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U.N. World Food Programme High-Level supporter Reggie Khumalo to visit humanitarian projects in Africa

JOHANNESBURG- Following years of supporting humanitarian organisations and its causes, self- taught African fine artist Reggie Khumalo, who uses his art as a vehicle for social change, will this month be visiting World Food Programme (WFP) projects in Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya.

“My paintings are a platform to share my journey with the world,” said Reggie Khumalo. “Through my work, I want to show the world a hard- working people, that try everything in their power to provide for their families but are heavily affected by climate change and the world disconnect with mother earth.”

Reggie has worked and travelled across the African continent to bring back the spirit of UBUNTU (I am because you are) by helping vulnerable people from disadvantaged communities. Reggie's work focuses on self- empowerment and how individuals have the power to make a change and empower their communities.

“We are excited to follow Reggie’s travels in Africa over the next month as he supports global and local efforts by mobilising much needed attention to the challenges faced on the continent,” said WFP Menghestab Haile, WFP Regional Director, southern Africa.

A passionate advocate and generous supporter of humanitarian causes throughout his career, Reggie has had solo exhibitions in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Nairobi, Addis Ababa, Zanzibar, Berlin, Paris and Lagos.

Following a trip with WFP to Mozambique in 2020, Reggie was inspired to paint ‘The Last African Supper’ which will be exhibited in New York this month.

Advocating for WFP and the people we serve, Reggie will create a body of work on his adventure to exhibit in museums around Europe. In his role as WFP High Level Supporter, Reggie Khumalo helps raise awareness for millions of people going to bed hungry every night and engages his supporters, through his art, in advocacy for a Zero Hunger world.

The world is facing unprecedented needs this year, as conflict and climate shocks compounded by COVID-19 and rising costs drive millions of people closer to starvation - threatening to increase migration and instability globally. With the numbers of hungry rising considerably after the conflict in Ukraine, WFP is calling for a step-change in global support for its operations.

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The United Nations World Food Programme is the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.  We are the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

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Contact

For more information please contact (email address: firstname.lastname@wfp.org):

Claudia Altorio, WFP Johannesburg Tel. +27 82 908 1448