Sir Mo Farah becomes patron for Save the Children malnutrition initiative

Sir Mo Farah has been announced as patron of a new initiative from Save the Children which will pilot innovative approaches in tackling malnutrition.

The Olympian has been an ambassador for the organisation since 2017, when he donated £100,000 from the Mo Farah Foundation while leading a fundraising campaign for its East Africa Appeal.

Money raised from the appeal delivered life-saving aid to malnourished children and families caught in the severe drought in the Horn of Africa, the charity said.

In response to another severe drought in the region, Save the Children has launched the Global Malnutrition Initiative.

It will pilot new approaches to tackling malnutrition in fragile and conflict-affected states, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Yemen and Somalia, where Sir Mo was born.

As a father of four, it’s hard to see the situation facing children in many parts of the world, especially Somalia, where I was born, he said.

“I’m really looking forward to helping Save the Children raise awareness of their initiative and crucially secure much-needed funds to deliver their life-saving work.”

Sir Mo will travel to Kenya later this year with a team from the charity.

Gemma Sherrington, executive director of fundraising and marketing at Save the Children, said: “We’ll be taking healthcare directly into the community by training up community health volunteers and equipping them with easy-to-use tool kits.

“We’ll also increase long-term funding so that we’re not just responding in emergencies but also helping communities to reduce malnutrition in the first place.

“Save the Children is incredibly grateful to Sir Mo Farah for continuing to support Save the Children to stand side by side with children, helping them to survive and thrive so they can go on to build a better future.”

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