Due to the overwhelming success of the campaign launched by Shakira and Activia, Howard G. Buffett, a United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) Ambassador Against Hunger since 2007, today announced a commitment by the Howard G. Buffett Foundation to provide additional funding to support WFP’s school meals program.
The foundation will provide funding for 600,000 school meals and will match additional public donations made at www.wfp.org/shakira for another 600,000 meals. With each meal costing just US$0.25, WFP can provide a child with a month’s worth of school meals for $5.
Shakira and Activia recently collaborated to produce Shakira’s latest video “La La La (Brazil 2014)” and to raise awareness of WFP’s school meals program. As part of the campaign supporting WFP, Activia and Shakira’s foundation, Pies Descalzos, donated a total of 3 million meals for children in need.
“I’m so happy to be able to announce that my friend Howard Buffett has joined my foundation, Pies Descalzos, and Activia in making donations to the World Food Programme; I’m grateful to him for showing such generous support and always championing for children’s education and nutrition so they have the best possible chance to succeed in life,” said Shakira. “We’re so thrilled with the overwhelming response the video has received so far, and we hope people will follow this example and help WFP support kids around the world.”
“WFP’s school meals help address the hunger challenges faced by millions of children around the world as well as enabling those children to have more productive education experiences,” said Buffett. “I am grateful to Shakira, a long-time champion for children and education, for the opportunity to partner with her and Activia on this important effort to raise awareness and support.”
“This campaign is vital in supporting the important work WFP is doing to feed schoolchildren and their families,” said Elisabeth Rasmussen, WFP’s Assistant Executive Director for Partnership and Governance Services. “And this donation from Howard Buffett and the continued support from Activia and Shakira offer individuals an excellent way to get involved.”
In addition to providing emergency food assistance around the world, WFP serves meals to more than 18 million schoolchildren in 60 countries, which for parents can often mean the difference between sending their children to school and sending them to work to help provide for the family. This allows children the opportunity to grow up healthy and to reach their full potential.
