WFP Children’s Design Competition 2016

Zero Hunger: The future is in our hands

The World Food Programme (WFP) provides school meals to more than 16.9 million children in 62 countries, while providing technical assistance in another ten countries. Whether it’s a cooked meal, a snack or take-home rations to share, this food gives the most vulnerable households an incentive to send boys and girls to school and pursue their education so that one day they may break the cycle of hunger and poverty.

One example is Nasif, 12, of the Philippines, who created the drawing above and says he would like to become an architect. His drawing depicts people of different races across the world uniting through love, peace, joy, faith, and hope for a better future for all.

Photos:

1. Nourishing school meals in Nippes in Haiti can include fresh produce.
2. In Lebanon, WFP’s school meals programme supports 10,000 Lebanese and Syrian children in public primary schools.
3. In Juba, in South Sudan a meal at school helps students concentrate on their work.
4. School meals in Colombia help boys and girls learn and grow.
5. School meals in Mozambique

IMAGINING A WORLD OF PLENTY, A WORLD WITHOUT HUNGER

Each year, WFP invites children from around the world who benefit from our school meals programmes to participate in the annual Children’s Design Competition. Children from 14 countries took part in this year’s contest, with 70 designs chosen as finalists. With the theme Zero Hunger: The Future is in Our Hands, these young artists used their imaginations to create a future for all to enjoy.

Students in Cambodia (L) create their vision of a Zero Hunger world.

The competition is intense in the Philippines.

Vivid colours are part of the beauty of the competition.

WORLDS FILLED WITH SUNSHINE AND SHARING

Limited only by their imaginations, these young students share their dreams of a world where food is plentiful, shared, and enjoyed — along with the clean water, green grass and shady trees that should be the right of every child.

Photos:

1. Students and teachers take great pride in their art.
2. The early stages of what will become the drawing by Nasif highlighted at the top of this page.
3. Children from all over the world participate in showing their dreams for the future.
4. These girls in Cambodia can show us a world with enough food for all.

ONE OF THE HARDEST TASKS: JUDGING THE ART

WFP staff in participating country offices and in headquarters in Rome struggled to make their final 20 selections from an array of colourful works — many of which will continue to live as art that decorates WFP merchandise.

Photos:

1. The imaginations of students fed on school meals were remarkably vivid.
2. Judges in the Philippines country office help to select entries from their region.
3. Judges were deeply impressed by the quality of the work.
4. The theme of Zero Hunger is top of mind for judges.
5. Parents help to cook some school meals in the Philippines, where this WFP staff member struggles to select finalists.

THE WINNERS

The 20 winners from this 2016 competition will each receive a cash prize from WFP and each of their schools also receives a cash prize to spend on supplies. The winning designs will be reproduced on WFP merchandise including calendars, greeting cards, desk diaries and coffee mugs.

It’s a great honour for the students including Katherin, 9 from Cuba whose design is featured below. Katherin says she would like to share her school meals with poor children and dreams of a world where children do not go hungry.

Photos:

1. Katherin, 9 from Cuba says she would like to share her school meal with poor children.
2. Happiness is a school meal and a chance to draw and colour.
3. Aya, 11, from Syria says that during the current crisis in her country, children have lost their rights to education.
4. Emmanus, 14, from Haiti loves studying and would like to become an agronomist.
5. Nurseyit, 10, of Kyrgyzstan dreams of travelling to foreign countries.
6. The world and the future through a child’s eyes.
7. Āngel, 11, is from Honduras and has six brothers. He likes to draw, does not like to fight, and wants to be a lawyer.
8. Harutyun, 8. is a Grade Three student in Armenia who loves to draw.
9. Children who come to school without eating breakfast could faint, says Kaliston, 13, from Sri Lanka.

All photos and artwork are © WFP