Niger - Donate to World Food Programme: Easy as sending an SMS

I just sent an SMS that donates 100% of my contribution to the WFP. Here's just about all the info you need to donate directly to the World Food Programme.  Niger is one of the world's regions we know is most in need right this moment of immediate financial aid to provide food -- that plus some serious-as-a-heart-attack guards to stop those men in refugee & feeding camps who beat and bully women and children in order to grab emergency food supplies. I think direct grassroots contributions like this are faster and more reliable than the endless cycle of fighting, convincing, and/or working with our governments to share resources with starving people. We need to do both, but people - especially infants, children, nursing mothers and the elderly - need to eat at least one decent portion of food every day. The WFP is based at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization - known as "the F-A-O" or "faow" - in Rome, Italia. This info is right here on the WFP website: "The fastest way to help WFP's fight against hunger is an online donation by credit card. You can also donate in the following ways. Please note that, for now, only contributions by US taxpayers are tax-deductible. CHEQUES AND POSTAL ORDERS - ... are welcome in any major currency and should be made out to the World Food Programme. Please send with the printed version of the coupon available online by clicking here [the 'click here' only works directly from the WFP website. The info given & requested is: "I would like to give to WFP operations in (fill in the blank). NAME: ... ADDRESS: ... City: ... Country: ... Postal Code: ... - [WFP] Resources and Mobilization Service: TEL: +39 06 6513 2411 FAX: +39 06 6513 2810 or +39 06 6513 2071; [email protected] "] "or include a piece of paper with the same information. Depending on where you live, the cheque and coupon should be sent to:

United States US Friends of the WFP PO Box 11856 Washington , D.C. 20008 Japan Japan Association of WFP Minatomirai 1-1-1, Nishi-ku Yokohama 220-0012 Japan Rest of the world Director, FDP Resources Division WFP - Via Cesare Giulio Viola, 68/70 00148 Rome - Italy

BANK/POSTAL TRANSFER

WFP has accounts in three countries – depending on where you live, please use one of the following options for national/international transfers.

United States Bank/Stock Transfers For transfers, either send an e-mail to [email protected] or call +1 202 530 1694 Japan Bank Transfers For transfers, call +81 45 2212510 Italy and Rest of the World : Bank/Stock Transfers For transfers, either send an e-mail to resources at wfp.org or call +39 06 6513 2316 Note: we would very much like to thank you for your donations, so please send an e-mail to resources @ wfp dot org with the donation amount and your current contact information (name, address, e-mail address). Alternatively you can send a letter to the Italy address in the option above.

OTHER WAYS TO DONATE

SMS: in selected countries, you can also donate by SMS. This list is constantly growing so please check back regularly to see new countries have been added. And spread the word!

Australia: text the word DONATE to 19932222. You will receive a confirmation message and your mobile will be charged AU$5.00 South Africa : text the word DONATE to 31009. You will receive a confirmation message and your mobile will be charged R5 UK: text the word DONATE to 81333 - You will receive a confirmation message and your mobile will be charged £1.50 United States: text the word DONATE to 33133 - You will receive a confirmation message and your mobile will be charged US$1.99

Free-dial Japan number : please use our free dial number 0120-496-810

For more information: please contact one of the following depending on where you live:

United States
info -at- friendsofwfp.org
Tel: +1 202 530 1694
Fax: +1 202 530 1698
www.friendsofwfp.org

Japan
Tel: +81 45 2212510
Fax: +81 45 2212511
www.jawfp.org

Italy
resources -at- wfp.org
Tel: +39 06 6513 2316
Fax: +39 06 6513 2810
http://www.wfp.org/

Comments

[Marian]

Dear Nina Hagman: Thank you for the reference and for your concern. I think the answer is to make the contribution because much of it actually does reach desperate children, women and men and saves lives. There also is corruption plus culture that irrationally gives power & authority - even over emergency food supplies - to the undeserving. We need greater citizen involvement in our own countries - to follow up on where donations go, who manages them, and what happens when corruption occurs. We have to demand oversight from our national politicians along with international organisations and voluntary aid groups. Tausand tak.

[Nina Hagman]

About Niger, I just wish I could believe that the help really get through. After reading an article in one of Sweden's biggest newspaper I'm doubtful: (http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/nyheter/story/0,2789,685049,00.html)

"Hos en av affärsmännen fann vi en stor hög 50-kilossäckar med vita
bönor. Säckarna kom från FN-organet WFP, World Food Programme, och det
stod på dem att de var en gåva från Finland. Affärsmannen sålde
säckarna för 20000 CFA styck, knappt 300 kronor."

in English:
"One of the businessmen had big pile of 50 kilo sacks of white beans.
The sacks came from the UN-organization WFP, World Food Programme, and
it was written om them that it was a gift from Finland. The
businessman sold the sacks for 20000 CFA each, about 300 swedish
krones."