KATHMANDU – Fourteen-year-old Dhan Bahadur Bohara of Bajhang district of Nepal has been named as one of the winners in a global children's design competition, organised by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP).
The winning drawing depicts a world inside of a tree with people, crops and fruit. Ten drawings from Nepal were originally submitted to the competition judges at WFP’s headquarters in Rome, Italy. It was one of 16 finalists selected from a short-list of 135 drawings by primary school children in 27 different countries. The theme of the competition was “Zero Hunger: A World without Hunger”.
Today at the Department of Education in Kathmandu, Bohara was presented with his prize: US$100 for himself, and US$200 for his school to purchase stationery and art materials. Bohara loves studying, dance and drawing and wants to be a teacher when he grows up.
All the students who took part in the art competition are attending schools where WFP runs school meals programmes. Students receive meals, snacks and/or take-home rations to boost their energy and micronutrient intake, and to keep them in school. In 2013, WFP Nepal worked in 1,635 primary and 1,123 pre-primary schools, providing mid-day meals to around 14,000 children.
Every year WFP feeds around 20 million children in school meals programmes. In 2013, WFP 19.8 million children in 63 countries received food in school. Supporting education plays a significant role in breaking the cycle of hunger, and WFP strives to reach the poorest and most vulnerable children.
“These children are our future. It’s important to invest in them,” said Nicole Menage, WFP Country Director for Nepal, as she co-hosted today’s ceremony along with Dr. Lavadev Awasthi, Director General from the Department of Education, Nepal.
“All of us at WFP congratulate these young artists for creating such unique and inspiring works,” said Menage.
The designs from the competition will be incorporated into calendars for global distribution to raise awareness of about WFP’s work.
WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide, delivering food in emergencies and working with communities to build resilience. In 2013, WFP assisted more than 80 million people in 75 countries.
Visit our website: http://www.wfp.org/countries/nepal
For more information please contact:
Sakun Gajurel, WFP/Nepal, Tel: +977 1 526 0607 (2431)
sakun.gajurel@wfp.org