WtW_09_Korea.jpg
Awareness and Fundraising

Walk the World 2009

On Sunday 7 June, tens of thousands of people took to the streets in cities around the world to support the World Food Programme in their fight against hunger. The seventh edition of Walk the World mobilised an estimated 300,000 people to raise awareness and funds for WFP’s school feeding programmes. At least 200 walks took place in 70 countries across all 24 time zones.

The Walk the World event is organised by TNT, and two other global private sector partners of WFP; Unilever and DSM. “Walk the World comes at a time of unprecedented challenge for the hungry and poor,” Josette Sheeran, Executive Director of WFP, said. “Children are suffering because food prices are still high in many developing countries, and the global financial crisis is now hitting family incomes hard.”

The worldwide series of walks kicked off in Australia with a climb up Sydney Harbour Bridge, continued through all 24 time zones and ended on the pacific island of Samoa. In the Philippines, monsoon rains gave way to a bright sunny day for 6,000 people to walk together in the streets of Manila, while in Indonesia an early-morning walk followed by a concert attracted 12,000 supporters.
 
The largest walks took place on the African continent, with 64,000 people walking in 53 locations in Malawi and 50,000 people gathering in Tanzania under the enthusiastic leadership of Prime Minister Mizengo Kayanza Peter Pinda, who walked in Arusha. Their Walk was concluded with a cow auction. In Kenya, WFP Ambassador Against Hunger Paul Tergat – a champion marathon runner and former school feeding beneficiary – joined walkers in Nairobi. 
 
In Europe, the largest walk took place in Portugal with about 4,000 participants, while the CEOs of the three global sponsors of the event walked in The Hague in The Netherlands. Supporters of the fight against hunger in Egypt walked through the old citadel of Cairo.
 
In the Americas, walks began in New York City with a walk in Battery Park. In Latin America, walks ranged from a massive 30,000 participants in the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa to just a few hundred determined walkers on the island of Trinidad.

 

Walk the World map!

Javascript is required to view this map.