Finns urged to lose weight to boost literacy in Nepal

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An anonymous donor is urging Finns to shape up and shed weight to help raise 10 million euros to improve literacy in Nepal, the national health institute said Wednesday.

The donor has pledged to grant 15 euros (21 dollars) for every kilogram shed by anyone who takes part in the three-month campaign and weighs in at a participating church before the end of February, the National Institute for Health and Welfare, which is coordinating the campaign, said in a statement.

"It's an excellent opportunity for Finns, not only to increase their own well-being, but also to do their bit to help Nepal," the institute's director general Pekka Puska said.

The money raised will be used for the schooling of children and the training of teachers in Nepal, with Finland's foreign ministry overseeing the use of the funds.