The power of an hour

Francoise and Alexandre, mother and father to 2 daughters

In the midst of the local primary school’s festive atmosphere, mother Francoise and father Alexandre found a (less noisy) corner to talk. They’re attending Parents Day at their children’s school, where GHI, in partnership with the UN World Food Programme, is hosting a One Pot One Hour cooking demonstration. “We came to the celebration because we were curious how a balanced meal could be possible with only one pot, in one hour,” says Alexandre. 

Sure enough, GHI Health Coordinator Annonciathe had pulled off that exact feat minutes earlier, showing families with limited resources how a four-color nutritionally balanced meal could be made with a single pot in an hour, offering tips like soaking beans overnight. “Before, we used vegetables on occasion, but I could use this innovation at home,” insists Francoise. “I was so surprised to see this happen all in one hour. If I soak my beans overnight, I can go to work in the morning, before returning home to make our meal. Now, I don’t have to spend the entire day cooking.”

Alexandre agrees, adding: “This method will certainly help my family. I used to believe that cooking was for women, but now I feel like it’s a partnership. I’m not going to keep this information to myself; we’re going to teach our neighbors about the One Pot One Hour method.” Francoise nods, “If I teach ten people, and then they teach twenty more people, we could tell our whole town in a matter of months!”

Story and photos by Jessica Wright