This is part 4 of a weekly series following the story of Nelly, a 10-year-old living in Dzikunze, Kenya whose family is striving to live HungerFree. Find part 1 here, part 2 here, and part 3 here.

Sometimes, things happen that weren’t part of the plan. Rain washes away crops, or drought dries them out. If there is no security network, what can you do when all your plans get shattered?  

Since Nelly’s family depends on the cassava and corn they grow, unexpected challenges could mean even worse hunger. But through World Vision’s HungerFree programming they are able to develop resilience with the rest of their community.  

Nelly’s support network is built by three things: sustainable farming practices, a community herd of goats, and a community savings group. Each of these things comes together to make sure children like Nelly can address the hunger pangs they feel today. It’s hard to work hard at school and complete chores when your mind and body are starved of nutrients.

But each facet of the support network also makes sure that Nelly can have food for a lifetime. Soil stays fertile, money gets saved, and when the unexpected happens, it doesn’t mean the worst case scenario.

For the past few weeks, we’ve been walking in Nelly’s footsteps and learning more about her story. Nelly is like many children who benefit from HungerFree. But ending hunger doesn’t just happen. It takes all of us, working together toward one thing: a HungerFree world. To catch up and follow along, head here. 

The views expressed here are not necessarily those of each of the partners of Global Citizen.