives in Kenya reflect broader international efforts to address the root causes of hunger.

“The strategies we saw are being used in many parts of the world dealing with food insecurity,” he said. “Together, they help communities become more resilient.”

The learning tour began Feb. 20 and marked Friesen’s first time travelling overseas. He said the experience underscored both the scale of global food insecurity and the potential for sustainable, community-driven solutions.

Friesen will be sharing more about the learning tour and the work of the Foodgrains Bank during a series of upcoming public information meetings.

Dubbed the “Church Basement Roadshow,” the sessions will include updates on current initiatives, stories from Kenya and opportunities for questions and discussion.

Urban meetings are planned for April and May, with additional rural dates expected in November.

Preliminary dates include April 27 at McDiarmid Alliance Church in Brandon from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., and May 4 at Charleswood United Church in Winnipeg from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

» Winnipeg Sun