This past weekend, we were welcomed by our incredible volunteers in Surrey and Victoria, British Columbia! It was an opportunity to connect, learn, and take action to end the malnutrition crisis. And a shot of renewed energy and inspiration.
Malnutrition is one of the world’s most solvable challenges, yet it remains severely underfunded. Cuts to global nutrition funding threaten essential services for millions of mothers and children and undermine progress in reducing child mortality.
The way to solve this challenge is through advocacy. By educating ourselves and telling our decision makers about the need for Canada to step up, we can be a part of the solution. This is why we traveled west to engage with our incredible volunteers who are advocating tirelessly for an end to extreme poverty every day.
On Saturday, Results Canada brought together advocates, volunteers, and community members to raise awareness on global malnutrition and to call on Canada to step up as a nutrition leader.
We kicked off with a warm welcome from Ashley, Results Vancouver group leader, who shared key insights about why it is urgent to advocate for nutrition and call on Canada's investment matters.
Then our excellent panelists delved into why nutrition must remain a core priority in Canada’s international development policy and investments:
Together, their message was clear: Canada’s leadership is essential, especially with the recent disappointing budget cuts to international assistance.
Following this dialogue, our high school advocacy group leader Bernice led us through an advocacy activity. Everyone wrote short, heartfelt messages to their Members of Parliament on postcards, with some even sharing their voices on social media, calling on Canada to make global nutrition a priority. It was a simple yet powerful way to turn inspiration into action and show that every voice matters!
Our trip to British Columbia wouldn’t have been complete without visiting our incredible Victoria volunteers! This group that has been around for decades, since the very beginning of Results Canada nearly 40 years ago, they are a pillar of our volunteer community. This group of friends meets regularly in person, share a meal, support one another and even go to each other's family events.
We hosted a candid dialogue on Canada’s role on the global stage, the power of political will, community engagement, and advocacy. We ended the night over at a local resto, sharing laughs and stories in good company.
The visit to Victoria was a meaningful opportunity for us to connect with our grassroots advocates and gain a deeper understanding of our volunteers’ experiences. The Victoria group reminds us why advocacy matters now more than ever, even in times of change and budget cuts.
While in British Columbia, we joined advocate and former Results Canada Fellow Somaya Hassan in a meeting with Member of Parliament for Richmond Centre—Marpole Chak Au.
In our engaging conversation, we highlighted the incredible actions of Results volunteers and fellows, and discussed how Canada’s investments in nutrition would not only provide women and children in low- and middle-income countries with access to proper nutrition, but also that ending malnutrition is a smart, cost-effective investment that strengthens economies and builds resilient societies that benefit everyone, including Canadians.
These events were a clear demonstration of how deeply people across Canada care about building a world where everyone has access to nutritious food and the opportunity to thrive. We left our time together feeling energized and inspired for the work ahead.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to our panelists in Surrey Jet, Anne, and Khadija and our dedicated volunteers Ashley, Bernice, Dylan, Labiba, Anita and the Victoria group for welcoming us with such warmth, making this trip a success, and fueling the Results passion for change, no matter which coast we’re on.
