Tag Archives: food

by saraheve | June 10, 2013 · 3:26 pm

IF campaign: Who will they listen to?

There are lots of people who want David Cameron to listen to them over the ten days ahead.

Business leaders. MPs and cabinet ministers. The leaders of some of the world’s most powerful countries who are meeting in the UK at the G8 summit next week.

I spent most of Saturday’s amazing Big IF rally asking people in Hyde Park what message they wanted to give to the Prime Minister and the other G8 leaders. You can hear some of their voices here >

And there are two voices in particular that I hope David Cameron will listen to. They are not powerful people or famous ones. They are not politicians or rock stars. They are maths teachers: Sue and George from Swindon.

These two teachers, who run a CAFOD group in their school, brought a small gaggle of excited teenagers with them to the rally. “There’s many more in the group,” explained Sue over the noise of their chat and laughter, “but they couldn’t all come today.”

George, with a loaves and fishes hat perched on his head, explained in a calm, strong voice why he’s here. Having grown up in Zimbabwe, he’s seen how hunger caused by inequality has spread in his home country and has cost lives. That experience, and his Catholic faith, has made him determined to speak out.

Act now. Join the IF campaign >> Continue reading →

IF campaign: Laughter at the Religious lobby

Credit: Geoff Caddick/PA

There was a lot of laughing – cheerful teasing between old friends, cries of delight when someone recognises a familiar face, patient good humour from nuns posing for photographs.

It’s the Enough Food for Everyone IF Religious lobby of parliament. The positive atmosphere is so infectious that even a policy expert – a profession not normally known for its light-heartedness – starts cracking jokes in his pre-lobby briefing: “The last time I stood up in front of this many nuns … I was 12 years old and at school.” He’s rewarded with gales of laughter.

The briefing over, clutching their papers and waving their placards, the merry band of campaigners go to parliament to meet their MPs.

Near the front of the group, a head or so taller than the others, is Sister Karen with her long stride, flowing white habit and unstoppable laugh. Alongside her is the much shorter Sister Erica from Zimbabwe, chanting and waving her arms in the air, holding her ‘Enough Food for Everyone IF we act and pray’ placard high. Two hundred or so more nuns, friars and priests follow on.

More photos and quotes from the Enough Food for Everyone IF lobby >> Continue reading →

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Tagged as Enough Food for Everyone IF, food, hunger, if campaign, Parliament, Religious lobby

by saraheve | · 10:31 am

IF campaign: Hunger shouldn’t be a habit

credit: Geoff Caddick/PA

Clare Lyons, CAFOD’s Head of Campaigns reflects on yesterday’s Enough Food for Everyone IF lobby of parliament.

A Japanese tourist stopped taking photos of Westminster Abbey to stare at the 200 monks, nuns, bishops and priests walking down the road.

The crowd was chanting and waving placards, one of which read “Hunger shouldn’t be a Habit”. The tourist nudged her friend. There was no discussion – this was clearly much more interesting than one of Britain’s most historic buildings.

The religious protestors were on their way to lobby Parliament, calling for action on global hunger. Many of these monks and nuns had lived in developing countries and seen the devastating impact of hunger.

They’d witnessed parents go without so their children could eat, and watched families sell everything they owned to put food on the table.

Hunger is the greatest scandal of our age, because the problem isn’t a shortage of food. Inequalities in the system that controls production and distribution mean that hungry people don’t get what they need. Put simply, there is enough food for everyone, but not everyone gets enough food.

It’s this message that’s at the heart of the Enough Food for Everyone IF campaign, of which CAFOD is a founder member. Along with 200 other organisations, we’re calling for concrete action by the wealthiest nations to start bringing an end to global hunger.

Religious communities have an incredibly important role to play in the campaign. That’s why monks, nuns, priests and vicars in training came to Westminster to make their voices heard.

