Every year, International Development Week (IDW), held during the first week of February, celebrates Canada’s role in reducing global poverty, advancing gender equality, and supporting sustainable development around the world.
Led by Global Affairs Canada, IDW is an opportunity to recognize how long-term, locally driven solutions help communities not only survive crises, but build resilient futures. At Action Against Hunger, international development is a core part of our mission to create a world without hunger—for everyone, for good.
While humanitarian action responds to urgent crises like conflicts or natural disasters, development work looks beyond the emergency. Humanitarian work saves lives in the moment, while development work helps communities rebuild and create resilience in the face of future challenges.
For example, emergency nutrition treatment can save a child’s life today, while long-term development programs help ensure that same child grows up with access to:
Development work is about lasting change: empowering people with the knowledge, resources, and opportunities they need to thrive independently.
By addressing the root causes of poverty, hunger, and inequality, development programs strengthen communities over years —improving food and nutrition systems, expanding access to health care, water, and sanitation, advancing gender equality and women’s rights, and building climate resilience.
When combined, humanitarian and development efforts create a continuum of care that meets immediate needs while building the foundation for long-term progress.
Action Against Hunger is proud to work alongside Global Affairs Canada to implement global long-term development projects. These initiatives are rooted in a shared commitment to reach the most vulnerable people, especially women and children, with the tools, resources, and support they need not only to survive, but to thrive.
Our programs focus on improving nutrition, health, and gender equality, while championing locally led solutions that ensure progress is sustainable and inclusive.
The GENTU Project is a five-year, gender-transformative initiative improving nutrition outcomes for women, adolescent girls, and children in Tanzania and Uganda.
By addressing harmful social norms, empowering women and girls, and engaging men and community leaders, GENTU strengthens household nutrition and helps families break the cycle of hunger—permanently.
👉 Learn more about the GENTU Project
The Integrated Fight Against Chronic Malnutrition in Mali project, funded by Global Affairs Canada, helps Malian women increase their autonomy, decision-making authority, and economic resilience—a critical step in reducing chronic malnutrition in households and communities.
The project targets three major causes of malnutrition: access to adequate care, a healthy environment, and adequate nutrition. In the regions of Kayes, Kita, and Sikasso, these barriers are reinforced by gender inequalities affecting women and adolescent girls, and the project works to break these cycles.
👉 Learn more about our work in Mali
The ACT Femmes project empowers women and adolescent girls to access their rights, including sexual and reproductive health, legal protection, and income opportunities. By supporting small businesses, savings programs, and participation in local decision-making, the project strengthens women’s confidence, autonomy, and resilience, creating lasting change for their families and communities.
The FEMINACT project helps smallholder farmers in Iraq, with a special focus on women and youth, adapt to the impacts of climate change. By promoting sustainable, climate-smart agriculture, improving irrigation systems, and strengthening farmer associations, the project increases food security while building inclusive, resilient communities.
Action Against Hunger leads the global movement to end hunger. We innovate solutions, advocate for change, and reach 21 million people every year with proven hunger prevention and treatment programs. As a nonprofit that works across 56 countries, our 8,900 dedicated staff members partner with communities to address the root causes of hunger, including climate change, conflict, inequity, and emergencies. We strive to create a world free from hunger, for everyone, for good.
Join our community of supporters passionate about ending world hunger.
