GHANA: Thousands of Ghanaians take part in 'Walk the World' organised by United Nations' World Food Programme

Record ID: 454621

  • Title: GHANA: Thousands of Ghanaians take part in 'Walk the World' organised by United Nations' World Food Programme
  • Date: 18th May 2007
  • Summary: PEOPLE WALKING
  • Embargoed: 2nd June 2007 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Ghana
  • Country: Ghana
  • Topics: Social Services / Welfare
  • Reuters ID: LVA5WJ587353X8TYP337DPQRDCBQ
  • Story Text: Thousands of people in Ghana's capital Accra joined others across the world on Sunday (May 13) in an anti-hunger walk.
    Funds raised through 'Walk the World' will go to WFP's Global School Feeding Programme. This initiative links food and education by offering free meals to the world's most vulnerable children.
    Beginning in New Zealand at 1000 local time and moving sequentially through major capitals and small villages in Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas, 'Walk the World' aimed to engage citizens worldwide to raise awareness and funds and assist more hungry children to go to school.
    "It's important because we are creating the awareness for the whole world to know that there are people out there who need the support of others who can contribute to their future," said Cecilia Yonye, a participant.
    Last year, WFP provided school meals for 19.4 million children in 71 countries. All too often children - particularly girls - are deprived of education because their families cannot afford to send them to school.
    "Some of us in this part of Africa, I should say we are lucky, because we've got everything at our disposal, others are suffering, they don't have, there is war, fight everything over there, they just can't survive, so we want to walk and then have collect something small and then help them to fight hunger in there places," said Zeinab Nettey.
    There are more than 850 million chronically hungry people in the world today.
    "The cause is to fight world hunger, and I contribute sometimes to beggars, people down the road, I give alms to this thing, so if there is a way where they can channel all these and it goes, I support that and that is the reason why I am here," said Dick Mensah, another participant.
    Hunger is the greatest threat to health worldwide. Every year more people die from hunger and hunger-related causes than from AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined.
    2007 marks the fifth anniversary of this event.
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