School Assembly
22nd January 2007

Topic: Don't waste food! Give it to the less fortunate!

 

In this assembly, the Civic Education Group gave us a talk on the problem of world food shortage. Although the production of food has increased many times in the world over the last few decades, the number of people dying from hunger or hunger related causes has not declined. There are some alarming statistics:

  • 1/3 of deaths, around 18 million people a year, or 50,000 per day, are due to hunger or hunger-related causes.
  • In the developing countries, about 24,000 people die every day from hunger or hunger-related causes. This is equal to 24 deaths per minute, of which 17 are children.
  • 3/4 of the deaths are of children under the age of five.
  • 800 million people go to bed hungry every day.
  • 1/3 of the people in the United States are too fat because they eat too much.

The Civic Education Group urged all of us to consider the amount of leftover food we throw away each day, and especially at parties and buffets. We all must change do something to stop this practice.

Every time we eat, whether it is at home or at a party, let's only take what is enough to make our stomach full – no more and no less. Don't allow another person to serve or force you to eat more than enough. Also, we can reduce food waste by honestly examining how much we need to cook and freezing the leftovers, so they don't turn bad before we can eat them.

In Hong Kong, St James Settlement, a charitable organization, gives away food to the needy. They have opened the People's Canteen and the Food Bank to give food directly to poor people. The People's Canteen provides hot food for hungry people to come to eat, and they also give 'meals-care' coupons to the people who cannot go to the People's Canteen.

If we are guilty of wasting food, why not save some of it and give it to the less fortunate? This is one way to keep us from being overweight!