Global perspective Human stories

UN partners with Groupon to support nutrition for mothers and children in Asia

Photo: WFP
WFP
Photo: WFP

UN partners with Groupon to support nutrition for mothers and children in Asia

On the eve of this year’s International Women’s Day, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has partnered with Groupon Malaysia to raise awareness and support for nutrition activities that benefit mothers and children in Asia.

The ‘Groupon for Women’ initiative for WFP’s Mothers-to-Mothers campaign will be available for five days beginning on 8 March, which is observed annually as International Women’s Day.

Each deal sold helps provide a vital nutritious meal, making a difference for a pregnant or new mother and her child. The full proceeds of each ‘Groupon for Women’ will go to WFP’s nutrition activities in 14 countries in the region.

“By empowering women with food and nutrition, we can fight hunger in the first 1,000 days of an infant’s life. We are grateful to Groupon Malaysia for providing an e-commerce platform for Malaysian women to support women in need,” said Monica Marshall, Deputy Director of Private Partnerships for WFP.

“For many mothers and their children across Asia, the nutritious food that they receive from WFP could be the only proper meal they will eat all day,” she added.

Providing nutritious meals for children and mothers is critical, says WFP, noting that malnourished mothers often give birth to underweight babies, who are 20 per cent more likely to die before the age of five.

Groupon Malaysia and WFP aim to sell at least 3,000 deals, which would provide nutrition meals for over 1,300 pregnant and nursing mothers and children aged six to 23 months in Asia.

The Chief Executive Officer of Groupon Malaysia, Joel Neoh, said his company is proud to be part of this worthy cause. “Our commitment in providing our subscribers with the best life experiences goes beyond simply providing outstanding deals daily, but also allowing them to make a difference in the lives of others.

“With the ‘Groupon for Women’ deal, we certainly hope to empower the community here in Malaysia to support women and invest in Asia’s future.”