Through this appointment, WFP aims to raise awareness of the issues of healthy eating, school meals and ways of preventing malnutrition among young people.
At 34 years old, Distel Zola has played for AS Monaco as a teenager and his career then took him to France, Turkiye and the United States and represented the DRC's national team, "The Leopards" at the international level.
"I have long championed the need for young people to choose healthy food, I have seen first-hand how school meals benefit children and their families. As a father myself, I know how important a nutritious diet is for our children to learn and stay fit. I am delighted to be working with WFP in the DRC and hope I can make a difference," says Distel Zola.
In 2021 Zola and his wife, Lorraine Lemaire launched Banazola, a foundation aimed at giving Congolese children from deprived backgrounds a better future. He and Lorraine have three children and divide their time between the DRC and France. Distel still plays for the Barbagiuans, a charitable team owned by Prince Albert of Monaco.
"I have long championed the need for young people to choose healthy food, I have seen first-hand how school meals benefit children and their families. As a father myself, I know how important a nutritious diet is for our children to learn and stay fit. I am delighted to be working with WFP in the DRC and hope I can make a difference" Distel said on his appointment.
"We are thrilled to sign Distel Zola, and I am excited to see how we can bring young people together in the DRC," says Peter Musoko WFP's Country Director in the DRC. "We need to spread the word that healthy food means a healthy life."
Approximately 2.8 million children and another 1.7 million pregnant and breastfeeding women and girls suffer from acute malnutrition in 2022.WFP plans to reach 500,000 students with school meals in 2023. While the number of people facing food insecurity across the country remains critical and WFP continues to face funding shortages and needs budget US$ 285 million to meet the increasing humanitarian demands over the next six months.
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