The Mathematics of Hunger
Ken Odak Odumbe
In the 2024 Global Hunger Index, the prevalence of undernourishment
in Sub-Saharan Africa stands at 23.5 percent:
But Mama does not speak in percentages.
She speaks in the language of the aluminum pot,
its bottom scratched thin as a promise.
Food insecurity affects approximately 282 million people;
Three children. One cup of maize flour.
She knows the equation by heart –
boil water and add meal in steady increments,
stir clockwise (always clockwise)
until the thick porridge stands firm enough
to hold its shape, to pretend it is more than it is.
The report indicates a 12% increase in acute malnutrition;
Her calculations have no decimal points.
Only the weight of Amina’s hand,
light as a question against her back.
Only the division: this one needs more,
growing bones that creak at night.
This one can wait until tomorrow.
This one – she does not finish the thought.
Data suggests a correlation between conflict and food access;
The UN met in Geneva last Thursday.
Mama met the sun this morning
at four a.m., walking to the borehole,
clay pot balanced on her head.
By the time the delegates poured coffee,
she had already solved for x:
x = how to make three children believe one meal is a feast.
Recommended daily caloric intake: 2,100 kilocalories per person;
She does not count calories.
She counts breaths between asking and silence.
Counts the scrape of wooden spoons on enamel.
Counts how many times she can say just a little more
before her own stomach learns subtraction.
This is the mathematics they do not teach:
How to make zero look like abundance in the eyes
of the ones who call you Mama,
who have not yet learned that hunger has a PhD in patience,
that statistics wear her face.
Ken Odak Odumbe is a development professional and creative writer based in Nairobi, Kenya. He uses creative arts to depict and communicate complex societal issues. With over 19 years of experience in international development, he has engaged diverse stakeholders across Kenya, the African continent, and global platforms to address human development issues. He excels at bridging development perspectives and creative expression.