Every Child #4 2011

No. 3, 2011

On the Frontlines of

Famine

U . S . F u n d f o r U N I C E F

A Message from the U.S. Fund Board Chair and President

Dear Friend of UNICEF,

As someone sharply attuned to child survival issues, you have likely been following the dire malnutrition and

famine crisis in the Horn of Africa. This is a crisis of staggering scale, impacting children in Somalia, Ethiopia,

Kenya, and Djibouti.

Imagine the heartache of the mothers and fathers who — starving themselves — are watching their children suffer,

wither, and beg for food that is not there. The worst drought in 60 years has killed their livestock and turned their

fields to dust. Right now, in several regions of Somalia, one in five children is at exceptionally high risk of death.

But thanks to you, help is available. UNICEF has been providing emergency therapeutic food in refugee camps

and feeding centers, and immunizing children against the diseases that prey upon young malnourished bodies.

UNICEF’s decades’ worth of expertise in drought and famine relief mean it is making a significant difference

(see p. 10).

Of course, even as we focus on this still-escalating crisis, we remain committed to all the children suffering in “silent

emergencies” — those like preventable disease and unsafe water. But last month, we were able to share some wonderful

news on that front. The number of children dying each day from preventable causes has dropped yet again — from

22,000 to 21,000. It is a testament to your generous support of UNICEF’s overall child survival work, funded through

unrestricted donations including the contributions you make to our General Fund (see box on p. 12).

As we head into the holiday season, there are so many ways to show your support for UNICEF and the world’s

children (see p. 7). We encourage you to celebrate our partnership by sending UNICEF holiday cards. We also hope

you’ll join us at one of the U.S. Fund’s many upcoming events, including our New York flagship gala, the UNICEF

Snowflake Ball, and the UNICEF Ball in Los Angeles.

No matter how you stand up for the world’s most vulnerable children this season, we are, as always, deeply grateful

to have you by our side. Thank you.

P.S. To browse and order UNICEF holiday cards, please visit unicefusa.org/holidaycards.

Anthony PantaleoniBoard Chair

Caryl M. SternPresident and CEO

E v e r y C h i l d N o . 3 , 2 0 1 1 1

Produced by the Department of Editorial and Creative Services

Executive EditorMia Drake Brandt Managing EditorAdam Fifield

Art Director Rachael Bruno

Assistant Managing EditorJen Banbury Contributing EditorEileen Coppola

DesignerMelissa Axelrod

Copyright © 2011U.S. Fund for UNICEF. All rights reserved.

U.S. Fund for UNICEF Board of Directors

Honorary Co-ChairsGeorge H.W. BushJimmy CarterWilliam J. Clinton

Chair EmeritusHugh Downs

ChairAnthony Pantaleoni

Vice ChairPeter Lamm

PresidentCaryl M. Stern

SecretaryGary M. Cohen

TreasurerEdward G. Lloyd

Honorary DirectorsSusan V. BerresfordJames H. CareyMarvin J. GirouardAnthony LakeJohn C. Whitehead Honorary MembersJoy GreenhouseHelen G. JacobsonSusan C. McKeeverLester Wunderman

DirectorsAndrew D. BeerDaniel J. Brutto

Nelson ChaiGary M. CohenMary Callahan ErdoesPamela FioriDolores Rice Gahan, D.O.Bruce Scott GordonVincent John HemmerPeter LammTéa LeoniBob ManoukianAnthony PantaleoniAmy L. RobbinsHenry S. SchleiffKathi P. SeifertCaryl M. SternJim WaltonSherrie Rollins Westin

