Making villages better through the Zero Hunger Project

The World Development journal has published a study about the outcomes of our Saemaul Zero Hunger Communities Project (SZHCP).

Good Neighbors implemented this initiative with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) from 2014 to 2018, in partnership with local governments in Tanzania and Bangladesh.

The goal was to improve the livelihood of people in rural areas and develop programs in food security, income generation, education, and infrastructure.

Outcomes

The research shows significant positive change in the number of meals consumed per day, the increase in income, and in the ability of householders to feed their children.

The primary school dropout rate decreased drastically, as the project built schools in beneficiary villages. There was less worry about being hungry on a small income.

It also helped strengthen people's capacity to run projects themselves, and changed their lives in terms of health and water access, after boreholes were built. Before our project, people in beneficiary villages would spend about two hours a day to obtain water.

Water is life. After the borehole was installed in our village, our
lives have changed dramatically. We do not need to waste hours
walking to get drinking water. As adults go out for work, many
young children had to get drinking water. They do not need to
do it anymore. In addition, water from our borehole is clean
and trustworthy. We do not need to worry about getting sick
because of water anymore.