UNICEF OSU Hunger Banquet

Ohio State Campus Initiative

Last semester, the UNICEF club at The Ohio State University partnered with Oxfam to host a hunger banquet. Attendees were randomly assigned roles of upper, middle, or lower class. Lower class ate with their hands from a shared bowl, had "dirty water" and sat on the floor. Middle class sat in chairs and ate rice and beans off of plates. The upper had lasagna and soda at a table. Some lower class members were trafficked and had to serve the upper class. Things happened to people throughout the evening such as receiving a microloan or being affected by a drought that made their class level change unexpectedly. Afterwards, a "silent discussion" was held. Attendees wrote their thoughts on a huge piece of paper, and were encouraged to write responses to other thoughts. Guest speakers included a malnutrition expert from Uganda and a representative from the local food bank. A presentation was also given on UNICEF's work on hunger and malnutrion. The event was very educational and eye-opening for all who attended.