Join WFP and Choithrams to ‘End Hunger with Goodness’ today

Buy products that help feed needy schoolchildren

Choithrams, a leading Dubai headquartered manufacturing, distribution, commodities and retailing chain, has teamed up with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to launch ‘End Hunger with Goodness’ – a crucial WFP campaign that feeds vulnerable schoolchildren in the Middle East while also aiming to achieve Zero Hunger globally by 2030.

Proceeds from the campaign will support the WFP’s school meal programmes in the Middle East region, benefiting children in the most vulnerable communities.

The four-month End Hunger with Goodness advocacy and fundraising campaign (#ZeroHungerwithGoodness) runs in the UAE from September 1 to December 31, 2023.

Look for special stickers

When customers buy ‘Goodness Foods’ products that are marked with a special sticker from the 28+ Choithrams supermarkets in the UAE, online on choithrams.com, or via food apps, Choithrams pledges up to AED4 per item to the WFP’s school meals programmes.

During the four-month awareness campaign, Mitun De Sarkar, a famous Dubai-based clinical dietician, will present bite-sized ideas on how to contribute to ending hunger and adopting wholesome eating habits in line with the campaign’s theme ‘End Hunger with Goodness’.

De Sarkar’s sought-after recipes and diet tips have helped advocate the WFP’s Zero Hunger messages to thousands of followers on popular social media channels in the past few years.

Crucial safety net

The WFP’s school meals programmes serve as a crucial safety net, guaranteeing access to education, health, and nutrition for children in food-insecure parts of the world.

School meals are vital for vulnerable students who often face challenges like illness, hunger, and malnutrition, which hinder consistent school attendance. For these individuals and their families, providing daily meals or snacks is a compelling incentive to maintain regular school attendance, especially for girls.

LT Pagarani, Chairman of Choithrams, said: “While we owe it to our generous customers for the tremendous impact over the years, we look forward to reaching more beneficiaries with the ‘End Hunger with Goodness’ campaign.

“Research shows that school meal programmes can increase enrolment by 9% on average. In areas with prevalent barriers to education, including child labour, early marriage, or gender inequalities, WFP school meal programmes reach specific groups of children, including adolescent girls and children from marginalised communities.

‘Double down on efforts’

“Therefore, we should double down on our efforts to ensure no child is left behind in the quest for education,” Pagarani added.

Choithrams has supported the WFP since 2015 by donating 6.5 million school meals to the WFP’s school meal programmes in the Middle East and promoting Zero Hunger messages to millions of UAE residents annually.

Mageed Yahia, WFP Representative in the GCC region, said: “Choithrams’ valuable support for the WFP’s school meal programmes in the Middle East region comes at a crucial time, as the number of acutely malnourished children continues to increase. Improving nutrition among children and mothers is vital to prevent the risk of a lost generation.”

Long-term partnership

WFP and Choithrams have previously collaborated on various Zero Hunger campaigns conducted in the private group’s supermarket locations across the UAE.

As a result, more than six million meals have been donated since the start of the partnership in 2015.

For many of the school children supported by the WFP-Choithrams partnership, the meal they receive at school is the only one they will eat that day.

That is why the partnership works hard to increase access and availability to food for children in marginalised communities in the Middle East and beyond.

The WFP is the world’s largest humanitarian organisation, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters, and the impact of climate change.

The UN has adopted 17 SDGs to improve people’s lives globally by 2030. Goal 2 of the 17 SDGs – Zero Hunger – pledges to end hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture.

Featured image: WFP school meal programmes feed vulnerable children in the Middle East. Image: WFP

Last Updated on 1 year by Arnold Pinto