CAIRO: In a luxurious room lit gracefully and furnished with glitzy decor, men in suits stood proudly to receive certificates praising their generosity. Taking place at the Four Seasons Hotel, the reception was held to mark an important stage for Egypt in the Telefood campaign. The campaign, which will continue until October 2008, takes philanthropy to a new level. It not only seeks to raise awareness of the problems of hunger and malnutrition worldwide, but has also raised funds for small-scale rural projects. Harnessing the wealth of those generous enough to give, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) set about allocating these funds to those most in need. However, the campaign is not about mere donations, but concentrates more on providing the means for the poorest to sustain themselves. Throughout the world, the FAO implemented 1,250 small-scale fighting hunger Telefood projects and 30 of these were undertaken in Egypt. The LE 1 million that was donated by individuals such as Ahmad Mohamed Bali' and Yassin Ibrahim Mansour will go towards the building of fish and rabbit farms, bee hives and sheep and goat breeding. Poverty-stricken families will also be given the funds to set up as well learn the techniques of roof gardening, an innovative solution to agriculture in an overcrowded city such as Cairo. These grass-root level micro projects aim to instill new life in local communities. Wael Abdessalam, who lives in El-Hamidiyah El-Gadidaa in Fayoum, got involved in the Telefood rabbit raising project a year and a half ago. Now, his family sees an improvement in both their income and their diets. With the help of the FAO vets, Wael's family-run a successful business, giving Wael the chance to pay for his own school fees. Minister of Agriculture Amin Abaza explained that the campaign "is striving to reduce the number of starving people in the world. "The unfair distribution of the world's wealth means that we face constant challenges, as the number of starving people, despite all efforts, continues to rise, he added. The Telefood campaign was given nominal blessing by First Lady Susan Mubarak. But the awareness campaign is not over yet. Events such as a 10-day long festival will be organized to promote the efforts, and encourage generosity among potential philanthropists.