In This Issue

10–13 Feature: On the Frontlines of Famine

2–6 UNICEF in the Field

7–8 Inside the U.S. Fund

9 Donor Activities at Home and Abroad

14–15 Partner Profiles Why I Give: Patricia Anderson and Dominique Slavin

16 Inside the U.S. Fund Continued


HAITIA year and a half after the earthquake that battered Haiti, nearly 600,000 people still live

in displacement camps around Port-au-Prince (down from 1.5 million last year). Cholera

remains a significant problem, though the number of cases has been decreasing; there

are 438,365 as of this writing. To keep the disease at bay, UNICEF and local partners

have distributed soap, water purification tablets, and chlorine for water treatment to 2.2

million people since April. UNICEF continues to provide a diverse array of aid to those

still affected by the earthquake, including clean water, child protection, immunization,

HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment, and education (for the 2011–2012 school year,

UNICEF procured school supplies for 750,000 students).

2

Emergencies Update

U N I C E F I N t h E F I E l d

LIBYAUNICEF is strengthening its presence in Libya and has been helping local water

experts restore Tripoli’s water supply. To cover short-term needs, UNICEF

procured 11 million liters of bottled water for half a million people. UNICEF has

also distributed School-in-a-Box kits and is helping to care for children in special

child-friendly spaces.

To donate to UNICEF emergency relief by region, please visit unicefusa.org/donate/emergencies.

PAKISTANLast year, widespread flooding in Pakistan unleashed one of

the largest natural disasters ever recorded. A total of 18 million

people were affected, including 3.9 million children. UNICEF

mobilized national, regional, and global resources to mount

one of the largest emergency responses in history. Among the

remarkable results: 11.7 million children were vaccinated against

polio and 10.4 million were vaccinated against measles; 5 million

people received clean drinking water; and more than 2 million

children were screened for malnutrition. But just last month,

additional monsoon flooding impacted more than 5 million

Pakistanis. UNICEF is working with the government to assess

urgent needs.

JAPANUNICEF continues to aid children who lost parents, homes,

schools, and more in the Great East Japan Earthquake in March.

UNICEF is helping to rebuild preschools and kindergartens

and has set up children’s mini libraries with 150,000 books in

900 locations. The Japan Committee for UNICEF has directed

the distribution of this and other assistance.

E v e r y C h i l d N o . 3 , 2 0 1 1

A Baby Named Independence Shortly after midnight on July 9, a chorus of joyous whooping

filled the maternity ward of Juba Teaching Hospital in South

Sudan. It was a spontaneous celebration of birth — the birth of

a brand new nation and the birth of its first citizen, a baby boy

aptly named “Independence.”

South Sudan’s autonomy was made possible by a 2005 peace

agreement that ended decades of bitter, violent conflict between

the southern and northern regions of Sudan. But this infant

nation and baby Independence both face tremendous obstacles:

one in nine children in South Sudan dies before reaching the

age of five, some 200,000 South Sudanese children are either

severely or moderately malnourished, and less than 3 percent

of children receive the full protection of immunization. Building

up the public health system — decimated by years of conflict,

neglect, and lack of funding — will be a top priority for the

government of the world’s newest country.

Some progress is already being made. Thanks to funding

from UNICEF and other partners, a brand new ward recently

opened at Al Sabbah Children’s Hospital in the capital, Juba.

That means the hospital can treat more children suffering from

malnutrition, malaria, pneumonia, and diarrhea. The expanded

hospital will also fulfill a vital teaching role, training community

health workers, mothers, and caregivers in simple but effective

methods of improving children’s health.

Josephine Spina — Independence’s mother — embodies

both the troubled past and the hopeful future of this budding

country. She is a former child soldier who was able to escape

that violent life and put it behind her. Today, she has a job with

the Wildlife Protection Service, working to safeguard the new

country’s wild animals and their habitats.

South Sudan will need much help in the coming years

— especially for its 4 million children (nearly half the total

population). As UNICEF Executive Director Anthony

Lake recently stated, “We must all do our part to help this

‘independence generation’ survive and thrive.”

