1 "hunger sweetens everything but itself."

And so begins the search for the end of hunger. This blog will serve as a site for all of my knowledge, encounters, experiences, criticisms, thoughts, ideas, beliefs, and feelings during my journey around the world to end hunger. Although my writing style is at some times light-hearted, I do believe that hunger and poverty are no laughing matter. I am not writing this blog for enjoyment, but to share my thoughts on the topic. And trust me, I take it very seriously.

So here's the back story, for all of those who haven't heard it a thousand times already :)

When I was 17, I spent a summer in a small, rural community in the northern mountains of Nicaragua called La Palma. This village had one main road, nothing more than some stones and dirt, about 15 households, and no electricity or running water. I went traveled there through a group that I describe as the Peace Corps for high schoolers, Amigos de las Americas, and stayed with two other Americans that were my age. We were assigned a project to make stoves for the women of the community. You see, most of the women were cooking their families' food on open fires, which caused various respiratory diseases. While not one of us had ever built a stove, let alone done any type of physical labor, we learned alongside the community members and built stoves out of dirt and horse manure. While it may not sound that exciting (and trust me, getting dried horse manure stuck in your teeth is not very glamorous), what was really great about the stoves was that they all had chimneys to redirect the smoke out of the houses, essentially freeing the women of inhaling the destructive fumes.

In Nicaragua, 2005, building a stove.

The hungry cows of La Palma.

This trip was not only a learning experience - I spoke very little Spanish going in - but also a time to experience on of the greatest inequalities of the world - hunger. I had done a lot of traveling with my family before, but never to a place where poverty and hunger were so rampant. At first, my host family would serve me much more food than they would to their own children, out of respect, but I quickly righted this injustice and soon ate as my family did. There were times when they struggled to feed everyone, and seeing this wonderful, loving family, who had taken me in without a question, not have any food was heart-breaking. When I returned home, I went into a state of depression, viewing everything in my life as exorbitant and unnecessary. I threw out things in my room, donated my clothes, and started to rethink a lot about what I wanted to do in the future.

Some of the beautiful children of the La Palma village.

Coming to North Carolina State University was the smartest thing I have ever done. Being from an overly competitive high school, I was accepted into my top choice of Ivy League schools. But I knew that I wanted to make a difference wherever I ended up and that I couldn't do that from any of the schools that I had chosen. Luckily, my college counselor told me of the Park Scholarship at NCSU, and I applied, and was accepted. Not only were my parents ecstatic about not having to pay for college, but I quickly learned that I could find my niche at NC State and make a true difference.

Since then, I've been showcased in various articles relating to my work against hunger. While I still am pretty unaccomplished in the scheme of things (I am, after all, only 22 years old), I see the next phase of my life to be where it can all really begin for me. I will be starting a dual degree Master's program this August where I will earn a Master's of Art in International Affairs from American University in D.C. and a Master's of Art in Natural Resources and Sustainable Development from the University for Peace in Costa Rica. You see, after all my years of studying hunger and its causes, I have chosen my focal point to be in sustainable food systems and sustainable agriculture. I am a firm believer in sustainability, as you will soon learn. I also believe in grassroots revolutions, and although I am a Caucasian female who might share the ethnic identity of those who are the hungriest in the world, I am determined to make a dent somewhere. To make a difference in someone's life.

So there you go. The roots of my story, and the introduction to this blog. While I haven't included anywhere near everything, I hope that as I go along and report on what I've seen and learned, I can share my findings and ideas with those who are interested. And hopefully I can build a support system, or at least a fan base, of people who want to help me in my (perhaps unattainable but) ambitious journey. Please leave comments, ideas, helpful suggestions, and anything else that might allow me to reach my goal. And follow along as I search for the answer!