Distribution of Food

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Many children believe that there are starving people in some countries because there is a world-wide food shortage. Here is an illustration to help children understand that the problem is not one of food shortage, but rather one of unfair or unequal food distribution.

Preparation. Get a piece of cardboard, and write on it the letters and numbers as shown below :-

A = 1
B = 2
C = 3
D = 4
E = 0

Cover each number with individual small pieces of card or paper.

Next, get as many pieces of plain paper as their are children in your group, write on each one A,B,C,D, or E. Ensure you have far more E’s than the other letters, and the total of the corresponding numbers add up to the total number of children. For example, if I have 30 children in my group, I will write out three A’s (total = 3), three B’s (total = 6), three C’s (total = 9), three D’s (total = 12) and eighteen E’s (total = 0). Fold the papers over, and place in a box.

Get a bag of sweets (lollies / candies ), just enough for one per child.

Presentation. Produce your sweets, box of folded papers, and prepared card. Announce that you are going to share the sweets with the group, according to what is written on the paper each child is about to receive. Let each child choose a paper and unfold it to reveal the letter.

Ask Who has got an ‘A’? Take the cover off the number next to your ‘A’ to reveal a ’1′. You will all get 1 sweet.
Who has got a ‘B’? ————————- You will all get 2 sweets.
Who has got a ‘C’? ————————- You will all get 3 sweets. ( By now, those with an ‘E’ will be getting excited).
Who has got a ‘D’? ————————- You will all get 4 sweets.
Who has got an ‘E’. More than half the children will put their hands up in eager anticipation. Remove the last cover. —————— Oh dear! You will get no sweets!

After the ‘groans’ have died down, ask the children if they think it fair that some children should get 3 or 4 sweets while many others will get none? Even those children due to get 3 or 4 sweets will usually agree that this is not a fair way of sharing. Ask the children if they can think of a fairer way of sharing the sweets? Mention that you have just noticed that the total number of sweets is the same as the number of children present. The children should soon come to a consensus that a better way of sharing out the sweets is for each child to get one each. State that you agree with them. and distribute accordingly.

Conclusion. In some countries many boys and girls go to bed hungry every night because they don’t have enough food to eat. The problem is not because of a world food shortage, but rather an unequal distribution of the ample food that is grown. As Christians, we should be thinking of ways in which we can make this distribution more fair, and ensure that everyone gets enough food to eat.

by Maurice Sweetsur, http://objectlessons.blogspot.com/