3



Caring for Orphaned and Vulnerable Children in Swaziland

4

The southern African nation of Swaziland has the world’s highest rate

of HIV infection, and nearly half of its children are orphans or living in

otherwise vulnerable circumstances. An innovative UNICEF-supported

program is caring for these children at nearly 1,500 community-based

centers known as Neighborhood Care Points. Here, UNICEF-trained

volunteers provide at-risk boys and girls with health care and other vital

services. The children receive two meals a day, supplied largely by the

World Food Program and the Global Fund. A $2 million contribution

from Kiwanis International’s Key Club has dramatically improved the

program, spurred contributions from other organizations, and helped

UNICEF work with the government to set up a national child safety and

protection unit. Dr. Jama Gulaid, UNICEF Representative in Swaziland,

spoke to Every Child about how Neighborhood Care Points began and how

they are making a critical difference in children’s lives.

Every Child (EC): Can you describe the challenges facing Swaziland’s orphans as well as other vulnerable children?

Jama Gulaid (JG): Imagine a home where

the head of the household is a child. This

child has all the responsibilities of an

adult and has to care for all the other kids.

Children who have become caregivers

have to put food on the table. If trouble

occurs, they have to seek help. When

their parents were alive, they would

fix the home and replaster the walls of

the traditional house if it was damaged

in the rain. In Swaziland today, if there

is no adult, the children are left with

responsibilities such as looking after

siblings, putting food on the table, and

fixing dwellings. Take the example of

the traditional dwelling. After two rainy

seasons, it develops gaping holes in the

mud walls, thus exposing children to

the elements. And the winter can be cold

in Swaziland. The orphans are also very

vulnerable to violence and exploitation,

loss of their inheritance, and hunger. On

top of that, some of them have inherited

HIV from their parents and require a lot of

attention and care.

EC: Can you tell us how Neighborhood Care Points work?

JG: The care points give assistance to

community-based caregivers, who

are mostly women and who have

volunteered to aid these children. With

the help of UNICEF, the government,

and other partners like the World Food

Program, these caregivers get training

and can make sure children get adult

supervision, psychosocial support, food,

medications (including antiretroviral

drugs), and referrals to health facilities

as needed... And since the government

recently began removing primary school

fees, with UNICEF’s help, the care points


Key Club members Joe Hartsoe, Rob Gulick, Amanda Thain, and Grace Greenwell visited children at an older Neighborhood Care Point in Swaziland in 2007, before Key Club made a $2 million contribution to improve the program.

E v e r y C h i l d N o . 3 , 2 0 1 1 5

have also become a conduit to school. The

caregivers know that these children need

to be directed from here to the school, so

the Neighborhood Care Points have just

become a channel that nobody anticipated

initially when we started investing in them.

EC: How is health care delivered at the Neighborhood Care Points?

JG: We bring health workers to the care

points so they can provide immunizations

and vitamin A supplements. They also

screen the children and, if needed, refer

them to health facilities.

EC: How did the concept of Neighborhood Care Points evolve?

JG: It came about in response to a drought

emergency in 2003. UNICEF staff and

representatives from non-governmental

organizations were traveling around

the countryside; they discovered that

there were a lot of children out there, all

by themselves… They found children

sitting alone in isolated homesteads after

the premature death of parents, mostly

from AIDS-related diseases. The drought

made things even harder. But the more

the teams looked around, they met people

who were willing to look after some of

these children… So UNICEF got initial

funding from the European Commission

Humanitarian Aid Office and said to

the volunteer caregivers: “You look after

the children, and we’ll bring you some

support.” UNICEF and other partners

then worked with the government to

set up the care points and provide basic

materials. At first, the meeting place was

often a tree or simple mud home. Now,

we have a blueprint for the building —

it’s a concrete structure with a latrine,

a storeroom, and a kitchen. The new

structures are more child-friendly.

EC: What kind of impact is Key Club’s $2 million contribution making?

