On Tuesday, I had the chance to observe another weekly Leadership Team Meeting at The Hunger Project (THP). The meeting consisted of a group of long-time THP investors and fundraisers. The central focus of the meeting was to provide feedback on the global THP webinar that we had all attended the previous week. During the meeting, I was impressed by how honest and direct everyone was in critiquing the webinar. Although the program directors from West Africa and India were very optimistic last week with regard to the coronavirus, everyone agreed that the webinar was “very sobering” and served as a reminder of the disastrous effects of the coronavirus on developing countries, especially rural communities that lack essential resources. Since THP has a goal of ending global hunger by 2030, several people expressed their concern that this goal (which was already a stretch) is entirely unrealistic due to COVID-19. Another topic that arose during the leadership meeting was the question of how THP can creatively engage its investors and community during such uncertain times. Although the organization sends out weekly emails with inspiring stories of success from its programs across the globe, several people complained that these emails have become too repetitive and are no longer engaging. The meeting never reached a conclusion on how to best engage THP investors, but it raised several questions and allowed for an open discussion.

During the meeting, I also learned about how THP is responding to COVID-19 by empowering local leadership. In its programs in Benin, local leaders have established 1,200 “tippy tap” stations for handwashing. Local leaders entirely manage these handwashing stations and they are just one example of how THP empowers people to mobilize their communities. In Bangladesh, THP has been focusing on spreading accurate information on COVID-19. One of THP’s main principles is solving hunger and poverty through a holistic approach. THP recognizes that hunger is linked to many other issues including decent work, health, education, environmental sustainability, and social justice. Therefore, local THP volunteers in Bangladesh are not only spreading accurate information on social distancing and sanitation, but they are also helping those who have lost their livelihoods find necessary resources. In Mexico, one major problem for rural communities is that the Mexican government was only releasing information on COVID in Spanish. But in many of the communities where THP works, Spanish is not the main language. Therefore, THP has begun translating the information into 5-6 local languages. Translating this information empowers local leaders to alert their own communities. Finally, I learned about how THP has been empowering elected women in India to reach every person in their communities by reading out messages and spreading accurate information on COVID-19. Overall, I found all of this information to be extremely intriguing and inspiring. Rather than providing handouts or emergency relief during a time of crisis, THP is continuing its mission of empowering people in rural communities, especially women, to take action and spread critical information on the virus.