Action Against Hunger, the leader in the global movement to end hunger, inspired a packed ballroom to raise more than $1 million at our 21st Gala on Thursday, October 19, 2023. We welcomed both new and long-time supporters, celebrities, and humanitarians to honor our work in reaching more than 28 million people last year alone, especially through programs designed to empower communities and inspire change. With rising humanitarian needs around the world, hundreds of guests united to support our mission.
“Tonight, you are standing up for equality, since food is a basic human right,” said Dr. Charles E. Owubah, Action Against Hunger CEO. “You are standing up for human potential, since opportunity begins where hunger ends. And, you are standing up for hope that a better world is possible.”
The evening recognized special champions of our cause and honored some of the sector’s most remarkable advocates. CNN’s Host Zain Asher emceed the event and honored Kristin Davis, a longtime advocate of social justice and Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Refugee Agency. She received Action Against Hunger’s Humanitarian Award and delivered a heartfelt speech about her experiences traveling to Kenya, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Bangladesh, all regions where Action Against Hunger works.
“There are many times I have been to these disasters and these crises, and no one is reporting on them,” Davis said. “It’s not an easy topic to get people to talk about, and it’s not an easy topic to gather people around—like all you beautiful people here tonight—and to give up yourselves and your own money. But it really, I believe, changes the world.”
Other honorees included Ritah Kabanyoro, Action Against Hunger’s Country Director for Uganda, who received this year’s Leadership Award; and Avery Dennison, which received the Corporate Impact Award. Additional guests of note included actresses Sarita Choudhury and Karen Pittman. The program featured a live auction, Broadway Inspirational Voices performers, and interactive stations that allowed attendees to learn about Action Against Hunger’s lifesaving work.
Honoring Kristin Davis
Kristin Davis has spent more than 15 years using her platform to address social issues and push for change. During her speech, she explained her struggle to raise awareness about refugees.
“I have been involved for many years working with refugees and going around the world and seeing displaced people, and people who really, literally have nothing,” she said. “To see you all here tonight, to see you all giving so generously to these people, it warms my heart.”
In 2011, Davis visited Tanzania and saw the Somali refugee crisis unfold before her very eyes. She remembers watching families walk long miles to find water and shelter. Many children were separated from their parents or even orphaned, desperately seeking a safe place to rest.
The global displacement crisis has escalated in recent years. In fact, the number of refugees worldwide rose from 27.1 million in 2021 to 35.3 million at the end of 2022, the largest yearly increase ever recorded.
Action Against Hunger works in countries like Somalia to support displaced people and treat malnutrition. Due to climate shocks and drought, more than one million people have been forced to flee their homes. Our teams are on the ground to save lives and help rebuild livelihoods.
In the midst of this tragedy, Davis thanked the audience for their hopeful outlook and recognized Action Against Hunger’s innovative responses to helping families battle malnutrition. “You cannot underestimate the effect that these small things to us have on these peoples’ lives,” she said.
In a world where many people sleep without a roof over their heads, advocates like Davis are using their platforms to uplift vulnerable communities.
Kabanyoro Expresses Gratitude
Ritah Kabanyoro accepted the Leadership Award graciously, recounting her own experience with hunger. Kabanyoro grew up in a small Ugandan village with little resources. Her family was able to afford only one meal a day. She now devotes everything to preventing and treating malnutrition.
“I’ve dedicated my life to this work because I believe every one of us is called to better the lives of others,” she told the audience. “Tonight, you are making lives better.”
Kabanyoro’s determination and vision has expanded critical projects and impacted millions of people in Uganda. The country has one of the world’s most progressive refugee policies, yet many families still struggle to adjust to their host communities and face endless challenges rebuilding their livelihoods.
Kabanyoro spoke about the importance of investing in the 1.5 million refugees that call Uganda home, especially by prioritizing climate-smart farming and innovative gardening techniques. She’s seeing change before her very eyes. Action Against Hunger has supported refugees and the communities that host them through programs to build resilience, food security, and stability.
More than 1.5 million refugees call Uganda home. Our teams are working to introduce climate-smart initiatives and gardening techniques so communities can rebuild their livelihoods and increase food security.
Kabanyoro is inspired by the remarkable people she has met throughout her career. She highlighted the story of one young woman, a refugee from South Sudan named Achiro Irene Nancy. Conflict and violence forced Nancy to flee her home, and she sought safety in Uganda. As she struggled to start her new life, she gave birth to her son, Moses, he weighed only three pounds.
Action Against Hunger’s nutrition officers saw that Moses was suffering from dangerous levels of malnutrition. They gave Nancy the support she needed to nurse Moses back to health, showed her how to breastfeed, provided her with supplemental foods, and even trained her to start her own climate-smart garden. Today, Nancy earns a living wage and her son is healthy again – she loves to watch him grow and thrive.
Kabanyoro emphasized how conflict, climate change, and chronic inequality all drive hunger. She is committed to ensuring that every life is well-nourished, even as the country is facing an influx of refugees and an onslaught of rising food prices.
“I get to put my skills and passion to work with well-run programs that deliver impact,” she said. “Leading Action Against Hunger’s work in Uganda, I focus on using whatever funds we raise to deliver truly transformative outcomes.”
Debbane Urges Solidarity
Raymond Debbane, Action Against Hunger’s Board Chair, also emphasized the importance of our work during a heartfelt speech to all attendees. For more than two decades, Debbane has partnered with Action Against Hunger to promote innovation and spark new ideas. Debbane focused on encouraging guests to recognize the power of unity and how much humanity can accomplish when working together.
The pandemic sent shock waves throughout the world, and inflation, climate change, global conflicts, and economic challenges have all overlapped and escalated over the last few years. Debbane prompted us to think critically about how we react to this sense of doom.
“For me, the answer comes from moving from the macro intellectual level to the personal, emotional level,” he said. “Am I lucky enough to have the capacity to help someone, even if faraway, who would not have been helped without my intervention? If so, of course, I want and must help.”
Debbane recounted his work in Isiolo, Kenya, where he saw Action Against Hunger’s firsthand. In the Horn of Africa, 16 million people are facing unprecedented hunger levels from the region’s worst drought in 70 years. While there, Debbane met members of the Masai tribe, who welcomed him with hospitality and warmth. Action Against Hunger teams installed a water tank so that families could access clean, safe water without walking for miles.
Our innovations are tackling the root causes of hunger—everything from solar-powered water “vending machines” to climate-resilient, drought-resistant farming initiatives. Even though these positive stories don’t always make headlines, said Debbane, we know that our efforts go directly towards helping communities that need it most.
“I cannot imagine more impact for your charity dollars than Action Against Hunger, we earn the highest possible rating from Charity Navigator and you can, through us, truly transform lives and make a difference in this uncertain world,” he concluded.
A Gala for a Healthier World
Today’s news often depicts some of the world’s most tragic stories. It’s easy to lose faith. Action Against Hunger’s CEO, Dr. Charles E. Owubah, motivated visitors to stand up for hope and address an issue that is urgent and solveable. He noted that one in ten people worldwide go to bed hungry each night—but we know what works.
We can prevent hunger in the first place, said Owubah. “Hope begins when we help people to look forward to tomorrow… and equip them with tools and training to put hope into action.”
He highlighted innovative work that Action Against Hunger has launched in the last few years—an app that detects child malnutrition with just a photo; a “GPS for goats” that helps herders find grazing land; and an online dashboard that allows health workers to conduct surveys and record real-time data on malnutrition.
“When we come together against hunger remarkable things are possible. We can all have hope,” he said. “With your support we can end hunger, for everyone, for good.”
