Mickael Weiss, Head Chef at Coq d’Argent talks to Christine Kahmann of Action Against Hunger...

Mickael, could you tell us a little bit about your recent trip to Action Against Hunger's programmes in Kenya?

I went to visit Action Against Hunger’s programmes in Garissa, which is a city in North Eastern Province in Kenya. This gave me the opportunity to see firsthand the life-saving work Action Against Hunger is doing in the field.  Visiting the programmes in Garissa clearly showed me the difference we can make by raising funds for Action Against Hunger.

How does Action Against Hunger's work make a difference?

Action Against Hunger makes a difference by listening to the needs of the community and involving them in every step of the project, for example local communities were employed by Action Against Hunger to assist in the building of a well in their local area.

What programmes did you visit?

As part of the trip we visited one of Action Against Hunger’s Out-patient Therapeutic Programme’s (OTP), a clinic which provides home-based treatment for malnourished children. A child’s height, weight and general health are checked in order to determine whether they are suffering from malnutrition and to what extent. Action Against Hunger staff then put those children suffering from malnutrition on a course of treatment and give them the necessary vaccinations to fight disease – this treatment is as basic as providing a course of Plumpy’nut (a high protein and high energy peanut-based paste) to increase the child’s weight and improve their health.

The first patient that arrived to the OTP site was 6 years old Karim who was accompanied by her grandmother. It was heartbreaking to see the little girl so fragile. Weighing just 1st 3lb Karim was unable to feed herself and had lost all appetite. Karim was referred to the hospital for intensive inpatient care and to be fed by tube. Once her condition is stabilised and her appetite returns she will return to the OTP and receive Plumpy’nut as part of the home-based treatment.

We also met many other children at the OPT. Following treatment by Action Against Hunger they were back on their feet and full of life. It made me very proud to be able to help these children by supporting Action Against Hunger.

You're head chef at Coq D'Argent: what is the connection between your work and Action Against Hunger?

I started to get involved about eight years ago and have since supported Action Against Hunger by taking part in various activities such as organising a gala dinner at Coq d’Argent, running a few races and taking every possible step to help on a personal and professional level.

Having seen the work of Action Against Hunger, why is it important for your restaurant to take part in the Restaurants Against Hunger campaign this October?

With just a little input from all of us in the restaurant industry we can make a huge difference, helping Action Against Hunger to continue to save lives by raising vital funds.  Having seen their work I know for a fact that Action Against Hunger does not waste any money. It is a very tightly run ship and the volunteers working in the field are dedicated individuals, their own purpose being to improve someone else's life. 

Thank you Mickael.