Since humans began to cultivate crops thousands of years ago, harvest has been a time of celebration. As the growing season ends, communities gather food to sustain them through winter and give thanks for a successful harvest. Harvest celebrations may include songs, dance, stories, feasts, art, prayers, and thanksgiving. |
| Q. In what ways do the people of your host country prepare for the annual harvest or celebrate its conclusion? A: On the northern coast of Peru there are many different agricultural products; each region therefore celebrates at different times. However, each region does celebrate similarly. A nationally famous musical group is invited to play a concert, families save their money to buy the best meat possible, and soccer tournaments are held. During these fiestas, family members from throughout the country will come back home to be with their countrymen for the most lively week of the year. Matthew West, Community-Based Environmental Peace Corps Volunteer, Peru More responses  |
October 16th is World Food Day, a worldwide event designed to increase awareness, understanding, and informed, year-round action to alleviate hunger. Over a billion people (almost one-sixth of the world’s population) suffer from hunger and malnourishment. [Source: FAO]. For lesson plans on teaching about world hunger, food security, and nutrition, visit Feeding Minds, Fighting Hunger. |
Food Security Stories
Volunteer Stories Peace Corps Volunteers are working around the world to address problems of food security through a variety of projects that focus on agricultural development, income growth, and sustainability. Read about some of these projects: seed multiplication in Zambia and a school garden in Paraguay.
YouTube Videos
Silent Tsunami: Peace Corps Volunteers Tackle Food Security Around the World Learn about some of the innovative agricultural projects promoting sustainability and food security. See how worms are being used to make fertilizer in El Salvador and organic farming in Uganda is producing maize, pineapples, and cabbage.
Harvest Stories
Volunteers share stories about harvest in various cultures. Read Lithuanian Gardens, Ilunga’s Harvest (with lesson plan), and The Center of the Earth (also available as an mp3).
| For ideas on different ways to use your Correspondence Match partnership in the classroom, be sure to visit our updated, online Match Handbook. The handbook contains suggestions for activities, ideas for structuring communication with your Peace Corps Volunteer, program connections to national teaching standards, and frequently asked questions (FAQ). Troubleshooting Tip: If you are recently matched with a Peace Corps Volunteer, be sure to add their email address to your address book and check your email spam folders regularly to ensure receiving all email communications. Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns: wwsinfo@peacecorps.gov |
| Watch When Success is Truly Sweet and see how a Volunteer in Bolivia is using scientific research to improve the harvest of fruit. In The Growing Challenge in Senegal, learn how farmers have adapted their farm management to cope with drought and desertification. |  |
In the Peace Corps Challenge game, your students explore and make decisions about food security challenges facing the fictional community of Wanzuzu, including soil quality and agroforestry. |
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| Use the Global Issues Interactive Map to explore how Peace Corps Volunteers’ projects are addressing critical global issues in communities around the world. |  |
The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations provides a Food and Agricultural Atlas. Use these maps to explore worldwide hunger and malnourishment, agricultural production, and food consumption. |
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