JG: The Key Club contribution has

significantly improved the overall

program. With this assistance, UNICEF

has been able to provide more stimulation

and more psychosocial support for

the children, and more training for the

caregivers. It has strengthened the existing

centers and enabled us to open 100 new

ones and provide crucial start-up items

like cooking pots, and feeding utensils,

and water and sanitation materials.


U . S . F u n d f o r U N I C E F6

A Groundbreaking Microcredit Program Helps Women and Children in Bolivia

Not long ago, Pilar Rueda, a mother of

two living in the remote Bolivian town of

Pocoata, was barely eking out a living by

selling a few items from a small storefront.

Hardship is all too common throughout

Bolivia, where nearly two-thirds of the

population — about half of them children

— live in impoverished households.

But something amazing is happening

in this region of the country. Rueda and

many others like her have been given

the opportunity to excel, financially and

personally, thanks to a UNICEF-created

microfinance program called Bancos Co-

munales — Communal Banks.

The program extends credit to indige-

nous people, mainly women, in 13 remote

municipalities of the Potosí region of Bo-

livia. Normally, it is almost impossible for

people in these areas to get loans for small,

income-generating ventures. But unlike

traditional banks, which charge high in-

terest rates on microcredit, the Bancos

Comunales program offers very low rates

and is entirely directed and driven by the

community.

Pilar Rueda proudly shows off what

she’s been able to achieve with her Bancos

Comunales loan. “This store just used to

have a couple of things,” she says. “Now

it has so many products and provides us

with a good source of income.”

So how does the program work? The

Bancos Comunales program gives loans

of up to 3,000 bolivianos (about $425), at

an interest rate of just 2 percent. Three-

quarters of the interest goes toward in-

creasing the communal bank’s reserves,

while the rest goes into a savings account

for the borrower. This amount is returned

once she or he has finished paying the

loan, usually within 12 months.

But UNICEF-supported Bancos Comu-

nales are not just banks: they train wom-

en to understand and advocate for their

rights and those of their children, and en-

courage them to invest in their children’s

education. In other words, they work to

break the cycle of poverty in a multi-fac-

eted way.

Pilar Rueda has become a community

leader as well as a savvy businesswoman.

And though she never had the chance

to go to secondary school, she’s making

sure her own children get a good educa-

tion. Her son is already in college, and

she’s paying for the supplies her daughter

needs to stay in school.

...UNICEF-supported Bancos Comunales are not just banks: they train women to understand and advocate for their rights...


E v e r y C h i l d N o . 3 , 2 0 1 1

Ways to Engage This Fall and Holiday SeasonTrick-or-Treat for UNICEF In October, you can save lives by supporting UNICEF in your neighborhood or online. Take the iconic orange box door to door on Halloween, host a Halloween Party for a Purpose, or set up your own fundraising webpage. Get started at trickortreatforunicef.org.

Inspired GiftsThis holiday season, purchase lifesaving items — such as warm blankets, mosquito nets, and therapeutic milk — for children in need. Dedicate your gifts to friends or family members — we’ll send each of them a card to let them know. Visit inspiredgifts.org.

UNICEF Cards and GiftsHelp children around the world just by purchasing greeting cards and unique holiday gifts through Shop UNICEF. You’ll also find seasonal decor and wonderful presents for the kids in your life. Find it all at unicefusa.org/shop.

Upcoming Special EventsUNICEF Children’s Champion Dinner Honoring Sting and Trudie Styler Thursday, October 20, Boston

UNICEF Masquerade Ball Hosted by UNICEF’s Next GenerationThursday, October 27, New York

UNICEF Snowflake Ball Presented by Baccarat, Hosted by Andy Cohen, and Honoring John Strangfeld, PrudentialTuesday, November 29, New York

UNICEF Ball Presented by Baccarat and Honoring Irena, Nick, and Mike MedavoyThursday, December 8, Beverly Hills

For more information or tickets, contact Jennifer Lopez at 212-880-9131 or [email protected].

