Tackling Child Hunger in Venezuela: How Enriched Flour Is Making a Difference

In recent years, the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela has deepened, with children bearing the brunt of its devastating effects. Families across the country face immense challenges accessing basic necessities—including food. According to the UN’s 2022 Food Security Outlook for Latin America and the Caribbean, Venezuela has the highest number of hungry people in South America. This statistic isn’t just alarming—it’s heartbreaking.

At Global Ahead, we recognized this crisis early. When we launched the Global Hunger Program in 2020, Venezuela was one of the first countries on our priority list. More than five years later, hunger remains a pressing issue—especially for children, whose growth and development depend on consistent and nutritious meals.

In response, our team of dedicated health professionals came together with one clear goal: to create a simple, scalable, and sustainable solution that could directly fight child malnutrition in Venezuela. This is how Enriched Flour was born.

What Is Enriched Flour?

Enriched Flour is a nutrient-dense food supplement designed specifically to combat child malnutrition. Made from corn flour, sesame, and locally available green leafy vegetables—like spinach or moringa—this mixture provides a powerful blend of energy, iron, protein, vitamins, and minerals. These are all essential for the physical and cognitive development of young children, especially those facing the harsh reality of food insecurity.

As nutritionist Gabriela Mendes explains:

"All children are born with an immense capacity to learn, to discover. Children are curious, they like to play, to learn new things… But a malnourished child doesn’t, because they have no energy. They can’t do activities well, and they have difficulty learning. Often, the consequences in children who are more severely malnourished last a lifetime and become increasingly difficult to reverse."

How It Works

To ensure both efficacy and sustainability, we follow a careful production process:

• Ingredients are sorted, cleaned, dried, roasted, and ground to preserve their nutrients.
• They are then blended according to nutritional guidelines and packed into 600g portions—enough to feed a child for an entire month.
• The recipe is flexible and adaptable based on what’s available locally, which allows for regional production, reduced costs, and minimal logistical hurdles.

More Than a Meal

Enriched Flour is more than just food—it’s a tool for restoring childhood. It gives energy to play, strength to grow, and the nourishment needed to learn. Each package represents a month of hope, health, and possibility for a child who might otherwise be left behind.

Our work in Venezuela is ongoing, and we know the road ahead is long. But with the support of our community, local partners, and people like you, we are creating change—one child, one meal, one step at a time.