Hunger is one of the seemingly intractable issues facing the world despite the attention the problem has received in the last decade.  Africa is the region with the second largest number of people who are either hungry or suffering from an undernourished diet.  The causes of African hunger generally are attributed to poverty --- the average daily income of adult Africans is $1.90; the conditions of many African economies; internal and external conflicts that have been a serious source of suffering and death; environmental conditions resulting from draught, water shortages, deforestation, erosion, and desertification; and population growth registered in the African female fertility rate of 5.2 children. 

        

On October 14 at 7:00 pm Mason United Methodist has invited two members of the faculty to come and share some insights into their work in this regard.  Larry Kies, an Iowan who has long served as an agricultural advisor in Africa, was appointed in 2002 by the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries to a teaching and administrative role in the Agriculture faculty.  His wife, Jane an intensive English instructor, works to assist students from non-English speaking areas to meet the University's language proficiency requirements. 

-- Doug Nelson