From hunger to hope, Anita’s journey shows how a simple school meal can spark lasting change. With access to daily nourishment and her family’s newfound farming skills, she is no longer bound by limitation but lifted by opportunity — ready to dream, sing, and build a future that gives back to her community. ANITA’S SONG OF HOPE
reported by CONVOY OF HOPE
A
t just 16 years old, Anita already has a dream that rises beyond the hills of her village in Nepal. She loves to sing and
meals every day in school, and attendance has soared to an incredible 99 percent. For Anita, this means she can stay in class, focus on her studies, and sing with energy and joy. And the story doesn’t stop at school lunch. Convoy’s agriculture training has empowered local farmers — including Anita’s parents — to help sustain the feeding program. Through the harvests on their own farm, her family not only provides food for their own home, but also contributes to the school’s meals. This powerful connection between Convoy’s feeding program and agriculture program ensures long-term sustainability for the entire community. They can break the cycle of poverty for themselves because they now have access to the tools and resources they need to do so.
“My family and I previously didn’t really trust outside organizations trying to help our village because they would only be here for a short period of time and then when they left, we weren’t given the skills to continue the programs,” Anita said. “My family now has a very positive view of nonprofit organizations, because Convoy has done so much. They didn’t just give us food, they’ve taught us how to grow the food ourselves.” Looking ahead, Anita hopes to use her voice — whether through singing or business — to support her family and invest back into her community. For Anita, every note she sings is carried on a foundation of hope, education, and the nourishment that comes from both a meal and a sustainable future.
hopes one day to pursue a career in music — or perhaps own her own business. But before she could work toward her dreams, she needed the opportunity to thrive in school. For years, families in Anita’s community dealt with hunger. Many parents couldn’t afford to feed their children daily, and students would also leave school at lunchtime, sometimes not returning to class for the rest of the day. Attendance was irregular, and big dreams felt out of reach. That changed six years ago, when Convoy of Hope began feeding kids in Anita’s community. Now, children are fed nutritious
EC Talk | September 2025
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