SAMPLE ANSWERS

Hunger and Undernourishment

• Are hunger and undernourishment the same?
  • No, they’re not the same. Hunger is when someone doesn’t have enough food to eat and feels hungry all the time. Undernourishment is when they eat, but the food doesn’t have enough vitamins or nutrients to keep them healthy.
  • No. Hunger means not eating enough, while undernourishment means eating food that doesn’t give your body the things it needs to grow strong, like vitamins or protein.
• How do you know that someone is hungry?
  • They might look tired, weak, or say they feel dizzy. Sometimes, they might not have energy to do normal things, or they could talk about not having food.
  • They might say they haven’t eaten or they might look sad or quiet. Sometimes they can’t focus, and you can tell they feel weak.

Helping with Hunger and Food Waste

• If someone in your community didn't have enough food to eat, how could you help them?
  • I could share extra food from my house or ask others to donate. We could also set up a collection point where people can give food to those who need it.
  • I could organize a group with my friends to collect extra food from our homes or local shops and give it to the family in need.
• What are some reasons people waste food even when others go hungry?
  • Sometimes people buy too much food and it spoils before they eat it. Other times, they don’t like how the food looks or tastes, so they throw it away.
  • Some people don’t think about how much food they really need, or they cook too much and throw away what’s left. Others might not like leftovers and waste them.
• Imagine you are running out of food at home. What ways could you use to make meals from what you have left?
  • I could mix leftover rice and vegetables to make fried rice or use bread to make toast. We could also make soup with whatever vegetables or spices we have.
  • We could combine different leftovers into one dish, like a stew. Or we could make flatbread from flour and water if there’s nothing else.
• Why do you think some places have too much food while others have too little?
  • In some places, people grow a lot of food but waste it because they don’t need it all. In other places, people don’t have good farms or money to buy food.
  • It might be because some countries have better farms and technology to grow food. In other places, people might have bad weather or not enough money to buy food.
• If you could invent a way to make sure no one goes to bed hungry, what would it be?
  • I would create a system where supermarkets and restaurants give extra food to people in need every day instead of throwing it away.
  • I’d make an app where people can see where free food is available in their area, like restaurants giving away leftovers or community food banks.
• Do you think it's important to share food with others, especially when times are tough?
  • Yes, because sharing shows kindness, and it helps everyone survive. If we all share, no one has to go hungry.
  • Yes, because it shows we care about each other. If everyone shares a little, we can make sure no one has to suffer.
• If you found out your family was wasting food, what would you do to reduce it?
  • I’d suggest eating leftovers before cooking new food and only buying what we really need. We could also freeze extra food so it doesn’t spoil.
  • I’d suggest we only cook what we can finish and save the rest for later. We could also give away food we don’t need to someone else who might need it.

Food Scarcity and Survival

• How would you feel if you had to eat food that didn’t taste good, just to stay alive?
  • I would feel sad, but I’d eat it because staying alive is more important than how food tastes.
  • I’d feel bad, but I’d still eat it because being healthy is more important than how food tastes.
• What’s the hardest thing you’ve had to eat when there was nothing else available?
  • One time, we ran out of food at home, and I had to eat plain boiled potatoes. They were filling, but they tasted so boring.
  • Once, all we had left was plain boiled rice without any spices. It wasn’t fun, but it kept me from being hungry.
• If there was no food left in your house, what would you eat or try to eat to survive?
  • I might try to eat fruits from trees outside or look for wild plants that are safe to eat.
  • I’d look for wild fruits or plants outside, or even try catching fish or small animals if it was possible.
• Is there something around your home or in nature that you could eat but don’t usually eat? Why don’t you eat it?
  • There are some wild berries near my house, but I don’t eat them because I don’t know if they’re safe.
  • There are mango leaves near my house, and I heard they can be used for tea, but I’ve never tried it because I’m not sure how to make it taste good.
• What’s the strangest food you’ve ever heard of people eating out of necessity or in a time of shortage?
  • I heard people eat insects like grasshoppers or worms when there’s no other food. It sounds strange, but I guess it’s better than starving.
  • I heard some people eat tree bark or cactus plants during famines. It sounds strange, but I think it’s amazing how they find ways to survive.