Thanks to Our Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF PartnersKey Club International, a student-led service leader-ship program of Kiwanis International, has been Trick-or-Treating for UNICEF since 1994. Over the years they have raised more than $5 million by hosting events like Halloween “Spooktacular” parties and haunted houses. This year, their efforts will support The Eliminate Project, helping to wipe out maternal and neonatal tetanus. HGTV — now in its third year of support — is Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF’s Premier Media Sponsor. Once again, HGTV will highlight Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF in a primetime Hallow-een television special (tune in Saturday, October 22 at 8

PM ET) and on the Halloween section of HGTV.com. Crocs Cares SM, the philanthropic division of Crocs, Inc., has joined the Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF campaign this year as a Proud Supporter and nationwide retail distributor of Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF boxes (which you can order on-line at trickortreatforunicef.org). Longtime U.S. Fund part-ners American Airlines and Coinstar, Inc. have returned as Promotional Supporters. And Heidi Klum is supporting this year’s campaign as the 2011 Trick-of-Treat for UNICEF Ambassador. We are hugely grateful to all these partners for improving the world — and Halloween! — for children.

I N s I d E t h E U . s . F U N d

7


I N s I d E t h E U . s . F U N d

In the Moroccan cities of Casablanca and Rabat, young people have a new opportunity

to use and master cutting-edge technology thanks to Dell. A grant from the Dell Youth-

Connect program has enabled UNICEF Morocco to help build computer labs in the

cities’ youth centers. Dell has also donated equipment and sponsored their employees

to set up the computer labs and teach computer classes. By helping young people in

Morocco develop their computer and job skills, Dell is giving them a leg up — and em-

powering them to achieve their dreams of success in the modern world.

(INsIdE thE U.s. FUNd continued on page 16)

Audrey Hepburn never forgot the aid she received from UNICEF as an adolescent in

post-World War II Holland. In 1988, she became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and

traveled to more than 20 countries, meeting children who struggled every day just to

survive. She reported what she saw to world leaders, governments, and the interna-

tional media, lending a fierce and singular voice to the fight to save children’s lives.

By the time she died in 1993, she had instilled in hearts and minds all over the world a

passion for UNICEF’s vital work.

This fall, the U.S. Fund for UNICEF is introducing a new recognition society that

honors her legacy. The Audrey Hepburn® Society for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF is a

special national group of the U.S. Fund’s most committed and generous partners

in the global fight for child survival. Members are supporters who give $10,000 or

more annually.

The various levels of membership will each offer unique opportunities for members

to connect with each other and participate in UNICEF’s work through volunteer gather-

ings, program events, and in-the-field experiences. Special communications and access

to UNICEF staff will offer engaging and intimate ways to learn about the impact of

donations. Members will also receive special recognition in U.S. Fund for UNICEF pub-

lications, on our website, and at events.

For more information about the Audrey Hepburn® Society for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, please contact Marci Brenholz at [email protected] or (212) 922-2607.

Audrey Hepburn® — Trademark of Sean Ferrer and Luca Dotti. All Rights Reserved.

Moroccan Youth Get a Technological Boost from Dell

Introducing the Audrey Hepburn Society

To save a single child is a blessing. To save a million children is an opportunity granted to us by UNICEF.

–Audrey Hepburn

E v e r y C h i l d N o . 3 , 2 0 1 1 9

do N o r AC t I v It I E s At ho m E A N d A b roA d

Supporters Lorraine and Tim Nelson with children outside a school in Rwanda.

Supporter Martha Metz on a recent field visit to Rwanda.

UNICEF’s Chief of Child Protection Susan Bissell (center) spoke about child trafficking at a May luncheon in Houston, co-chaired by Southwest Regional Board members Eileen Lawal (left) and Susan Boggio (right).

U.S. Fund Vice President of Development Bill Horan, Southern California Regional Board members Brigitte Posch and Wendy Adams, and National Development Committee member Eric Eitel at a May event hosted by Ms. Posch and Rod Dubitsky.

