Global Walk To End World Hunger

Main Category: Nutrition / Diet
Also Included In: Aid / Disasters
Article Date: 10 Jun 2009 - 1:00 PDT

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This Sunday, thousands of people around the globe will join the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and its major corporate partners, TNT, Unilever and DSM, in a walk to raise awareness and money to feed hungry school children in some of the poorest countries in the world.

"Walk the World comes at a time of unprecedented challenges for the hungry and the poor," said Josette Sheeran, Executive Director of WFP. "Children are suffering because food prices are still high in many developing countries, and the global financial crisis is now hitting family incomes hard."

"End Hunger: Walk the World" - an annual event now in its seventh year - will see people walking for hunger in 70 countries. It will begin in Australia with a climb up the Sydney Harbour Bridge and continue through all 24 time zones. It will be marked by pop concerts in Indonesia and traditional Maasai dances in Kenya, and will conclude on the Pacific island of Samoa.

It costs WFP just 20 Euro cents to provide a nutritious meal to a child at school. School feeding programmes also give parents an extra incentive to keep their children in school, and help to lay a healthy foundation for a better future for the young.

"End Hunger - Walk the World" provides a powerful demonstration of public support for WFP's fight against hunger, with employees from the three supporting companies walking together with friends and family, as well as celebrities and local dignitaries, and WFP employees. In some countries, children who have benefited from the WFP school feeding programme will also walk in solidarity.

This year, there is also an online walk at wfp.org/walktheweb. People are invited to make a donation online; each Euro or local currency equivalent is counted as a mile walked. The objective is to go the 25,000 miles around the world. Donors can upload a photo to join the crowd of walkers on the web page, and to show that they've taken a virtual step to end hunger.

Source
World Food Programme