Helping hand: Angela Hartnett and Nieves Barragan were among those taking the trek
(Picture: Ellie Suttle/Action Against Hunger UK)Some of the country’s top chefs have raised nearly £200,000 for Action Against Hunger, after completing a pair of four-day treks to Machu Picchu known as the Ambassador’s Challenge.
Angela Hartnett, Tik Tok star chef Poppy O’Toole and the Pem’s Sally Abe were among the 30 chefs those who headed on the treks, which mirrored each other but completed at different points during September, with 15 chefs apiece. The journeys were in aid of Action Against Hunger’s work trying to combat global hunger. The treks — which took four days, covered 45 kilometres and rose 4600 metres above sea-level — also saw Nieves Barragan, Pascal Aussignac and Candice Brown take part.
The charity says the funds raised are needed at a desperate time, with nearly 50 million people across East Africa being “pushed towards starvation.” Food is particularly short this year owing to failed harvests and illnesses that have decimated livestock levels, but the charity says the money raised will have a substantial impact, given just £1 each day can help feed a malnourished child. Last year, Action Against Hunger supported some 26 million people in 51 different countries. The Ambassador’s Challenge, which began in 2014, has raised more than £1million to date, including this year’s funds.
“To see first-hand the work that Action Against Hunger do whilst in Peru was one of the most humbling and emotional experiences of my life,” said Candice Brown of the experience. “We so often raise money or donate funds to causes but don’t get to see and meet the people that are being affected and supported by the money raised. It made everything very real, bought it close to home and gave me personally even more reason to get my arse across Peru each day.
“No one should have to go hungry, or make life or death decisions because basic needs cannot be met. The work that action against hunger does is crucial and life-saving and by supporting and raising vital funds we can be part of eradicating world hunger.”
O’Toole added: “The hardest — but also best — part of the trek was getting to meet the families and individuals that Action Against Hunger support. It’s easy to be quite oblivious to the fact that people are experiencing hunger in the world, so it was a sobering reality. But it actually made me more determined to complete the trek and raise as many donations as I can.”
As part of the trek, the group visited the charity projects set up by Action Against Hunger, which included seeing an urban shelter for Venezuelan migrants, particularly women and children forced to flee conflict in their home country, as well as centres in Lima.
Abe said of the visits: “We visited a refugee centre whilst in Lima and it was both eye-opening and heartbreaking. To meet the women and children and hear their stories and struggles just made me even more determined to do the trek to the best of my capability as I truly believe that no person should have to suffer in a world that is on the whole so rich and prosperous. Everybody deserves a chance in life and that begins with the basics, food, water and shelter.”
The challenge took place across the Andean region of Peru given the area’s critical standard of living: 40 per cent of families live in extreme poverty, while more than 30 per cent of children are chronically malnourished. Peru is also facing a particularly tough comeback after the pandemic; in 2020, it had the highest mortality rate from Covid-19 in the world.
