Cheers to Friendship! Meet Five Sets of Companions Making the Best out of Life
“Our world faces many challenges, crises and forces of division — such as poverty, violence, and human rights abuses — among many others — that undermine peace, security, development and social harmony among the world’s peoples. To confront those crises and challenges, their root causes must be addressed by promoting and defending a shared spirit of human solidarity that takes many forms — the simplest of which is friendship.” – The United Nations General Assembly, 2011
The spirit of camaraderie underlies all of our work at the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). We work hand-in-hand with local businesses, nonprofits and governments all over the world to feed the most vulnerable people. In our nearly 60-year history, we’ve come across a lot of inspiring friendships, and we’re honored to support them with our work.
In honor of International Day of Friendship, here are five of our most memorable:
Hateem and Amal
Hateem (left) and Amal (right) both dream of becoming doctors when they grow up. They have often been seen walking hand-in-hand around school, laughing and sharing snacks together.
In Yemen, we support over 2 million schoolchildren with snacks like to boost nutrition and empower girls like Hateem and Amal to dream of bright, healthy futures.
Adham and Ali
400 miles away at the at Foqom school in Yemen, Adham and Ali share a laugh together after hiding their High Energy Biscuits (HEBs) in their pockets. The biscuits are specially formulated to provide children with the extra nutrition they need to grow and learn.
Thanks to HEBs, kids like Adham and Ali have the energy to run circles around the school courtyard and stay focused in the classroom.
Nafissatou and Her Friends
In Mali, one in eight school-aged children do not attend school. That’s why we support the government’s school meals program, to incentivize attendance and keep young girls like Nafissatou in the classroom.
Nafissatou (right) is 11 years old and goes to the Amadou Diallo Guetema school. After she and her classmates eat lunch, they gather in the courtyard to play games.
Reema and Tasheen
When we first met Reema (left) and Tasheen (right), they were often seen just like this – about to share a secret. They loved their school and received a meal every day thanks to our school feeding program.
Nutrition affects children’s physical health, but also their psychosocial and emotional development: the qualities that help them form the bonds of friendship.
The Dream Team
From left to right, Anyama, Pio, Willam and Bullen formed a bond while clearing, weeding and planting together.
We make plenty of friends through our Food For Assets programs around the world: They provide lifesaving food in exchange for people’s work on community infrastructure like roads, dams and irrigation systems.
This dream team got to know each other in South Sudan while working together to clear a crop field, weed and plant vegetables, and distribute cash to community members. William, one of our Program Officers, worked with Bullen and Anyama of Action Africa Help to help Pio and his community get it all done.
This is how we get to know our local partners and the people we serve.
We know firsthand what people, organizations, governments and countries can achieve through friendships and trusted partnership. Donate today to help us bolster these relationships and get lifesaving help to our friends around the world.
