Global Volunteers and Rise Against Hunger Unite for Virtual Journey

This is a “First-Ever” for Global Volunteers!

While the world waits for the time to safely travel and gather in service again, our support to partner communities continues. Meanwhile, volunteer support is still needed! A unique collaborative effort with our partner – Rise Against Hunger (RAH) – has produced a Virtual Journey to Tanzania, a 100 percent virtual, interactive experience.

It’s a safe, meaningful way to quench a thirst for international exploration without boarding a plane. The multi-media “journey” highlights work projects in the Reaching Children’s Potential Program (RCP), and features staff on the ground who are sustaining our important work in volunteers’ absence. Videos and interactive elements, such as recipe cards, encourage participants to actively sample the culture, while alumni of the Tanzania Program are presented in curated segments depicting the ongoing work of RCP volunteers.

Rise Against Hunger, an international humanitarian organization, provides immediate nourishment for those facing hunger today by facilitating volunteer meal packaging of more than 537 million meals to be distributed to countries around the world. Thanks to Global Volunteers’ partnership with RAH, pregnant women, mothers and children in the Ukwega Ward of Tanzania receive fortified meals enriched with 20 essential vitamins and minerals, including iodine, iron and vitamin A.

“You can think of food as fuel and nutritional building blocks for muscle, bone and grey matter,” says Chelsie Kolberg, Nutrition Technical Advisor for Rise Against Hunger in the Virtual Journey introductory video. “Research shows that proper nutrition in the first 1,000 days of life, from conception to the second birthday, sets the stage for life-long health.”

After receiving meals for a year, the RCP mothers are introduced to container gardening, and Global Volunteers provides 4-5 container gardens to each family to grow their own produce. Throughout the process, families are also provided training and support for their container gardens. In another video, Edna Ogwangi, Chief Impact Officer for Rise Against Hunger adds: “Getting volunteers to become hunger champions, we enable children and families to rise.” COVID-19 is expected to drastically increase the number of people who are hungry. “Together, we can provide transformational assistance to communities with your donation to this impact trip. Our hearts are filled with gratitude.”

Through this formative relationship, the “virtual sample” of Global Volunteers’ Tanzania Program enlightens – but more, each $99 registration provides life-changing meals to a child for a year. Participants on this Virtual Journey to Tanzania contribute in this important way to local people, and also extend the outreach of Journey to Serve, an effort to mobilize RAH volunteers to experience and contribute to sites where their meals are distributed. Join this unique experience and make an impact!