FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Below are some commonly asked questions about Food Mission. To view an answer, click on the '+' to the right of a question. To collapse the answer, click on the '-' in the top right corner of the box.
WHAT IS FOOD MISSION?
Food Mission is a subsidiary of the US 501c3 public charity, Baal Dan Charities USA. Food Mission was launched in 2016 as an initiative to support children in developing countries through the provision of food and feeding programs.

Our Mission:

  1. Setting up of sustainable, community-led soup kitchens and food support centers focusing on protein-rich foods for children and expectant mothers.
  2. Provision of basic nutritional needs for children living in orphanages to help decrease malnutrition, anemia and improve general health and vitality.
  3. Provision of emergency relief in the form of essential food supplies in the case of humanitarian disasters and fragile contexts where food security is an issue.
WHO DOES FOOD MISSION HELP?
We focus on providing grants that will help vulnerable children aged 0-14 living in developing countries in orphanages or slums – usually in extreme poverty. We also provide food to expectant mothers.
WHY DOES FOOD MISSION FOCUS SPECIFICALLY ON FOOD?
Baal Dan Charities was formed in 2006 with the mission of helping vulnerable children as directly as possible. Through over 10 years of direct on-the-ground experience in a variety of sectors and contexts in developing countries, we provided everything from building schools and orphanages, doing health camps and sponsoring education. But over, and over we learned that the one factor that seemed to make the most impact for children and families was the provision of food. That is why we started Food Mission – to focus on this basis need because it is so fundamental to all areas of a child’s life.
WHY FOOD AND WHY NOW?
Here are some data points about the need for food for children living in poverty.

  • In 2011 there were approximately 3.1 million children worldwide that passed away each year due to malnutrition.
  • Children who are poorly nourished suffer up to 160 days of illness each year.
  • Under-nutrition magnifies the effect of every disease, including measles and malaria.
  • The estimated proportions of deaths in which under-nutrition is an underlying cause are roughly similar for diarrhea (61%), malaria (57%), pneumonia (52%), and measles (45%).
  • Malnutrition can also be caused by diseases, such as the diseases that cause diarrhea, by reducing the body’s ability to convert food into usable nutrients.
WHAT IS FOOD HUNGER?
Food hunger can be classified into different variations:

  • Under-nourishment is used to describe the status of people whose food intake does not include enough calories (energy) to meet minimum physiological needs for an active life. At present, there are 795 million undernourished people worldwide, most of them in developing countries.
  • ​Malnutrition means 'badly nourished', but is more than a measure of what we eat or fail to eat. Malnutrition is characterized by inadequate intake of protein, energy and micronutrients and by frequent infections and diseases. Starved of the right nutrition, people will die from common infections like measles or diarrhea. Malnutrition is measured not by how much food is eaten but by physical measurements of the body - weight or height - and age.
  • Wasting is an indicator of acute malnutrition that reflects a recent and severe process that has led to substantial weight loss. This is usually the result of starvation and/or disease.

Source: World Food Programme
HOW DOES FOOD MISSION PROVIDE FOOD?
We carefully find and audit grassroots projects in developing countries that are registered and are focused on helping vulnerable children. If these projects meet our criteria for funding, we work with them to design a holistic program that is sustainable to help meet the nutrition requirements for children in the project’s care. This could consist of:

  • Providing funds to purchase staple food supplies of a project. E.g. In India this could be rice and lentils, in South Africa it could be pap. Staples are an essential and ongoing requirement of children, so funding is provided to alleviate the burden of this cost for grantees.
  • Providing funds to increase nutritional supplementation of children, especially those that may be malnourished. In some countries were protein is more expensive and not as available for children living in orphanages due to the cost or availability, we will provide grants to address this important nutritional need. E.g. In Haiti children at one project were eating mostly white rice and pasta and we provided funding to give them an egg a day and peanut butter – both important sources of protein.
  • Hunger relief for children in need that have no access to regular or adequate food. We help children living in extreme poverty get access to regular and nutritious food if they are in food insecure situations.
HOW DOES FOOD MISSION GET FOOD TO THE HUNGRY?
We provide grants to registered grassroots partners that we have audited for their suitability and alignment with our mission that directly help vulnerable children in developing countries. These local partners have the staff and systems to procure food locally, prepare food, distribute it and monitor the impact. We empower local projects to buy locally sourced foods and employee local staff.
HOW DOES FOOD MISSION DISTRIBUTE FOOD?
Our partners in developing countries are registered private charitable organizations that have their own staff and volunteers that are responsible for administering the grants we provide. They have their own premises, kitchen preparation areas and systems for feeding the children in their care.
HOW IS FOOD MISSION STRUCTURED?
Food Mission is a subsidiary of Baal Dan Charities USA (founded in 2006), a 501c3 organization whose mission it is to help vulnerable children in developing countries.
HOW DOES FOOD MISSION RAISE FUNDS?
Baal Dan is a volunteer-run organization that raises funds through networking and social media to help vulnerable children. If you would like to help us fundraise, contact info@baaldan.com for more information.
WHERE DO THE FUNDS GO?
Baal Dan is a volunteer-run organization that raises funds through networking and social media to help vulnerable children. If you would like to help us fundraise, contact info@baaldan.com for more information.
WHAT IS THE OPERATING MODEL?
Baal Dan does not operate any projects in countries outside of the US and disseminates all funds raised through a network of approved grantee partners in developing countries on an annual basis. Some projects are funded on a one-time basis and others have multi-year grant agreements. Baal Dan is a US organization that is a funder of grassroots organizations whose mandate and structure are to care for vulnerable children such as orphanages, schools and social outreach centers located in very poor areas. Baal Dan does not run or operate any foreign-based entities. This model creates leverages and allows Baal Dan to maintain very low overhead and function as a fundraising organization that supports many worthwhile development and charitable organizations.