Macau Famine 2017 aims to raise MOP1.1m

World Vision of Macau Association Amelia Che

The Macau Famine 2017, organized by World Vision of Macau Association, held its opening ceremony last week.

The association has planned fund- raising activities such as “Skip-A-Meal,” “10-hour Famine” and “Red Pocket Campaign,” among others.

The funds will be used to support World Vision’s food security, health and nutrition, and livelihood projects in African countries such as South Sudan, Zimbabwe and Somalia.

This year’s theme is “Food for every child” and the main fund-raising event will run from February to May.

Amelia Che, the manager of World Vision of Macau Association, stressed that there are nearly 800 million undernourished people worldwide.

Che said the number of participants in this year’s campaign has increased compared to last year, while its target amount remains the same at MOP1.1 million.

“The number of participants has slightly increased. These people are from local associations and students,” Che told reporters.

The manager also noted that due to limited space, World Vision could not accommodate as many participants as originally hoped. In response, the association came up with the “Skip-A-Meal” event to raise hunger awareness on an ongoing basis.
“There will be no restrictions in the space, tie and schedule, which will encourage more groups participate in the event,” Che said.

She added that the association has been working to raise awareness of food waste in the region.

When questioned whether there were improvements in schools’ kitchen waste, Che responded, “Macau should really let the students experience and see more videos about this [famine].”

She claimed that World Vision had shared with more than 10,000 local students each year about the significance of cherishing food.

Celeste Vong Yim Mui, president of the Social Welfare Bureau (IAS), announced that it will cooperate with the Environmental Protection Bureau on kitchen waste and environmental protection measures.

She said IAS would collaborate with social workers to help the region with kitchen waste and recycling.