News Release
Magee Academic Fasts For Africa
6th December 2005
Magee academic Mary Delargy, is one of a growing number of staff backing the University of Ulster Catering Department’s ongoing campaign to fight malnutrition in Africa.
Mary, who works in the Academy for Irish Cultural Heritages, has decided to go 24 hours without food tomorrow (Wednesday December 7). She hopes that colleagues at the university will either join her fast or sponsor her to raise money for Concern.
Earlier this year, the UU Catering Department embarked on a major campaign to raise funds to improve the method of diagnosing malnutrition in children under the age of 12 and at the same time to raise staff and students’ awareness of the poverty and illness faced by thousands of families.
Concern – one of the leading Third World charities - has introduced special paper colour coded MUAC (Mid Upper Arm Circumference) bands to help determine the severity of a child’s malnutrition and decide which children are eligible for feeding programmes.
The MUAC bands have been strategically placed around the university to prick the collective conscience. It was the sight of the small paper bands which prompted Mary – and hopefully other university staff – to commit to the 24 hour fast.
“The bands are a reality check for people like myself who are fortunate to have a healthy child. Like many other people, I was really moved and decided to try and do something to help raise some money for Concern,” she said.
Every hour of every day approximately 1000 children die from hunger or hunger related diseases. In some African countries, even in what is euphemistically called a ‘good’ year, one in four children will die before their fifth birthday and half the children under five years of age are malnourished.
If you’d like to join Mary in her 24 hour fast next week, she can be contacted at 02871375398.
For further information, please contact:
David Young
Telephone: 028 90366074
Email: David Young
