For millions of families around the world, hunger is not sudden or visible. It arrives quietly, settling into daily life until skipping meals becomes routine and survival becomes uncertain. This is the reality for Ishaq Mia, a 65-year-old tea garden laborer living in Moulavibazar District, Bangladesh. Ishaq lives with his wife in a modest home on the edge of the tea estate where he spent all of his life. Though they have children, all are married with families of their own and struggling to survive. None can support their aging parents. With limited income, no pension, and no safety net, Ishaq and his wife often face severe hardship, frequently sacrificing meals simply to make what little they have last.
In communities like Ishaq’s, food insecurity is not about preference or variety; it is about whether there will be food at all. And more often than not, that question comes down to rice. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI):
50%+ of the world depends on rice.
3.5–4 billion people rely on rice daily for nutrition.
Rice provides ~20% of global calories, more in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
For families like Ishaq’s, when rice runs out, hunger begins immediately. For the elderly, especially those who have spent their lives in physically demanding labor, food insecurity becomes especially dangerous, accelerating illness and deepening vulnerability. Ishaq and his wife endured many days marked by uncertainty, often eating less so they could stretch their limited supplies just a little longer.
Everything changed when Ishaq Mia was selected as a beneficiary of our Food Security: Rice Distribution Program. He received 60 kilograms of rice, enough to support his household for an estimated one month. For Ishaq and his wife, this was not simply food assistance. It meant waking up without the fear of an empty pot, eating regular meals, and regaining a sense of dignity that hunger had slowly taken away.
Stories like Ishaq’s reveal why rice distribution programs are among the most effective and impactful forms of humanitarian food assistance. In regions where rice is the primary staple, providing rice is not a temporary fix; it is a lifeline. Global food security analyses consistently affirm rice’s central role in sustaining vulnerable populations. When rice is available, families can endure hardships with stability. When it is not, hunger becomes immediate and devastating.
Zakat Foundation of America’s Rice Distribution Program focuses on reaching those most at risk, elderly laborers, widows, and low-income families living in marginalized communities. By delivering culturally appropriate, staple food aid, our program addresses hunger in a way that is practical, dignified, and proven to work.
One donation can place rice securely in a home, protect an elderly couple from hunger, and restore dignity where it has been eroded by poverty. Ishaq Mia’s story is one among thousands, but it reflects a simple truth: when you give rice, you give life. Your support today can ensure that families like Ishaq’s are not left to face hunger alone.
