Hunger is often described as one of the world’s greatest challenges. But the truth is simpler and more urgent: hunger is solvable.
Today, 673 million people are living with chronic hunger. This is not because solutions do not exist. It is because the systems that shape our world continue to exclude millions of people, especially women, from the resources, decision-making and opportunities they need to thrive.
And yet, across the globe, a different reality is already taking shape. In communities where people are leading their own development, hunger is being reduced, resilience is being built and futures are being transformed.
Pélagie’s story is one of transformation—not only of her economic future, but of her identity, confidence and leadership. Before engaging with The Hunger Project, her life was defined by domestic responsibilities. She had no source of income, no role in household decision-making and little confidence in her ability to contribute beyond the home. Today, her reality is entirely different. Through training, community savings groups and agricultural support, Pélagie developed both the skills and confidence to take action. She started income-generating activities, accessed credit and strengthened her role within her household and community. She began cultivating orange-fleshed sweet potatoes for her family’s consumption and for processing into products such as bread, biscuits and other goods. Now she contributes to her household income, supports her children’s education and plays an active role in community decision-making.
But the most significant transformation is her mindset. “We [women] have understood that we can work just as much as men and actively contribute to the fight against poverty.”
deThe Hunger Project works with people to identify the root causes of hunger in their lives and then, together, we create an action plan to work to overcome these obstacles and transform the systems holding hunger in place.
This progress is driven by fostering leadership skills and capacity in women, girls and men in rural communities around the world. In 2025 alone, more than 32,000 people participated in leadership workshops, building the confidence and capacity to drive change in their communities. Since 2008, nearly 601,000 women have been trained in leadership, alongside thousands of adolescent girls stepping forward to shape their futures.
It is also driven by practical, hands-on action. Last year, over 38,000 people were trained in food security, 20,000 in nutrition and more than 12,000 in income-generating activities, strengthening local economies and improving access to healthy, sustainable food.
As the climate crisis intensifies, communities must build their resilience. In 2025, more than 23,000 people were trained in climate adaptation, contributing to over 181,000 people building climate resilience since 2008.
“Across Africa, there are 90 communities, encompassing 1.4 million people, that we have worked with who now have declared self-reliance. Self-reliance is not the end point. It is the moment that communities declare that they can transform the conditions of inequity into opportunities for dignity, resilience and growth,” said Rowlands Kaotcha, President and CEO of The Hunger Project.
These numbers tell a clear story: when people have the opportunity to lead, they create lasting solutions. This World Hunger Day, we are reminded that ending hunger is not about charity. It is about transforming systems, investing in people and recognizing that those closest to the challenge are also closest to the solution.
A world without hunger is not a distant goal. It is already being built—community by community, leader by leader. The question is not whether we can end hunger. It is whether we will choose to.
Be a World Hunger Day Champion
World Hunger Day invites the world to see hunger differently: to understand it as a complex, yet solvable, issue rooted in systems of inequity that can be transformed by individual and collective action. This day is an opportunity to elevate the courageous and joyful stories, leadership and innovations that so often go unseen. It is an opportunity for us to celebrate the changemakers who are creating lasting progress.
Learn how you can champion World Hunger Day this year.