“Hope is a Red Cup” is a collection of photographs I took in Northern Nicaragua during July 2008. I was traveling with staff and volunteers of Friends of the World Food Program at the time, visiting WFP development programs in that region. Prior to departure, I was told: “This will change your life.” I had no idea how true those words would be.
We arrived on a hot, humid Sunday afternoon and headed into the northern-most reaches of the country to visit small villages that were only accessible by all-terrain vehicles. Our first stop, a clinic for mothers and children, gave me a glimpse into a world that I had never before seen up close. Hunger is a worldwide issue. I’m not talking about the hunger pangs of eating lunch a couple of hours late or skipping dinner and waking up hungry. This is the hunger that is the No. 1 health risk worldwide that deeply impacts a child's physical and mental developmental abilities for life.
During the entire trip, I was struck by the hope that I saw in the faces of the children we met, despite the poverty and hunger battles they were fighting each day. I wanted to find a way to help the children that I was meeting and photographing, and I started brainstorming ways to do it. While in the first round of editing the images after I returned from the trip, the idea for the book was born. I would tell their story, as well as show their images. “Hope is a Red Cup” is my unique and personal contribution to the global community to help end hunger not only in Nicaragua, but around the world.
This is only the beginning. I will be traveling with Friends
of WFP in 2009 to Peru and Africa to photograph the people whose lives are
changed by WFP programs in those areas. The images I take on upcoming trips
will be added to the “Hope is a Red Cup” collection, in the hope of bringing
more awareness and needed funds to help end world hunger.
More images from Nicaragua can be viewed on my website at www.rachelhofer.com. Together, the exhibit and the book are available to use as a fundraiser. If you are interested in hosting a fundraising event with these images, please contact Friends of WFP at [email protected].
-Rachel Hofer
Photographer
Purchase the book, "Hope is a Red Cup"
Beautiful, Rachel. Superbly done! Thank you, from children all over the world!
Kelly Moore
Posted by: Kelly Moore | Saturday, March 07, 2009 at 11:43 AM
Thank you for Friends of WFP and similar organization whose heart is for the poor children of the world. God bless your hearts!
Posted by: eprocurement | Thursday, February 04, 2010 at 11:42 AM
There is a soft spot in my heart for children - much more the hungry children of the world. Is there any way, where I can be of help in my own small way? Is there any site where I can give my donation?
Posted by: tudor watch | Monday, February 15, 2010 at 08:59 AM
If you'd like to make a donation, you can do so at http://www.friendsofwfp.org/donate. Thanks so much for your interest and support for Friends of WFP!
Posted by: World Food Program USA | Wednesday, February 17, 2010 at 11:08 AM
If you lose you way, Your forever friend guides you and cheers you on. Your forever friend holds your hand and tells you that everything is going to be okay.
Posted by: coach suitcase | Thursday, July 15, 2010 at 03:34 AM