More quotes and photos from the Enough Food for Everyone IF Religious lobby >>

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G8 rallies: Christina’s story

As we wait in anticipation of the big Enough Food for Everyone IF G8 rally on 8 June, Christina Kelling looks back on her experience at a previous mass demonstration: Make Poverty History. Join us on 8 June and help make history >

Christina Kelling works for Medair Sudan, and formerly worked in the CAFOD Campaigns team: “I was raised in a Christian family and from a young age was taught that the two greatest commandments are to love God and to love other people.

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Tagged as CAFOD, campaigning, campaigns, Enough Food for Everyone IF, food, hunger, Hungry for change, make poverty history

by claudmba | March 20, 2013 · 12:44 pm

1940s rations challenge: The end is in sight!

I’m into the last full week of my rations challenge. And thanks to lots of lovely generous people, I’ve raised £630.43 so far! So if you’re one of said lovely people, thank you. You’re making sure more hungry people get access to their fair share of food, and that’s a magnificent thing.

This has been an awesome experience. There have been highs and lows. The lows include: running out of fun things to make with potatoes. And wartime baking is a world away from my usual eggs-and-butter extravaganza and makes for dull, flat, sawdusty cake.

The highs include: learning to make bread and pastry with very few ingredients; Mary Anne Boermans (of Great British Bake-off fame) tweeting me recipe suggestions, and one lovely friend lovingly photocopying every single page of her own mother’s wartime scrapbook, with all the original food ministry leaflets and recipes for me. Loads of vital tips on ‘how to make the fat ration last’, ‘making the most of milk’. And what a privilege to see all the handwritten notes and comments from a real wartime cook!

Wartime recipes courtesy of a friend’s mum

Have you got a family recipe that comes from the rationing era? I’d love you to share it for my last week! @gleeandcakes on twitter!>>

So when I’ve been ready to throw in the towel and make a tomato omelette, your generosity has reminded me of why I’m doing this and then I’ve given myself a mental slap and got on with it. After all – I’m not starving. I’m not wondering where my next meal will come from, or trying to eke out £1 a day for my shopping.

Meanwhile, I’ve formed good habits. I’ve developed a keener sense of what I don’t need, and my shopping trolley is no longer overflowing with things I won’t finish before they go off.

Whereas usually in Lent, I find myself compensating for whatever I’m giving up – swapping my chocolate treat for a biscuit for example – this challenge is all about the overall amount of food available.

So the overriding issue most days is how to manage, how to make food last the week, and how to make do with what I have. And I really enjoy the planning and cooking and making rations stretch. I find it breeds gratitude for what I have.

Give thanks for the food we eat – why not add your own grace to our Grace wall?>>

Wartime turnovers

I’m starting to fantasise about Easter Sunday lunch (my husband’s fabulous Nigerian goat stew, with the full works: rice, plantain, and my sister in law’s amazing akara), there are definitely some lessons I’ll do my darndest to take forward.

I think local, seasonal food is the way forward. I’ll be trying to live by this maxim and recognise that food from overseas is a privilege.
I CAN live on much less than I’m used to, and buying a sensible amount cuts bills and waste. So while I’m looking forward to more variety, I won’t increase the overall amount I buy.
If we’re all going to have enough to eat, we should take only what we need of the world’s abundance. We need food systems to work for everyone, not just people who are lucky enough to live in certain countries. And this is within our power to change.

Have you added your voice to the fight against global hunger yet? Ask David Cameron to take action on food>>

Thank you so much for all your support this Lent. Despite the frustrations and occasional despondency, you’ve inspired and humbled me. The end is in sight for my challenge, and let’s pray that the end’s in sight for world hunger too!

About the Author: Claud Mba has worked in CAFOD’s digital communications team for three years. She lives with her husband in Kent and is a lifelong supporter of CAFOD’s work. This Lent she’s putting her love of 1940s style and culture to the test: getting sponsored to live on 1943 UK rations, in solidarity with people who don’t have enough to eat around the world.