Two men from the Riverina region of New South Wales have launched an initiative to ship donated wheat to Sudan, where civil war has driven millions of people from their homes. The project, called Grain of Hope, has committed an initial 100 tonnes of wheat to a starving population on the other side of the world.
The effort is the work of Rob, a third-generation irrigator, and his friend Ken Darshi. Darshi, who is originally from Kenya, works on social cohesion policy with the NGO Welcoming Australia and is described as a larger-than-life character. The two make for an unlikely combination, united by what they call deep conviction.
Their friendship began in 2019, when Darshi discovered Rob growing mung beans, a Kenyan delicacy, on his farm. Since then the pair have shared many meals together, gathering most weeks at the farm, where Rob cooks dishes ranging from prawns to lamb chops and steak, and Ken cleans up.
The idea for Grain of Hope took shape over one such meal last year, during a conversation about global affairs. Darshi recalled being sceptical at first, pointing to the bureaucracy and obstacles involved in shipping food across the world, but Rob insisted they would do it. His persuasion won out.
The organisation, started around six months ago, was designed around starvation in Africa and particularly in Sudan, where displacement camps have become overpopulated with people assessed as suffering acute starvation. The wheat for the shipment has been donated by farmers.
Working with a small and dedicated committee, Ken and Rob hope to send the initial 100 metric tonnes of wheat to Sudan within the next few weeks. The need is stark, with Sudan's civil war having forced more than 11 and a half million people from their homes.
For both men, the project reflects a personal outlook. Darshi says he wants to live a life that is aware, while Rob's deep conviction has carried the plan from a kitchen-table conversation toward an actual shipment of grain bound for people in need.