What happens when two friends in rural Australia take on the global hunger crisis? Meet Rob Houghton and Ken Dachi - a third-generation farmer and a multicultural advisor from Leeton, NSW - who turned a single conversation into Grain of Hope: a grassroots initiative shipping Australian wheat to Sudan, where millions face displacement and acute malnutrition.(We’ve linked ways to support their work below.)

Rob & Ken share the reality of delivering 100 tonnes of grain into a crisis zone - from complex logistics and rising fuel costs to working outside traditional aid systems. Backed by a groundswell of public support, Grain of Hope challenges the idea that global hunger is too big to tackle and shows what’s possible when ordinary people decide to act.

In this episode:

· How Grain of Hope started with a single conversation

· The real cost of shipping food aid

· Why Sudan - and why now

· What works (and doesn’t) in traditional aid

· The power of multiculturalism

· From emergency aid to long-term food systems

· What it takes to act on global problems from a local place

Timestamps:
00:40 Why This Story Matters
02:33 Meeting Ken and Rob
03:06 The Real Challenges
05:11 From Idea to Mission
06:49 Why Sudan, Why Now
09:06 Community Backs Grain of Hope
14:30 Leeton: The UN of Country Towns
17:04 Stubborn Vision, Flexible Details
19:20 Growing Food vs Moving Systems
21:54 The Team behind Grain of Hope
24:39 Five-Year Vision and Self-Sufficiency
29:21 How You Can Help
31:06 Remedies for a Hard World
32:24 Amy & Gus Reflect and Wrap Up
34:21 Credits and Subscribe

Support Grain of Hope:
If you want to help get this shipment to Sudan - or support future projects - you can find out more below.

👉 FTN Story
👉 Donate

About Fix The News:
Fix The News is a solutions-focused media platform sharing stories from the frontlines of progress - exploring what’s working in the world and the people making it happen.

Subscribe & follow:
If you enjoyed this episode, follow the podcast and leave a review - it helps more people find these stories.

Production credits:
Hosted by Angus Hervey and Amy Davoren-Rose
Produced by Fix The News
Audio production: Anthony Badolato, Hear That!

This episode was produced in Australia on the lands of the Gadigal, Wurundjeri and Woi Wurrung peoples.

This week’s headlines include – a global milestone in ocean protection; Brazil’s new deforestation crackdown using satellite monitoring; major gains in women’s rights and maternal health; record renewable energy growth in the US and Europe; and a groundbreaking IVF breakthrough that could change fertility treatment.

NewsFix has moved to its own feed! You can check it out here or search 'NewsFix' on your favourite podcast app. Make sure you look out for the new artwork - we've had a pretty big glow-up! If you need a bit more time, don't worry, we’ll keep popping up here for a couple more weeks .

This podcast is brought to you by ⁠Fix The News⁠. Hosted by Anthony Badolato, ⁠Hear That!⁠ If you want to get in touch with the team, email amy@fixthenews.com

This week’s headlines include – Yes, we can end TB; the biggest expansion of education in human history; LGBTQ rights gaining ground; whales staging a dramatic comeback in Antarctic waters; a global energy shift; and the particle discovery that was not thought possible.

NewsFix has moved to its own feed!
You can check it out here or search 'NewsFix' on your favourite podcast app. Make sure you look out for the new artwork - we've had a pretty big glow-up! If you need a bit more time, don't worry, we’ll keep popping up here for a couple more weeks .

This podcast is brought to you by ⁠Fix The News⁠. Hosted by Anthony Badolato, ⁠Hear That!⁠ If you want to get in touch with the team, email amy@fixthenews.com

Big News: Hope Is A Verb is becoming Fix The News Podcast.

This is our final episode as Hope Is A Verb - but it's not the end of these conversations. Over 52 episodes, we’ve met the people who are changing the world through conservation, education, healthcare, social reform and grassroots action. Each one has expanded our sense of what’s possible. Now, it’s time to evolve.

From our next episode, this show will be called Fix The News - Same hosts. Same mission. Just a wider lens on the hidden stories of progress that are shaping the world. Subscribe now so you don’t miss what’s next. Learn more: fixthenews.com
🎧 New episodes every second Wednesday - starting April 15, 2026.

This podcast is brought to you by ⁠Fix The News⁠. Hosted by Angus Hervey and Amy Davoren-Rose, Produced and audio design by Anthony Badolato. ⁠Hear That! ⁠ If you want to get in touch with the team, email amy@fixthenews.com

This week’s headlines include – DNA building blocks discovered on asteroids; global child mortality down 60%; China consolidates environmental laws; monarch butterflies rebound in Mexico; women in politics rise across Africa; and AI supporting dementia care.

NewsFix has moved to its own feed!
You can check it out here or search 'NewsFix' on your favourite podcast app. Make sure you look out for the new artwork - we've had a pretty big glow-up! If you need a bit more time, don't worry, we’ll keep popping up here for a couple more weeks .

This podcast is brought to you by ⁠Fix The News⁠. Hosted by Anthony Badolato, ⁠Hear That!⁠ If you want to get in touch with the team, email amy@fixthenews.com

This week's headlines include – Nigeria’s record investment in basic education; Indigenous-led land restoration across the United States; cities cutting air pollution by up to 45%; rhinos returning to the DRC; and a breakthrough stem cell treatment offering new hope for Parkinson’s.

NewsFix has moved to its own feed!
You can check it out here or search 'NewsFix' on your favourite podcast app. Make sure you look out for the new artwork - we've had a pretty big glow-up! If you need a bit more time, don't worry, we’ll keep popping up here for a couple more weeks .

This podcast is brought to you by ⁠Fix The News⁠. Hosted by Anthony Badolato, ⁠Hear That!⁠ If you want to get in touch with the team, email amy@fixthenews.com

This week’s headlines include – India launches the world’s largest HPV vaccination campaign; school meal programmes across Europe reach 25 million children; solar becomes the fastest-growing energy source in history; EV giant BYD unveils a nine-minute charging system; river otters make a comeback in the Great Lakes and southern Africa launches its first cross-border birding route.

NewsFix is brought to you by ⁠Fix The News⁠. Hosted by Anthony Badolato, ⁠Hear That! ⁠ If you want to get in touch with the team, email amy@fixthenews.com

This week’s headlines include: Chile eliminates leprosy; the malaria vaccine is working in Nigeria fall after a vaccine rollout; Croatia clears its last landmines; renewable energy surges; recovery in Kazakhstan’s Aral region; wildlife comebacks from the Galápagos to Central Asia; and a breakthrough that could finally bring spider silk into mass production.

NewsFix is brought to you by ⁠Fix The News⁠. Hosted by Anthony Badolato, ⁠Hear That! ⁠ If you want to get in touch with the team, email amy@fixthenews.com