In Venezuela, ADRA is working with over 7,000 people in Bolivar state, providing six months of food assistance followed by a 22-month agriculture and livelihoods program to establish long-term food security solutions.
40 per cent of the population in Venezuela is moderately food insecure while 8.3% experience severe food insecurity. Why? Venezuelans have lived through a complex and prolonged economic crisis which was then compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic. In July 2022, the average income of people in Venezuela could cover just about 25.7% of the cost of a basic food basket.
When hunger and poverty are present in a community, women and girls are often disproportionately affected, especially those living in countries without strong safety nets. While the gender gap decreased in 2022, there are still more women going hungry than men.
21-year-old Rossiel Bravo has three daughters, and has struggled to generate an income that allows her to adequately feed her family. Getting a job is difficult as she is the full-time caregiver for her three young daughters, so she lives with the uncertainty of when their next meal will be.
When ADRA started working in Rossiel’s community, they selected her as one of the 1,169 households to receive six monthly food baskets consisting of rice, corn meal, black beans, pasta, oil, margarine, sugar and salt.
Upon ADRA Venezuela’s first visit to Rossiel’s house with the food kit, Rossiel reported that her family hadn’t eaten breakfast because she did not have any food to prepare. She began to cry tears of joy, knowing that day, her daughters wouldn’t have to wait any longer.
Rossiel didn’t expect ADRA to arrive with a food parcel on this day, and was relieved to know her daughters wouldn’t go hungry (Photo: ADRA Venezuela)
“With all my heart I thank you. I did not expect this, and it came at the moment I needed it the most,” said Rossiel.
This story was originally published in the 2023 Fall edition of Breaking Bread. Download or order your copy here.
