TNT delivers hope for children in Africa

Employees at express delivery giant TNT have delivered a cash boost to feed and educate 1200 malnourished children in Tanzania for a year.

Entitled ‘Fight Hunger Week,’ the initiative saw thousands of TNT employees in the UK hold a fun-packed range of activities to raise more than GBP 30,000 for the United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP).

The money raised by TNT will be channelled into the WFP’s School Feeding Programme whereby children in developing countries are encouraged to attend school and receive a free nourishing meal. All the donations from TNT Express Services in the UK & Ireland will go to provide much-needed nutrition and education for youngsters in Tanzania.

Stuart Stobie, Divisional Managing Director, TNT Express Services UK said: “It costs just 7p per day to feed and educate a child in Tanzania or GBP 25 a year. The initiative is part of an ongoing partnership that has already seen TNT in the UK generate more than GBP 260,000 to support the excellent work undertaken by the WFP.”

More than 50 TNT Express Services depots and offices combined their efforts as part of the specially designated week with a bewildering array of fund-raising activities from fancy dress days, chest waxings, depot beauty salons, health checks, running and rowing challenges, cake baking, noodle-eating, managers in stocks, auctions, raffles and car valeting, to name but a few.

Stuart added: “It was a fantastic effort from the team. Everyone was really enthused by Fight Hunger Week and it was great to see staff conjuring up some cracking fund-raising events to raise money.

“Our 2007 donation goes some way to providing real hope and a brighter future for hungry children in Tanzania. We do take our corporate social responsibilities very seriously and this is an ideal way to help those most in need.”

The TNT Fight Hunger Week was an integral part of a worldwide TNT programme to raise awareness of the need to combat global hunger.

TNT employees, family and friends were among more than 760,000 people who participated in a novel Walk the World event, whereby sponsored walks are held in one 24-hour period across 24 different time zones in more than 100 countries, raising more than GBP 500,000 for the WFP in the process.

In the UK, TNT employees took part in Walk The World in London, joining more than 1,000 fellow walkers who put the focus firmly on the overriding need to put an end to hunger.