By
Priscilla
Moyo
With
crops
failing
and
resources
dwindling,
hunger
has
become
an
everyday
reality
for
many.
But
as
desperation
set
in,
the
World
Food
Programme
(WFP)
stepped
in,
offering
vital
food
aid
to
sustain
communities
facing
starvation.
Through
its
food
distribution
programme,
WFP
has
not
only
provided
nourishment
but
also
restored
hope
among
villagers
who
had
been
pushed
to
the
brink.
Local
leaders
have
praised
WFP’s
intervention,
saying
the
assistance
has
been
crucial
in
keeping
families
fed.
Village
head
Sethukani
Moyo
from
Khayanyama
Mafutha,
Village
17,
said
the
monthly
food
distributions
have
made
a
significant
difference.
“The
food
we
receive,
including
mealie
meal,
beans,
and
vegetable
oil,
has
greatly
improved
our
diets
and
overall
well-being,”
Moyo
said.
For
many
families,
the
support
came
at
a
critical
time.
One
beneficiary
said
they
had
been
forced
to
redirect
money
meant
for
school
fees
towards
buying
food,
leaving
many
children
unable
to
attend
classes.
“But
when
WFP
stepped
in,
we
could
send
our
children
back
to
school
because
food
was
no
longer
a
daily
worry,”
the
beneficiary
said.
Nobukhosi
Nyathi,
another
recipient
of
the
food
aid,
highlighted
the
impact
on
schoolchildren.
“We
no
longer
go
to
school
on
empty
stomachs.
The
food
allocations
were
based
on
household
size,
and
the
portions
were
sufficient
for
our
families.
This
has
brought
peace
to
many
homes,”
Nyathi
said.
She
added
that
the
availability
of
food
had
improved
students’
concentration
and
performance
in
school.
“It’s
hard
to
focus
in
class
when
you
are
hungry,”
she
said.
For
Lavinah
Mathuthu,
a
resident
of
Mafutha
village,
life
before
the
aid
programme
was
a
daily
struggle.
“We
used
to
survive
on
one
meal
a
day,
eaten
in
the
evening.
My
children
would
go
to
school
hungry
and
return
home
to
empty
pots,”
Mathuthu
said.
She
recalled
the
uncertainty
of
each
day,
not
knowing
where
the
next
meal
would
come
from.
“If
it
wasn’t
for
WFP’s
help,
I
don’t
know
where
we
would
be
today,”
she
said.
Now,
with
food
aid
in
place,
her
family
is
able
to
eat
two
or
three
meals
a
day.
But
with
yet
another
year
of
drought
looming,
Mathuthu
fears
what
lies
ahead.
“I
hope
WFP
continues
to
assist
us
because
many
people
harvested
nothing
again
this
year.
Without
help,
we
will
face
starvation
once
more,”
she
said.
As
climate
change
continues
to
disrupt
weather
patterns,
the
food
crisis
in
drought-prone
areas
like
Filabusi
remains
a
growing
concern.
While
WFP’s
intervention
has
provided
relief,
many
families
remain
vulnerable,
with
no
certainty
about
future
food
supplies.
For
now,
the
aid
programme
has
given
many
a
fighting
chance—but
the
long-term
solution
to
food
insecurity
in
the
region
remains
uncertain.