Food Security Game

Assume a new identity and occupation to explore how food insecurity effects populations in different ways.
Objective
To teach some fundamental concepts about food security
Materials
- Food Security Game - Card Texts
- Index cards or pieces of paper
- Scissors
- Writing utensil
Time
20 minutes
Procedure
This game shows kids some of the factors that determine how food-secure people are. It was developed by Peace Corps/Togo; revise according to your country situation.
Prior to the start, copy the Food Security Game - Card Texts onto separate index cards or pieces of paper, or send the pages below through a copier and then cut with scissors. Laminating will enable you to use the cards repeatedly.
Distribute a card to each kid, and ask them all to line up. Each kid reads the card they were given and then assumes that identity for the game. Now the leader of the game should read each of the sentences below (or revised sentences that you have written). After reading each sentence, each participant must take a step forward or backward, depending on who that person happens to be.
Example Card Text:
Sentence Examples:
- If you are female, take a step back.
- If you are under 18 or over 70 years, take a step back.
- If your job gives you a fixed salary—for example, teaching or serving as a state employee—step forward.
- If you are a gardener or farmer and you are using green technology, move a step forward.
- If you are a gardener or farmer and you burn the field after the harvest, take a step back.
- If your level of education is less than second grade, take a step back.
- If you have children, move a step forward.
- If you have more than three children, take a step back.
- If you are infected with HIV/AIDS, take a step back.
- If you do not have a disability or disease, advance a step.
- If you do not speak your country’s native administrative language, take a step back.
- If you do farming, move a step ahead.
- If you hunt animals, take a step back.
- If you are a member of an agricultural cooperative, move a step forward.
- If you do an activity associated with Moringa or mushrooms, move a step forward.
- If you are illiterate, take a step back.
- If you are the owner of your field, move a step ahead.
- If you are an orphan, take a step back.
- If you do not do any agriculture, take a step back.
Discussion Questions:
- What did you notice during this activity?
- After this exercise, can you better explain food security to your neighbors? Why or why not?
- What are the things you can do to improve the level of food security in your family, community, country? (Developing new ways of generating income, increasing food production for home use, improving nutrition, improving farmer business skills, increasing literacy, improving girls’ education, etc.)
- Why do you think that one’s level of education and ability to read, speak, and write their country’s national administrative language are important for food security? (These can increase people’s chances of obtaining good-paying jobs, which can enable them to purchase ample food and pay for their children’s education. Also, ability to read can provide access to information that can help people make sound decisions about a range of food security–related issues: e.g., making healthy food choices, maintaining the health of their family, making good decisions in their personal and professional lives.)
- How do diseases and disabilities contribute toward food insecurity? (Unhealthy people cannot work to the best of their ability; thus, their income suffers. Often, sick people cannot hold food down and become malnourished.)
- The first statement was that all women should take a step back. Why do you think this was the case? (Opportunities for education and, therefore, for developing skills for generating income are often fewer for women. Women often do not obtain the nourishment in their diets that men do.)
This lesson plan is an activity from the Environmental Activities for Youth Clubs and Camps, a resource developed by the Peace Corps Office of Overseas Programming and Training (OPATS). It was contributed by Peace Corps/Togo.