13 Sep 2011 10:54
Source: Content partner // World Food Programme
BEIJING - The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) announced today that it has forged its first strategic partnership with a Chinese private sector firm and its foundation, teaming up with internet company Tencent to fight global hunger.
Tencent Charity Foundation has made an initial RMB 1 million (US$154,500) donation in the first phase of its cooperation with WFP, which will support school feeding programmes in Cambodia and China. Over 8,500 children will receive one nutritious meal each day.
In the second phase of the partnership, WFP and Tencent Foundation will launch an innovative online monthly donation fundraising campaign on Tencent's charity platform.
"Tencent Foundation is WFP's first private sector strategic partner in China," said Nancy Roman, WFP's Director of Public Policy, Communications and Private Partnerships. "Tencent is the world's third largest internet company, with over 630 million registered users, and it was the first in China to launch online charitable donations.
"We welcome their efforts to help WFP to fight hunger worldwide, and hope Tencent's pioneering efforts will be a good model for other Chinese enterprises," Roman said.
Guo Kaitian, Senior Vice President of Tencent, said "Tencent is dedicated to the integration of the internet and charity, leveraging the internet's technology and reach advantages to make it easy for everyone to donate to a valuable cause."
Tencent Foundation has already carried out eight projects in China focused on youth education, regional development, vulnerable groups, and poverty relief, but this is Tencent's first effort to address global development challenges.
"Tencent believes that WFP's global reach and focus on the root causes of hunger make it an ideal first global charity partner for Tencent," Guo said.
Statistics from WFP show that in developing countries, 66 million children of primary school age attend class hungry. It costs on average only US$0.25 (less than RMB 2) for WFP to provide a child a nutritious daily meal at school. WFP and Tencent together will launch an innovative online monthly fund raising effort in September on Tencent's platform, appealing to Tencent's users to donate RMB 10 per month to support school feeding programmes.