WFP Global Youth Institute: Day 2

10.29.2014 058

10.29.2014 079

Friday, October 17 Schedule of Activities:Symposium BreakfastOutreach Inc. Meal PackagingLaureate Luncheon with Dr. Sanjaya RajaramSygenta Seeds Field ExperienceOxfam Hunger Banquet       One of the phrases in the FFA Motto is "Living to Serve" and today truly embodied that message. The first thing we did after eating a fulfilling, exotic breakfast was travel to the Catholic Diocese to package meals. It was my first time packaging meals, and I had a BLAST. It was an easy way to ensure another meal for people in areas of poverty and I got to interact with the other members of group 9 and get to know them! Next was lunch! The Laureate Luncheon was a mixture of items from India, Mexico, and the United States and to say it was exotic could be an understatement. The luncheon honored Dr. Sanjaya Rajaram who had received the World Food Prize Laureate of 2014. His work in agricultural is very inspiring and I would like extend my sincerest congrats to him on his achievements this year. After that, we departed for a tour of Syngenta Seeds. Unfortunately, I cannot disclose what we did on this trip due to security reasons; however, it was extremely educational and Sygenta provided great hospitality and accommodations for our group. Upon arrival to the hotel at the conclusion of the tour, we attended the OxFam America Hunger Banquet.The OxFam Hunger Banquet is unique in that participants randomly draw from a stack of cards which will determine their fate: high, middle, or lower class (thus corresponding with the amount of food they were to receive for dinner that evening). The scenario is set up much like real life food insecurity - those who are impacted by hunger are born into it, or it is random, or it is based on where you live...all factors that can be out of ones control. Mr. Blair, my FFA advisor, and I both drew cards that placed us in the Middle Class Section. Middle Class citizens received a meager meal of rice and beans, low class received a small amount of rice and water, and high class received the fancy, plentiful five-course options that we have been given for many of the conference meals. Like I said, I'm a pretty picky eater so I was not looking forward to this meal whatsoever. However, my perspective completely changed as the night continued. Lower class citizens who don't get enough food don't complain about the meal that they do get; they enjoy what they have. In America, we're blessed with enough food to feed almost everyone and options to satisfy even the pickiest of eaters. I'm in the works of trying to host one of these banquets at my school, as it profoundly impacted my outlook on food insecurity, and I know it will be beneficial to others in my community. After the meal, the Eldon crew joined with another student-teacher combo from Iowa to hit up a nice little restaurant for 'dinner'. It was delicious and I was much more appreciative of what I was given after attending the Hunger Banquet.xoxo,Holly