50th Anniversary & History

Founded in 1961 by The Honourable Mitchell Sharp, CHF is a registered Canadian non-governmental organization (NGO) headquartered in Ottawa. It is a pragmatic, non-sectarian, results-oriented organization.

For five decades, CHF has worked with partners on projects in 52 countries, benefiting millions of people to improve their daily lives and break the cycle of poverty.

CHF is recognized as a leader in international development. Over the last 50 years, CHF has helped change lives and create solutions to combat the effects of drought, disease and devastating poverty in rural communities throughout the world.

Using a Sustainable Livelihoods Approach (SLA), CHF has helped bring self-reliance to people in the developing world.

Milestones

1961
The Canadian Freedom from Hunger Committee (CFFHC), chaired by The Honourable Mitchell Sharp, establishes the Canadian Hunger Foundation.

1965
First annual meeting of the Canadian Hunger Foundation. Its Canada-Mysore Project — a centre to train people in food science — is inaugurated. It is one of Canada’s earliest achievements in Third World Development.

1975
The Water Project in Kandara, Kenya, brings clean water to more than 140,000 Kenyans. It is the first project in which CHF works in partnership with other organizations.

1983
The Biogas Project in India gives poor Indian communities an alternative energy source for cooking and light that proves safer, more efficient and less damaging to the environment than other technologies.

1986
The El Salvador Counterpart Funds helps rural farmers in El Salvador learn better ways of using the soil to produce more food. In addition, the Fund offers business training to people in rural communities seeking to develop small businesses.

1988
The Camel Project in Kenya helps nomadic tribes enhance the production of camel milk and meat, by increasing the number of camels and improving productivity. As a result, tribe members are better able to feed themselves, and have extra milk and meat to sell in local markets.

1990
CHF launches its first project in Guyana, called the Building Capacity Community Project. It helps 300 communities to improve their roads and build community centres.

1999
The Canada-India Rural Energy Project brings biogas, a clean alternate energy source, to over 90,000 rural households across India.

2001
The Guyana Building Capacity Community Project is extended for another year, allowing CHF to continue its work with 21 organizations, to improve and expand their respective agency programs and services.

Today
The Canadian Hunger Foundation (CHF) continues to support projects that help alleviate the suffering of the rural poor. At the same time, it serves as a tremendous resource, continuously enhancing knowledge and skills in best practices and development models.