The Concern FAST starts on Thursday 21 November and as a supporter of Concern were asking you to join us and raise funds by taking part in our 24-hour food FAST or 72-hour digital FAST to make a lifetime of difference to people living in extreme poverty.

Give before 24 December and your donation will be matched pound for pound by the UK government. As part of our Free from Hunger appeal the matched funding will go towards supporting our work in the Central African Republic to help more children get the nutritious food and healthcare they need to thrive and reach their full potential.

Could you take part in our 24-hour food FAST or 72-hour digital FAST and raise the money we need to continue our vital work?

Mum Alida and her only child, 14-month-old Fiobona (pictured), live in one of the worlds hungriest places - the Central African Republic. Ongoing conflict since 2012 has driven over a million people from their homes. Villages and farmland have been left abandoned.

When people return, many do not have seeds to plant, or are reluctant to plant crops without a stable future. As a result, crop production has dropped, food prices have increased, and many people are left without reliable access to food.

Fiobona was one of those not getting enough nutritious food to thrive. A Concern health worker discovered she weighed only 6.2 kilos and was severely acutely malnourished. Her mum, Alida, took her to a Concern-supported health centre where she received ready-to-use therapeutic food to help her daughter recover.

Within four months, Fiobona had gained almost a kilo and was out of danger.

By taking part in the Concern FAST, you can help us make sure that mums and young children like Alida and Fiobona get the food, nutrition and healthcare they need to recover from malnourishment and stay strong and healthy in the long term.