South Africa (SA) is facing a hunger crisis.

This is according to recent submissions by advocacy groups to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC)âs Inquiry into the countryâs food system.

The first phase of the inquiry was held in March this year, and heard evidence from civil society organisations and government institutions.

The SAHRCâs second phase in July turned the focus to the private sector across the food chain, including farmers, food manufacturers and retailers.

More than 1,000 children

Submissions by the Human Sciences Research Council of South Africa (HSRC) included findings that more than a thousand children died last year because of preventable acute malnutrition, and an estimated 14 million people in the country go hungry.

Shared stories behind the statistics

Over the coming weeks, we will share the stories of people behind these statistics in an eight-part series, Hungry For Change, looking at the difficult choices families make when there is not enough money for food.

Community journalists will take readers into the homes of vulnerable communities across SA, and report on the sacrifices people make to keep food on the table.

Their stories will look at how hunger affects young children and older people, and how poor access to basic services, unemployment and rising food costs shape what families have available to eat.

Some articles will also focus on communities finding their own ways to cope, from growing their own food to pooling money through food stokvels.

Whatâs on your plate?

Throughout the series, a photo essay called âWhatâs on your plate?â will document real meals eaten by households featured in the stories, explore what those meals cost, how many people they feed and what they provide nutritionally.

The aim is simple: to show readers what hunger looks like beyond the statistics, and the desperate measures people go to in order to feed their families.

First published by Health-e News as part of an eight-part series about food insecurity in South Africa.