Video: Kraft Foods And Save The Children Team Up To Fight Malnutrition In Indonesia And Philippines

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8th April 2009, 11:13am - Views: 662





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Video: Kraft Foods and Save the Children Team Up to Fight Malnutrition in Indonesia and Philippines in

Commemoration of World Health Day




NORTHFIELD, Illinois, Apr. 8 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ --


   US$3 Million Commitment to Feed and Educate 180,000 Impoverished Families 

               Represents Company's Largest Donation in Asia


    Recognizing World Health Day, Kraft Foods (NYSE: KFT) and Save the Children today announced a partnership

to help Filipino and Indonesian families suffering from malnutrition. The three-year, US$3 million commitment from

the Kraft Foods Foundation will support community-based meal distribution and improve nutrition education. The

program will reach more than 180,000 children and families in geographies where the prevalence of malnutrition

has been made even more acute by the global hunger crisis.


    To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: 



    The donation is the largest community investment ever made by the company and its foundation in Asia. It is the

next ingredient in a three-year, $180 million commitment by the company and its foundation to make a delicious

difference in the world by fighting hunger and supporting healthy lifestyles.


    "It is critical that families and communities have the tools to prepare for and respond to the child hunger crisis,"

said Charles MacCormack, President and CEO, Save the Children. "Investment in long-term interventions will play

a key role in preventing and mitigating food shortages. We know that protecting vulnerable children requires a

comprehensive effort — one that includes the public, private and humanitarian sectors — to address the complex

issues of hunger and poverty. Kraft Foods' support of Save the Children's work in Indonesia and the Philippines will

reach thousands of children who are living on the edge of survival and give them an opportunity to thrive."


    "As the second largest food company in the world, it is important for us to be part of the solution," said Sanjay

Khosla, Executive Vice President and President, International, Kraft Foods. "For decades, Kraft Foods has been at

the forefront of fighting hunger — from our community outreach to our affordable nutrition offerings. In partnership

with Save the Children, we're stepping up our efforts to fight malnutrition, which plagues the lives of children in

Indonesia and the Philippines everyday."


    Malnutrition threatens the health and well-being, and ultimately the future, of Indonesian and Filipino children. In

Indonesia, national data indicate 18 percent of children under five years old are underweight for their age. And, the

stunting rate in children is 37 percent — an indicator of chronic undernourishment. The Philippines similarly

struggles with malnutrition. Protein-energy malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies remain the leading nutritional

problems in the Philippines. Every day, 2.9 million Filipino families face hunger according to a national study,

leaving 20 percent of children under five years old and 25 percent of all schoolchildren underweight. Intensifying

the issue is the poignant reality that one-third of the Filipino population lives in poverty.


    In Indonesia, funds will help improve feeding practices, health education and early childhood development

services. Interactive feeding sessions and cooking demonstrations will teach families how to make healthy,

affordable choices and improve their feeding practices and care for young children. In addition, programs will

enhance children's early cognitive and social development to improve their nutrition, health and education status.


    In the Philippines, the program will provide nutritious meals and vitamin supplements to children and supply

educational materials on children's health, nutrition, sanitation and hygiene. It also will educate volunteer health

workers on recognizing malnutrition and referring affected children for treatment. Kraft Foods volunteers will assist

with menu and food preparation, in-school feeding, take-home ration distributions and community garden planting.


Community Charity Kraft Foods And Save The Children 2 image

    Kraft Foods' Support of Food Security

    Kraft Foods works everyday to make a delicious difference in communities worldwide. The company, along with

the Kraft Foods Foundation, is addressing food insecurity to affect lasting change, while supporting immediate

needs. Through a three-pronged approach, the company is being part of the solution.


    First, the company meets immediate needs through financial aid and food donations. Since 1997, Kraft Foods

has provided more than 1 billion servings of fresh food worldwide. And, in the last five years alone, the company

donated $100 million in cash and $300 million in food.


    Second, Kraft Foods makes products that provide affordable nutrition, such as Tang fortified beverages in Asia

Pacific and Latin America, Eden cheese in the Philippines, Biskuat biscuits in South East Asia and Jia Gai biscuits

in China. Providing accessible nutrition is an important part of the company's strategy.


    Last, through sustainable agriculture, the company is helping deliver social, environmental and economic

benefits. Through a partnership with the Rainforest Alliance, the company has helped 200,000 coffee farmers.

Building on these efforts, a new partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will ultimately help an

estimated 1.6 million cocoa and cashew farmers in Africa.


    Editor's note:

    Broadcast quality b-roll is available from Kraft Foods upon request.


    ABOUT SAVE THE CHILDREN

    Save the Children is the leading, independent organization creating lasting change for children in need in the

United States and around the world. For more than 75 years, Save the Children has been helping children survive

and thrive by improving their health, education and economic opportunities and, in times of acute crisis, mobilizing

lifesaving assistance to help children recover from the effects of war, conflict and natural disasters. For more

information, visit: www.savethechildren.org.


    ABOUT KRAFT FOODS

    Kraft Foods (http://www.kraftfoodscompany.com) makes today delicious in 150 countries around the globe. Our

100,000 Kraft Foodies work tirelessly to make delicious foods consumers can feel good about. From American

brand icons like Kraft cheeses, dinners and dressings, Maxwell House coffees and Oscar Mayer meats, to global

powerhouse brands like Oreo and LU biscuits, Philadelphia cream cheeses, Jacobs and Carte Noire coffees, Tang

powdered beverages and Milka, Cote d'Or, Lacta and Toblerone chocolates, our brands deliver millions of smiles a

day. Kraft Foods (NYSE: KFT) is the world's second largest food company with annual revenues of $42 billion. The

company is a member of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Standard & Poor's 500, the Dow Jones Sustainability

Index and Ethibel Sustainability Index.


  SOURCE: Kraft Foods and Save the Children


CONTACT: Lisa Gibbons, Kraft Foods, +1-847-646-4538, news@kraft.com; or             Wendy Christian, Save the

Children, +1-203-221-3767,

          wchristian@savechildren.org

   


         (KFT)



Translations:

   Chinese - Traditional (http://asianetnews.net/Download.asp?ID=122758)





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