Hunger

A few months back in one of my professional photography Facebook groups I was introduced to a company by the name of Cuddle & Kind that was just trying to lift off the ground which had a very noble purpose.  The whole concept of Cuddle & Kind was created with the hope that they could play a role in helping to solve the issue of child hunger around the world.  Seems easy enough hey? (and I say that totally tongue-in-cheek).  Globally, 1 in 8 people will go to bed hungry tonight – that is equivalent  to 842 MILLION people and that is a statistic from 2013.  Personally I would add a few more million to that number for an accurate figure for 2015 as our world population is certainly not declining.

It is also very important to recognize how children are impacted by these numbers.  Sure – we have all felt hungry from time to time – the feeling is terrible if it gets bad enough.  You start off with the grumbles, then that feeling starts like there is a massive black hole in your stomach.  The feeling of an empty tummy is just so empty.  There is no way to avoid that ’empty pit’ feeling and then when you think the empty can’t get worse the cramping begins.  The pain of hunger keeps growing until you can FINALLY find something to eat.  Sometimes its cheese, sometimes a burger…sometimes chocolate – when your that hungry it really doesn’t matter what you can find – I have been known to down a sugar cube if desperate (and that is really gross) just to avoid the next stage of ‘hungry’ where your whole mood shifts because you are so hungry.

If you are reading this blog post the chances are that you have access to food as food definitely fits on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs long before reading a photography blog post (though in my opinion it should be about the same…haha).  In all seriousness though, we can do something about our hunger pretty quick if necessary in a developed country.  If your hungry – just go get a snack, go to a restaurant, grocery store or a friends house really – food is available.  If you have children you likely stress to some degree over what you plan to send to school in your kid’s lunch box as I know I do.  I look each morning and try to make sure that each food group is represented in a fun and practical way so that his nutrition is met and he can enjoy eating what is there.  As I am writing this it seems rather absurd really – why on earth do we need to make lunch ‘fun’ for our kids when 1 in 3 of all child deaths in developing nations are linked to undernutrition as explained in a UNICEF report.

So how does Cuddle & Kind fit into this plan?

Just a few short months back the Woodgate family decided to help.  They desperately recognized the impacts that global hunger is having on the worlds children and decided to, rather then just make a Facebook post about how terrible it is, that they would put a plan into action.  This action plan created the Cuddle & Kind business plan where they would provide beautiful, hand knitted dolls in a number of different designs lovingly created in a fair trade agreement with women who live in Peru.  Cuddle &Kind provide all of the materials, including very special custom yarn for each doll and the women are provided employment at wages that sustain their lives – not exploited like so many large named companies have exploited in the past few years.

Here is the magical part you have been waiting for however – the purchasing power of the dolls.  For every 1 doll that is purchased Cuddle & Kind is able to purchase 10 meals for hungry children.

That is 10 delicious, nutritious, ethnically appropriate food (as sourced from local food suppliers in the area of purchase) that will be provided to children so that they can focus on the more important aspects of childhood – having fun and learning rather then wondering where or how they will come across their next meal, stress that no child should live with in 2015.

When I was chosen to be a brand ambassador for the Cuddle & Kind movement, I was selected for my photography skill and enthusiasm around the brand.  As an ex-social worker (I am technically still one – just not registered) I am completely aware of how easy it is to be missed as an adult in the system and how often if the adults are missed so are the children.  We all like to pat ourselves on the back and feel like something is being done – but rarely too little is.  We live in a society that is consumed with ourselves – there is no way around it.  We love ourselves to shreds and justify terrible purchases in the name of “I deserve it.”

Cuddle & Kind has made it so easy for you to support their endeavours by creating an item that you AND your children will love – all while fighting hunger.  What have you spent money on in the last week that you really didn’t need?  How many times have you eaten out or ordered a coffee over 2$?  I make several of these impulse purchases every week – I look at my kids and think – ‘ok – they will love this’ and off I go to the till, knowing full well that they will love it for 5 minutes if I am lucky and then move along to another thrill.

Your purchase of one of 9 different dolls does this:

1. Makes your kids happy (who doesn’t love a 20 inch friend to love)
2. Feeds hungry kids GLOBALLY – this isn’t just in Africa…this is for all children
3. Creates sustainable work for women living in Peru (so they can earn an income)
4. Makes you feel good – because you just made a difference and did next to no effort because your busy…and that is ok.
5. Allows children to be the best they can be (because when you are hungry you can’t grow physically, emotionally, cognitively, etc.).

I am so honoured to be part of this wonderful Canadian effort.  No child should be hungry and let’s face it…Christmas is just around the corner.

All my love –
Suzie