There is a food crisis in Africa. Food prices have nearly doubled, leaving many poor families with next-to-nothing to eat. Though everyone suffers under these conditions, women endure the worst of it all. This article on MSNBC explains how women are the ones to grow the food, get the water, shop at the markets, and cook the meals. When it comes time to eat, men and children eat first, and women eat last and least.

Women are the skinniest, and the hungriest. And it is the women that the children go to when they are starving and in need of food. Many women are turning to prostitution to be able to afford food, and many families are pulling children (especially girls) out of school because they cannot afford it any longer.

Many women work jobs for little pay, such as sweeping streets for a monthly pay of under $10. Men usually work outside of the house, doing odd jobs, although work is scarce. The men don't help with shopping, cooking, or child care because they believe it is the "woman's job."

Times are really hard. It's easy for us to feel guilty living in a country where we can afford food, where we can go out at any moment and get a nice juicy burger to fill our stomachs with... but that guilt doesn't help the people in Africa eat. Here's some websites you can go to if you want to help. Some of them are those websites where all you have to do is click, and a small portion of food is instantly donated. It couldn't hurt just to click once:

• The Hunger Site

• Stop Hunger Now

• Free Rice

• World Hunger

• Africare

• Self Help Africa

• Bread for the World

I highly recommend The Hunger Site because they have an entire online store filled with beautiful and affordable things that, if purchased, will donate food to hungry people abroad. I just bought this great bracelet for only $14.95, and my purchase donated 25 cups of food: