#worldfoodprogramusa

San Francisco, California (March 29, 2017) — Today I’m honored to announce that I’ve joined World Food Program USA as a Zero Hunger Ambassador in the fight against global hunger.

Throughout my career as a professional athlete and World Champion swimmer, good nutrition has fueled my performance and success. Healthy eating has helped me break world records and win gold medals. But for millions of people across the globe, nourishing food remains out of reach. Even though there is enough food to feed everyone, one in nine people on the planet tonight will go to bed hungry.

This is a truly maddening paradox because it’s within our power to solve hunger. That’s why I’m so thrilled to join World Food Program USA and use my voice for such a lifesaving organization.

This week I will travel to Uganda to meet people who are working to overcome hunger and malnutrition in their own communities. I’ll be talking with refugees fleeing South Sudan from famine and political conflict, and small-scale farmers who are tackling food waste in their own backyards. I’m especially excited about meeting students who rely on school meals from WFP. It’s nearly impossible to stay focused and learn on an empty stomach, but far too many kids around the world do. 

When I first learned about WFP and its impact across the planet, my first thought was, how did I not know about this organization? While I still have much to learn, I’m excited to share my experience in the field seeing their work firsthand.  I want more people in the U.S. to know that we all have a role to play in solving hunger.

I hope you’ll join me on my journey through Uganda with World Food Program USA this week on Twitter and Instagram.

For more information and media interviews, contact:

Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars have risen like a phoenix out of the ashes of war and enflamed the passions of fans across the globe with their uplifting songs of hope, faith and joy. The band is a potent example of the redeeming power of music and the ability of the human spirit to persevere through unimaginable hardship and emerge with optimism intact. From their humble beginnings in West African refugee camps Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars have performed on some of the world’s most prestigious stages and matured into one of Africa’s top touring and recording bands.

-From their official site 

The World Food Program USA and Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars have joined forces to bring attention to the urgent issue of global hunger. The music video "Big Fat Dog" was filmed in Freetown, Sierra Leone and addresses an issue that's all too familiar to Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars: the divide between those who have plenty and those who have little. Formed in refugee camps in Guinea during the brutal civil war in Sierra Leone, Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars have always sought to bring attention to important social and political issues in Africa and beyond. The fight against hunger in Sierra Leone is something the band members have experienced firsthand, and it continues to be a major issue at home and across the continent. In an effort to raise awareness of urgent issues of hunger in Africa and beyond The All Stars have teamed up with World Food Program USA, a nonprofit organization that builds support in the United States to end global hunger. WFP USA engages individuals and organizations, shapes public policy and generates resources for the United Nations World Food Program and other hunger relief operations. For the third time in a decade, drought in the Sahel region of Africa is threatening millions of people with hunger. Meanwhile, conflict in Mali has forced at least 300,000 people to flee their homes, adding to the hunger crisis both in Mali and neighboring countries. The UN World Food Program (WFP) and its partners have launched a regional response to bring food assistance to more than 9 million people in eight countries. Read more about the Sahel crisis here:http://www.wfp.org/stories/sahel-crisis-by-country Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars and their record label Cumbancha will be donating the revenue generated by the advertising placed on this video and the sale of the "Big Fat Dog" video on iTunes to World Food Program USA.  Join the fight against global hunger and support World Food Program USA. Text AID to 27722* to make a $10 donation today! * $10.00 donation to WFP USA. Charges will appear on your wireless bill, or be deducted from your prepaid balance. All purchases must be authorized by account holder. Must be 18 years of age or have parental permission to participate. Message and Data Rates May Apply. Text STOP to 27722 to STOP. Text HELP to 27722 for HELP.  Full Terms: www.mGive.org/T Privacy Policy - http://www.mgivefoundation.org/privacy.aspx

-From the Youtube page description