VietNamNet Bridge - On June 5, volunteers from TNT Vietnam participated in the “End Hunger: Walk the World” program as part of a global event to fight against child hunger and malnutrition.

 
This is a joint effort between TNT and its corporate partner, World Food Program (WFP), a United Nations frontline agency mandated to combat global hunger, in order to improve awareness and raise money to support disadvantaged children. In Vietnam, this year is the 9th consecutive year that TNT organizes the program.

 

“Hunger and malnutrition are the biggest threats to global health worldwide. TNT is the first partner of WFP which is the United Nations’ front line agency fighting hunger worldwide. Our mission is management of our operations with respect for society and the environment in all of the communities in which we operate around the world. This means taking responsibility for the company’s part in the community and doing what is necessary to preserve and improve the world for future generations,” said Hardy Diec, Country General Director of TNT Vietnam.

 

 “We are proud to continue our partnership with WFP to help provide support for less privileged people,” he added.

 

The walk is a 24-hour relay all over the world, with participants in each of the world’s time zones walking five kilometers. It began in Auckland, New Zealand and finished in Samoa.

 

In Vietnam, over 200 employees from TNT, their families, friends and partners walked at the Hanoi Botanic Garden to show their solidarity in the fight against hunger and malnutrition.

 

In Vietnam, half of the amount collected locally will go to the Education For Development (EFD), an international organization that works with Vietnamese partners to support improvement and expansion of educational services for disadvantage children and youth. This year EFD is supporting improvements in special schools for children with disabilities and in vocational training centers for disables and disadvantaged youth. The rest of the local fund will be going to WFP.

 

“This is the second year that EFD has worked together with TNT to make a difference in the lives of disadvantaged Vietnamese children and youth. TNT shares the same vision as EFD, which is a world where every young person has the opportunity to develop themselves to their full potential through education,” said Hanna Smokcum, Country Coordinator of EFD said

 

Since its inception in 2003, Walk the World program has brought over 2.1 million participants and raised enough money to provide school meals to over 200,000 children a year. Last year, through the “End Hunger – Walk the World”, 130,000 people have walked in 157 different locations, raising enough money to provide school meals for one year to more than 14,600 children in the world's poorest countries.

 

PV