• Activities took place in at 27 countries
• 337 events were held
• 96,500 people attended these events in person
• 95,650 formal actions were taken by supporters - including 51,000 signatures collected in Brazil with partners for their petition demanding constitutional right to food, and a 20,000 signature petition in Haiti on biofuel production

The centrepiece of our campaign was the unveiling of our Scorecard Report "Who's Really Fighting Hunger?". The report ranks 51 countries in their efforts to fight hunger.

Australia

Emphasising the country's low ranking on the scorecard (17 out of 22 for developed countries) an empty classroom was set up opposite the Sydney Opera House to highlight the fact that a classroom of children dies from hunger related causes every three minutes. A copy of the Scorecard was also Personally handed in to Prime minister Kevin Rudd.

Kenya

ActionAid Kenya and partners held a media breakfast, and organised radio talk shows where rural farmers could discuss the impact of hunger on them and propose solutions and create awareness of the national land policy which is yet to be implemented.

2,000 Women farmers signed a petition and developed a ‘what women farmers want’ charter which were handed to chief guests and then hand delivered to the Minister for Land.

A series of processions across the country dominated the media for a week. They culminated with a rally with well over 2000 people in Mwingi, the region most affected by drought, with 60 percent of the population relying on emergency food aid. In a strange twist of events, the rally was almost rained-off by the very long overdue rains.

On Saturday 17th, leading African musicians performed at the ‘Free the Hungry Billion, Stand Up and Take Action’ concert in Nairobi . Top artists from 10 African countries have recorded songs for a HungerFREE CD which was launched at the concert. The crowd of 1500 had a great night and heard our messages loud and clear from these musical ambassadors who are passionate about fighting hunger and injustice.


Activists in Brazil

In Rio de Janeiro , more than 2 thousand people made noise at nightclubs right across the city.

“The noise against hunger was an absolute success. We managed to promote an angry shout that will reverberate on the National Congress calling for the inclusion of the human right to food in the Brazilian Constitution." Marcelo Montenegro, co-ordinator of Activista in ActionAid Brazil.

In all, 51,000 signatures were collected demanding constitutional right to food

The Gambia

The HungerFREE Caravan took Woman's Farmer's representatives and activists, youth activists and ActionAid staff to all 7 of The Gambia's districts

It stopped off at rallies and events in key towns along the way. The caravan followed up on last years' HungerFREE Women caravan to see whether the commitments made to enabling women to own their own land are being followed through.

Women farmers held a candlelight vigil in Basse Gambia to symbolise the hope for a better future free from hunger.


Nepal

A total of 15,000 people were mobilised across 16 districts in Nepal.

From a huge gathering in Kathmandu to local rallies, the message from Nepal was clear: action must be taken to free people from the cycle of poverty and hunger.

Rwanda

ActionAid Rwanda and partners marked International day for the eradication of Poverty and World Food Day in Karongi district. The day brought together over 20 cooperatives from four of its development areas to showcase their efforts in fighting hunger and poverty. Over 500 people also took part in a walk against hunger. A football match was also part of the celebrations.

There was a Live TV & Radio debate on food security in Rwanda especially on how Rural women are affected. The public debate was launched in partnership with the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion.


Sierra Leone

AA Sierra Leone built up to World Food Day with two days of youth mobilization meetings and a press conference

A symposium (MPs, ministers, NGOs, UN reps, academics) was held on the 16th October to discuss hunger in Sierra Leone and to find solutions to achieving food self sufficiency. The score card was launched by the Hon Moinina Conteh a member of the Agriculture Committee in parliament.

At 1pm Activistas using cooking utensils made a minute of big noise to make their voices heard. The noise turned into chanting “ we wan eat” meaning we want to eat. And later a song “angry dae na salone” meaning there is hunger in Sierra Leone. The sudden outburst took everyone by surprise

A candlelit vigil later was used by Activistas to present the score card to members of the agriculture committee in parliament.

UK

The UK HungerFREE team handed in maize seeds from Uganda to No 10 Downing Street, calling on Gordon Brown to plant the seed in his garden and make tackling hunger a political priority.

The maize came from Leya Chede - a smallholder farmer from Pallisa in eastern Uganda - who once suffered from terrible hunger, but who's now thriving (and sending her children to school), thanks to a community seed bank, which she helped set up with a local ActionAid partner. At the same time Leyla handed over a petition in Uganda from women’s community groups to a prominent Parliamentarian working on food and hunger.


Vietnam

ActionAid Vietnam held approx 100 discussions at community level as part of awareness raising on sustainable agriculture and a survey on the risks of unsustainable agriculture practices and the impacts on poor farmers.

A large national campaign event was attended by approximately 10,000 people (including 5000 from GCAP) at which the HungerFREE Scorecard and other reports were launched.

More Events

• In Mozambique, World Food Day actions were combined with Rural Women’s Day events, and included televised public debates, community radio broadcasts and calling for government to increase the agriculture budget for sustainable agriculture.
• In the Democratic Republic of Congo, ActionAid distributed seeds and basic hand tools to 28 rural women groups from North Kivu Province.
• A flash mob in Naples: More than 30 people walked in the street each playing on a coffee cup with its own spoon.
  On World Food Day there was a big concert with well known local bands in one of the most popular squares of Naples with more than 2500 people.