Soccer champion Buffon is new WFP ambassador, a new effort against world hunger

TURIN, OCTOBER 7TH- Gianluigi Buffon has joined the fight against hunger by becoming Goodwill ambassador of WFP, the UN’s global food programme.

Juventus goalie and 2006 world champion with the Italian national team, Buffon will be nominated Goodwill Ambassador during an event to be held next Wednesday in Turin. The WFP is the main humanitarian organization and agency of the United Nations who seeks to save and change lives by providing food to over 90 million people hit by conflict and natural disasters.

This is not the first time that Buffon engages himself with humanitarian efforts. In May 2017 he participated -as a “trading card”- to the charity initiative promoted by Unicef and Panini. With the aim of “allowing kids to keep dreaming”, Unicef, Panini, and the world of football organized a figurines auction to help support the young unaccompanied migrant children that arrive to Italy by sea. For the auction, Panini donated to the UN Fund 100 copies of an exclusive figurine set for collectors, called ‘Calciatori 2016-2017’. In this occasion, Buffon partnered up with Totti and Candreva, Immobile and Insigne, and other colleagues.

A few years before Buffon had participated in the Italian Ngo LVIA’s initiative to support fundraising efforts for curing malnourished kids in Burkina Faso. “I’m also a father and I also would like for all children to get the opportunity to grow up”, explained the goalie: “Juvenile malnutrition in Burkina Faso causes permanent damages and in many cases can lead to death. For this reason I have decided to support LVIA, which for years has worked to save the lives of thousands of children”. (SB@OnuItalia)