World Food Programme

World Food Programme

TNT's groundbreaking partnership with the United Nations' World Food Programme (WFP) was initiated by Peter Bakker the Chief Executive Officer of TNT NV when he heard the staggering and highly disturbing statistic that a child dies every five seconds from hunger or hunger-related diseases.

The partnership began in 2002 and adopted the title of 'Moving the World' - a very apt description given that TNT committed knowledge, skills and resources to helping finance the work of the WFP and also to the physical delivery of food and supplies to disaster areas around the globe.

As the largest humanitarian aid agency on the planet, the WFP provides food aid to an average of 90 million people in over 80 countries. TNT, as a global service provider, immediately recognised the synergies with WFP and saw the rich potential of exploiting skills to help the worldwide community in which we operate.

TNT's expertise and resources, aligned to the requirements of the WFP make it a perfect partnership, enabling the company to engage with its people in a programme that ultimately facilitates and encourages developing nations to become more self-sustaining. As well as practical support, TNT also work in tandem with the WFP raising awareness of global hunger bringing it to the attention of Governments, leaders of industry and the public at large.

TNT's annual fundraising focuses on a specifically themed 'Fight Hunger Week' - an initiative that encourages employees
to participate, raise tens of thousands of pounds for the WFP and boost awareness and understanding via media opportunities.

TNT also encourages employees, their family and friends to participate in the annual Walk the World event - essentially a sponsored walk that takes place over a 24-hour period across 24-different time zones in 63 countries to provide a focus on global hunger as well as boost our fundraising efforts.

Since 2004, TNT UK has averaged a donation of approximately £30,000 raised during Fight Hunger Week - enough to provide school meals and learning for up to 1,200 children per annum.

TNT in the UK & Ireland also has a specific twinning relationship with Tanzania where, for just 7p a day - £25-a-year - a malnourished child can be fed and educated under the auspices of the WFP's School Feeding Programme.

Up to £250,000 is made available each year to fund projects to improve the lives of those most in need in Tanzania. Projects include schooling and the provision of clean drinking water, to helping improve their health and nutrition levels.

The funding also allows TNT people be seconded to work in Tanzania on specific projects. A group of TNT employees visit Tanzania each October to witness how funds generated by employees are put to optimum use by the WFP.

Stuart Stobie, Divisional Managing Director of TNT Express UK, describes the relationship between TNT and WFP as a 'perfect partnership'.

Adding: "As a major player in the worldwide express delivery market it is only right that we should want to make a valid contribution helping those who are most in need. It is a source of tremendous pride amongst our people that our efforts go directly to feeding and educating thousands of children in Tanzania.

"By keeping the youngsters strong and providing them with an all-important education we are enabling future generations in Tanzania to be more self-sustaining and that's incredibly important."

"It is a soure of tremendous pride that our efforts go directly to feeding and educating thousands of children in Tanzania".  Stuart Stobie, Divisional Marketing Director, TNT Express UK