Southeast Regional Board member Dr. Gulshan Harjee, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Dr. Bobbie Bailey, and Caryl M. Stern at the UNICEF Experience in Atlanta. Dr. Bailey spontaneously pledged $250,000 during the inspiring event.

Participating as panelists and co-hosts for the “Rising Power of Women in Philanthropy” breakfast on September 16 in New York City were (l.-r.) Fran Drescher, Ambassador Swanee Hunt, Téa Leoni, Robert Jenkins, Pamela Fiori, Caryl M. Stern, Liya Kebede, and Mary Erdoes.

U . S . F u n d f o r U N I C E F10 U . S . F u n d f o r U N I C E F

F E A t U r E

Abdile and his family tried to outrun the famine. Their crops and livestock had been claimed by drought. They had little food or water. Getting out of

Somalia and into Kenya was their only hope of survival. Malnourished and ex-hausted, the two parents, grandmother, and four children struggled across a parched, dust-blown terrain, walking for 25 days. Abdile’s wife died of starva-tion along the way. But he kept going, carrying three children on his back. The desperate father feared that his youngest son, three-year-old Aden, would soon follow his mother.

The family finally reached the sprawl-ing Dadaab settlement camp in Kenya, packed with more than 400,000 other ref-ugees. By then, Aden was very close to death. He couldn’t lift his head or swallow. He weighed only 11 pounds. The boy was taken to a hospital, where doctors won-dered if he would make it. They immediate-ly began treating him with therapeutic food supplied by UNICEF. Two weeks later, Aden had gained more than two pounds and was able to stand on his own for a few seconds at a time. “My son is getting better by the day, and I know he will survive this,” said a grateful Abdile, who shared his story with UNICEF’s Chris Tidey. The Horn of Africa’s worst drought in 60 years has conspired with rising food and fuel prices, chronic conflict, and deep-seat-ed poverty to create a vast and dire crisis. It is the most severe humanitarian emergency in the world today. Tens of thousands of people have died, more than half of them children. The situation is so grave that some parents have faced a kind of “Sophie’s Choice”: which children should they feed and which should they allow to starve? As many as 12.5 million people are af-fected in drought-wracked Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, and Djibouti, including 4 million children. Southern Somalia is the hardest-hit. There, famine has been declared in six districts and may spread to others. UNICEF emergency veteran David Bassiouni de-

scribed the unfolding calamity as a “mega-famine” and likened its scope to the mas-sive Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004. UNICEF and its partners, including the UN’s World Food Program, are racing to save children like Aden by setting up emer-gency feeding centers in Dadaab and other settlement camps, in Somalia itself, and throughout the entire region. Using every means possible to reach children in jeopardy, UNICEF is rushing therapeutic food into affected areas by land, air, and sea. It is also delivering an array of other vital assistance, including immunizations, medicines, clean water, child protection services, anti-malarial mosquito nets, vita-min A supplements, and education for up-rooted children. In southern Somalia alone, UNICEF has shipped more than 490 tons of ready-to-use therapeutic food — enough to treat more than 33,000 severely malnour-ished children. Aden’s story — and those of many other children like him who have been reached in time — shows that UNICEF’s response in the Horn of Africa is working and that the le-thal grip of famine can be broken. But many are still in peril, and the operation remains at a critical juncture. Just $10 can feed a malnourished child for 10 days. Many gen-erous American donors have committed lifesaving support, but as of this writing, UNICEF still faces a funding shortfall in the Horn of $91 million.

