~Campaign to raise awareness on hunger and malnutrition comes to an end in Delhi~
Delhi, 17th October 2015: Around 400 bikers took to the streets of Delhi at the Chattarpur Resort to show their solidarity as part of World Vision India’s 24 Hour Famine, a national campaign to raise awareness on hunger and malnutrition. The bikers who attended this event included 10 riders who were a part of the ‘kNOw Your Hunger’bike rally organized last week in association with the ‘Delhi Bikers Breakfast Run’. These bikers were part of the three-day rally from Delhi to Baran with pit stops at Jaipur, Tonk and Kota, to interact with marginalized communities most affected by hunger and malnutrition. These bikers shared their experiences and learning’s from visiting these communities during the event today.
Pallavi Fauzdar, one of the 10 bikers who was part of kNOw Hunger Ride shared her experience with fellow bikers, “My recent ride has been another turning point of my life. I am glad to witness World Vision India working tirelessly with extreme dedication and humanity in various remote areas of the country. I take this privileged on behalf of each rider to say thanks in enabling us to see the remotest and the weakest of our society. I feel privileged to have been selected for the noble cause. Each and every rider chosen for this were unique but the passion, purpose and the spirit were same.”
The 24 Hour Famine aims to raise awareness about hunger and malnutrition, which severely impact the lives of children, especially those under the age of 5. This year, the 24 Hour Famine was conducted in 34 cities across the nation where World Vision India engaged the public and youth from ages of 13–30 years to be a part of the drive. A variety of events ranging from art exhibitions to literary and cultural competitions driven by local communities, school children as well as civil and public officials was organized in these cities to drive home the message.
Hunger is an endemic issue across the world. The latest annual hunger report of the United Nations states that India is home to the largest malnourished and hungry population of 194 million, surpassing China. By this measure, India holds a quarter of the undernourished population across the globe, with 44% of the country’s children under 5 years being underweight.
The data from the ‘Rapid Survey on Children’ (RSOC) conducted by the United Nations agency for children, UNICEF, as well as the Indian Government in 2013 and 2014 shows that in Delhi 19.4% of children under the age of 5 are underweight and 4.9% are severely underweight.
“We are extremely happy about the awareness we were able to raise during this year’s 24 Hour Famine campaign. However, our efforts will only bear fruit when each individual who is aware about this issue takes some action to curb this endemic. It is high time we discuss hunger as not just an economic, but also a social issue and World Vision India will continue its efforts in spreading this message till it benefits each and every individual across the nation and becomes a part of the agenda for policy makers in the country,” said Mr. Cherian Thomas, CEO and National Director, World Vision India.
Mrs. Poonam Jain, wife of Delhi state Health & Family Welfare minister, Delhi graced the gathering and gave out certificate of appreciation the 10 kNOw Hunger Ride bikers. Children from World Vision India’s intervention area presented a puppet show and performed street plays to shine a light on the extent of the issue in the country.
More information on the 24 Hour Famine campaign can be found at http://www.24hourfamine.in/.
World Vision India is a Christian grassroots humanitarian organisation that serves all people regardless of religion, caste, race, ethnicity or gender. Through development, relief and advocacy, we strive to create lasting change in the lives of children, their families and communities living in contexts of poverty and injustice. World Vision works in nearly 100 countries worldwide, and we have been in India since 1962. Today we work in over 6200 urban, rural and tribal communities spread over 163 districts across 25 states impacting the lives of 24 lakh children.