My name is Pietro Michelutti, I am 10 years-old and I am in Year 7. By the time I will finish this short speech approximately 12 more people will have died of hunger. I want to stop this.
I am Christian and at home we pray every night and thank God for having provided us with food. However, I only recently realized how truly thankful I am for such blessing. What made me click was hearing from my mom about the situation in South Madagascar, where there had been a 3 year drought resulting in a food crisis where residents now have to eat dirt and roots so to calm their painful hunger. Seeing this so tangibly and concretely, made me realize that we shouldn’t take food for granted.
Many organizations are trying to stop or decrease the number of starvation deaths, but the critical question to me was: how could “I" could help avoid this to happen?
The United Nations World Food Program is one of many organizations fighting starvation. They have in place the so called World Food Program which is servicing 83 countries in South America, Africa and Asia, including here in China.
They also have an emergency relief Taskforce, in charge to provide emergency food assistance to areas that may have been struck by natural disasters as tsunamis or earthquakes and houses and crops have been destroyed. They reach these disaster areas transporting food by truck, boat, plane, or helicopter. Their logistics in place are unbelievable.
I felt relieved getting to know how much this organization is doing. I also learnt that 80¢ of a US dollar is enough to feed a child for a day. Let me say that again: 80¢ of a US dollar is enough to feed a child for a day.
I quickly did the math that a drink or a piece of cake at the cafeteria could feed at least 3 people a day! So I started to feel enthusiastic and hopeful, as I became to realize that the decisions I make daily on how to spend the money I get from my parents, could actually save lives!
There is an app called ShareTheMeal, through which anyone of us can donate as little as 80 cents or as much anyone can offer . With only one click you can share your meal and help someone in need of food. The app was deservedly voted best app of 2020 by Google Play Store.
I am about to finish my speech and around 12 more people have died of hunger. Please join me to try and stop this, download the app “share the meal”and start thinking twice before making unnecessary purchases, knowing that this individual decision you make, could save lives.
Thank you.