An important piece of success is remembering that others can benefit from your influence.
Depending on where you are in your career, you may or may not feel like you’re able to give any additional energy to anything other than your work and personal life. If you’re like me, personal life and work tend to get equal amounts of attention. As a career-driven person and one who identifies as a hard worker, it can be a challenge to walk away from work.
I’ll save my “Importance of Work-Life Balance” post for another time, but volunteering and/or contributing back to society is an important piece of professional growth. Whether you know it or not, people have sacrificed to help you get to where you are today.
Even if you’re sitting there, staring at a stack of bills wondering where your next paycheck came from, it’s true. Now, if you’re having a hard time getting by, focus on you for a while. It’s okay to take time to get on your feet and be financially solvent. If you’re a little more comfortable that this, consider donating time or money. There are people who need your support in your country and around the world, maybe a little bit of your good faith restores someone’s ability to be safe at night or go to bed with a full stomach.
I have a few organizations to which I donate and volunteer my time. It’s important to me to do it when I can. In the spirit of looking to contribute to an organization that makes a difference, I began researching organizations. I came across a handful I’d already known, but not necessarily known specifics. I’ve shared my research with you here.
Let’s chat about the World Food Programme (WFP), shall we?
World Food Programme
Did you know that according to the WFP that the number one risks to health worldwide are hunger and malnutrition?
1 in 7 people in the world do not get the proper nutrition to live healthy lives.
Today’s estimation of the number of people who are starving is approximately 925 million. 925 MILLION! This number has been steadily rising through the two decades. Although, WFP notes, the numbers were dropping between 1970 and 1990, the numbers have been going up since the 1990s.
Why are so many people hungry, you ask? WFP sites a few culprits;
- Natural disasters
- Conflict
- Poverty
- Poor agricultural infrastructure
- Over-exploitation of the environment
- Financial and economic crises
Thinking about how it feels to go hungry, there disabling effects of malnurishment; including the limitation and stunting of mental growth. Assuming 1 in 7 people around the world have not reached full mental capacity, what then, are the implications?
It is estimated the average human being needs approximately 2,100 calories a day in order to be properly nourished.
The Work of the WFP
So now that we all know a little bit about the why behind the WFP. What is it exactly that the WFP does?
The WFP cited one of the top priority Millennium Development Goals established by the United Nations (Millennial Goals) for the 21st century is to radically reduce hunger on a global scale.
You Can Help
Talk about it. Too often we get wrapped up in the minutia of our daily lives and forget our ability to help those in need. We forget. Talk about it with your coworkers, your loved ones, your friends.
Next, get involved to give back. It’s not enough to sympathize, but it’s as easy as a click of a button to help. You’re already helping by reading this blog – WFP is one of the largest humanitarian organizations in the world.
Start here: World Food Programme
Thank you for taking the time to educate yourself on an important and pressing issue!
*Note: all of this information is taken directly from the WFP.org website. I do not claim ownership of the data or information. Credit is given to WFP.org. If you’re a curious student of human rights, I strongly encourage you to research information much as I have here!
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