E v e r y C h i l d N o . 3 , 2 0 1 1 11

On the Frontlines of

Famine By Adam Fifield


History of Fighting Food CrisesIn recent years, droughts and floods spurred by climate change have threat-ened food supplies, especially in poor countries, and may have helped pave the way for food crises and famines. UNICEF acts as quickly as possible to aid children in the path of these often slow-building disasters. Famine is de-clared when acute malnutrition rates among children exceed 30 percent, more than 2 people per 10,000 die per day, and when food and other basic necessities are no longer accessible. Over the last several decades, many famines have been exacerbated by

armed conflict, which compounds the effects of drought and hampers the dis-tribution of relief. UNICEF and its part-ners have a history of battling famines across the globe, including in 1979 and 1980 on the Thai-Cambodian border, in the wake of the brutal Khmer Rouge regime; in 1984 in Ethiopia and many other countries across sub-Saharan Af-rica; in the late 1980s in war-torn Sudan, when the late UNICEF Executive Direc-tor James Grant brokered ceasefires to allow food to be delivered to the south; and in 1992 in Somalia. These are only a few examples. Bassiouni, who was the UNICEF Rep-resentative in Somalia when the horrific famine afflicted that country in 1992,

said that combating hunger and starva-tion has been at the heart of UNICEF’s mission since its founding in 1946. At that time, the fledgling agency provid-ed food as well as medicine to children in Europe suffering the aftereffects of World War II. “Feeding children was how UNICEF started,” says Bassiouni. “That was how the organization came into being. We should not forget those humble be-ginnings, because that’s how we origi-nated. UNICEF has always given the nutrition of children and mothers very high priority.” That means UNICEF will do every-thing in its power to reach malnour-ished children, even in a place like So-malia, where ongoing violence makes the work of humanitarian agencies extremely challenging and dangerous (dozens of aid workers have been killed in Somalia, including several UNICEF staff members). Despite such daunting circumstances, UNICEF is determined to deliver nutritional assistance to So-mali children. One way it does this is by working with a network of over 70 lo-cal non-governmental partners and by deploying third party monitors to make sure aid reaches children. UNICEF’s ability to respond to fam-ines and to reduce risks from natural disasters has improved significantly over the years, says UNICEF’s Deputy Chief of Communications Patrick Mc-

Is It Possible to Head Off Emergencies?UNICEF is a leader in responding to emergencies like the one

raging in the Horn of Africa. These high-profile disasters often

garner hearteningly strong support from our donors.

But some of the greatest threats to children’s survival are “si-

lent emergencies” that take their deadly toll outside the head-

lines: chronic malnutrition, preventable diseases, small crises

that show signs of snowballing into something greater. By mak-

ing an unrestricted gift to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF — a gift

that is not pegged to a specific emergency, program, or coun-

try — you enable UNICEF to provide lifesaving aid where it is

needed most. At times, this kind of funding can help head off or

diminish an emergency altogether. It is also critical to maintain-

ing momentum in UNICEF’s fight against child mortality. Just

last month, we were able to announce that the number of chil-

dren under age five dying each day has dropped to its lowest

level ever — 21,000 per day.

UNICEF’s staff includes some of the world’s top experts in

fields related to child survival. Every day, these experts track

and assess the areas of greatest need for the world’s children.

Where are food shortages developing? Where have the rains

failed? Where have unexpected cases of measles appeared? By

making unrestricted gifts to our General Fund, you are placing

your trust in these specialists. And as always, every dollar you

donate is leveraged for the greatest impact.

F E A t U r E

To donate to the General Fund, please visit unicefusa.org/generalfund.

E v e r y C h i l d N o . 3 , 2 0 1 1 13

Cormick. “I think we are much quicker,” says McCormick. “There are now pre-positioned supplies, more transport, and more personnel. As a result, we’re seeing fewer of those horrific pictures — and fewer deaths now than we did in Ethiopia and Somalia before.” In addition to being more prepared to tackle famines and food crises and meet immediate needs, UNICEF today is also more effective at helping nurture early recovery, says Bassiouni. “We are not only responding to crises but are fo-cused on building back better.” For in-stance, it provides families cash grants so they can buy food or other neces-sities. In Somalia, UNICEF is currently providing cash for six-month periods to allow families to overcome the drought and plan how to use the money in the best way over that period. This assis-tance ensures that some families can stay put instead of being forced to flee to refugee camps.

