Yes! Food for Thought is back again this September and this year you can raise money to help build healthy communities in India. All you’ve got to do is have some friends over for a meal or complete a personal food-related challenge!

In India, preventable illnesses such as diarrhoea can be deadly. For almost one in two people, open defecation is an everyday reality, leading to pollution and the spread of disease. Women and girls are particularly vulnerable – without the availability of sanitary napkins they are forced to use unclean items such as leaves or rags during menstruation.

By training health leaders like Nisha (pictured), you can help put a stop to this. Health leaders undertake a six-month internship and go on to train more than 200 families in their communities on topics like:

• Hygiene
• Nutrition
• Sanitation
• Good practices during pregnancy
• Caring for infants.

Nisha has been able to help 200 families install their own toilets, as well as educate many others about the importance of basic health practices such as washing hands.

It costs just $475 to fully equip a health leader, changing more than 1,000 lives. To raise much-needed funds through Food for Thought, invite friends and family over for a meal such as a pancake breakfast or Mexican fiesta or complete your own personal challenge like going vegetarian for the month. So, some pancakes really can make a difference!

Find out more about how you can cook up some change at www.foodforthoughtevent.org.au