In the Rheinaue More than 2,000 take part in “Zero Hunger Run”
Bonn · More than 2,000 participants ran to fight against hunger on Sunday, raising money for the cause. It was the "Zero Hunger Run" in the Rheinaue in Bonn, and Mayor Ashok Sridharan also took part.
Climate and hunger are inextricably linked. "The Western world has so much money that we can simply make the seawalls higher," said Mathias Mogge, General Secretary of Welthungerhilfe, a German NGO working to fight poverty and hunger. The comment was made on Sunday at the fourth “Zero Hunger Run” in the Rheinaue. In some regions of Africa and Central Asia, such a possibility does not exist, and the people there are left helpless at the mercy of storm surges and droughts. He was very pleased that 2,140 people from Bonn and the surrounding area were willing to work together to fight hunger.
They started in three heats in front of the Japanese Garden: First, children up to age seven covered a 400 meter distance, then many participants competed in the 5-kilometer run, followed at noon by the 10-kilometer run. They were inspired by a few celebrities: Mayor Ashok Sridharan, comedian Knacki Deuser, actress Liz Baffoe and racing cyclist Mieke Kröger ran along, and actress Gesine Cukrowski, a member of the board of trustees of Welthungerhilfe, gave the starting signal for the races. This year, around 50,000 euros were collected, almost 10,000 euros more than last year.
The participation fees and donations as well as the proceeds from franchise sales flow directly into the work of Welthungerhilfe, which has set itself the goal of eradicating hunger in the world by 2030. In absolute figures, this sustainability goal has experienced a step backwards since 2015, said Mogge: the number of people suffering from hunger has risen again as a result of political crises and climate catastrophes. But one does not give up hope.
(Orig. text: Stefan knopp; Translation: ck)
