A NOLLAMARA human rights advocate who witnessed poverty in disadvantaged countries has joined a global project to end chronic hunger by 2030.
Casey Johnston is participating in The Hunger Project Australia’s Unleashed Women movement, which involves women raising $1000 each.
Funds will go towards healthy diet training, start-up business loans, stopping child marriage and education programs in Africa, India and Bangladesh.
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The politics and law student said she was “shocked and saddened” when she saw poverty and hardship in India, Sri Lanka and Nepal.
“It bought me to tears on more than one occasion,” she said. “I saw everything from hungry and malnourished children playing in the streets, to adults begging for food or money, and people who are physically disabled begging for any help they could get.
“The most staggering part was that you would see people who could barely rustle up a meal for their family living next to a family who was seen as being considerably affluent… it was heartbreaking.”
Ms Johnston, who has raised about $850, said Unleashed Women would motivate women to lead and empower other women.
“If these people could get a little help to start them on the right track to ending the poverty and hunger in their communities, imagine what they could achieve,” she said.
“Sadly, poverty and hunger go hand in hand… I was happy to help a charity in any way whether it be gaining signatures on petitions, or writing letters to governments or doing letter drops in the community.”
In terms of her future goals, Ms Johnston said she hoped to continue fundraising with The Hunger Project.
“I see myself continuing with the Hunger Project long into the future and hope that with time and more experience I will be able to engage and motivate other people, other women or the next generation to take part in this movement and do their bit to end world hunger,” she said.
Women can sign up as an individual or a team at unleashedwomen.org.au. The movement finishes on December 31.