World Food Programme Fighting Hunger Worldwide

Very early in the morning, three WFP colleagues and myself begin our journey to the mountains of northern Nicaragua on a winding, partially paved road. Our purpose is to participate in a celebration to mark International Women’s Day, an activity organized by women from 10 rural communities who also eager to share their achievements after participating in the Cash for Work programme.

Located in the mountains of northern Nicaragua, Wiwili is a small agricultural community. Winding around the outskirts of town, one finds what remains of the Coco (Segovia) River. In the summer months, it is nearly dry. At noon, although the thermometer reads 33°C (91°F), the temperature feels closer to 35° or 36°C (95-97°F).

A delegation of employees from Yum! Brands restaurants recently travelled to Nicaragua to see how school meals can help build a brighter future for children and communities.

My name is Christopher Thielecke; I come from Germany and I am 21 years old. I study bilingual correspondence for English and Spanish at the Friedrich-List-High School in Berlin. Currently, I am working as a volunteer for WFP in Nicaragua. In this context, I had the opportunity to participate with the P4P (Purchase for Progress) team in a field trip to Nueva Segovia in July 2011.

The online quiz game Freerice crossed another milestone today with the addition of its one millionth registered player. The game, which allows players to raise rice for the hungry with every correct answer, has provided meals to almost 5 million people since launching in 2007.

WFP and KONAMI Digital Entertainment have teamed up to create an online game with a real-world impact. Food Force puts players at the helm of the world’s largest humanitarian aid agency. It combines the multiplayer fun of other popular social media games with the ability to provide real meals to hungry children around the globe. Start playing Food Force!

Under a small shed that barely protects them from the intense sunshine, 15 small farmers clean and handpick maize from their most recent harvest. They separate the good grain from those that are broken or “dead” (damaged). This is painstaking and tiring work, but their enthusiasm is palpable.

What happens when a college student, an MTV reality show, the private sector and the largest humanitarian organisation in the world join forces? The answer is great TV and a big step in the fight against child hunger.

Central American governments are doing a good job of strengthening their social safety nets, but need to sharpen their focus on child nutrition, a new study by WFP reported this month. Here is a breakdown of the study's findings and recommendations.

Dionisio Blandon’s crop of maize is growing well this year and he’s confident he can sell it for a better price than normal. Thanks to WFP and its partners in the Purchase for Progress initiative, this smallholder farmer was finally able to buy good quality seeds and fertilisers.