Back from the Brink of DeathSevere acute malnutrition is not just a matter of starvation. A malnourished child has a weakened immune sys-tem and is more susceptible to killer diseases. UNICEF is expanding its im-munization activities in the Horn and is mounting a huge measles vaccination campaign that will reach a planned 10 million children. Ordinary food can actually be harmful to malnourished children, which is why UNICEF focuses on delivering thera-peutic foods. These include high-protein biscuits, fortified milk, and a specially designed nutritional peanut paste that is packed with protein and vitamins. The paste is ready to use, does not need to be refrigerated or mixed with water, and can be administered anywhere by any-one. It has been hailed as a “miracle” food for its power to bring a child back from the brink of starvation. UNICEF is one of the largest suppliers of peanut paste in the Horn of Africa. Without treatment, acutely malnour-ished children can die in a matter of weeks. For these boys and girls, it is not only a question of going to bed hun-gry — it is a question of surviving the night. But the vast majority of those who receive help can be saved. UNICEF is reaching as many children as it can.

To support UNICEF’s response in the Horn of Af-rica, please visit unicefusa.org/donate/horn.

A Watchful Eye, 24/7UNICEF is able to be first on the scene in

many crises thanks to its one-of-a-kind op-

erations center (OPSCEN) — an extraordi-

nary emergency information and commu-

nications hub where, each minute of every

day, multilingual staff monitor potential

emergencies. Based at UNICEF headquar-

ters in New York, OPSCEN works to ensure

a quick and well-informed response to ev-

erything from foreboding weather patterns

to earthquakes, from food price spikes to

political unrest and armed conflict.

OPSCEN is always on the lookout for

wherever and whenever children’s lives

are threatened. It also helps to oversee the

safety of UNICEF’s more than 13,000 staff

members worldwide by keeping an eye

on potentially dangerous security situa-

tions. And the center’s bailiwick is not just

emergencies — it also examines long-term

social, environmental, and economic pat-

terns and analyzes issues such as climate

change and politics. UNICEF acts as quickly as possible to aid children in the path of these disasters.


F E A t U r EP A r t N E r P r o F I l E s

As a mother, grandmother, and former

schoolteacher, I have a special place in my

heart for children and young people. Every

child deserves a chance, but there are so

many who don’t get one. Some kids grow

up in awful situations.

I believe if you can get

children headed in the

right direction and make

them strong enough,

then they can overcome

whatever they’ve had to

go through.

During a field visit

to Honduras earlier this

year, I met some teen-

agers who had been

given a second chance

by UNICEF. Gang vio-

lence is a big problem

in Honduras, where the

unemployment rate is very high. A lot of

these kids try to find something to do, and

they end up making wrong decisions and

joining gangs. We met one young man who

told us that he was trying to find a place

to belong and find love. He couldn’t find

it at home, and so became part of a gang.

He had to get a tattoo, which identified

him as a gang member — even after he

left. Employers would check young people

like him to see if they had

a gang tattoo, and if they

did, they wouldn’t give

them a job.

At UNICEF-supported

centers in Honduras’ cap-

ital, Tegucigalpa, these

kids can now turn their

lives around — beginning

with the removal of their

tattoos by doctors. They

get a lot of other support,

too, like counseling and

job training, and they

learn to take responsibil-

ity for themselves. We

met some boys who had come back to talk

about how they had changed their lives

and how they had become mentors. They

were now trying to keep other boys and

girls away from gangs. I was so inspired by

these brave young men, and by this pro-

gram, that I made a contribution to the U.S.

Fund for UNICEF to help keep it going.

What really impressed me with the

gang project and others was how UNICEF

would help the local communities get these

programs off the ground. It was not a char-

ity campaign, where someone comes in

and does all the work and keeps doing it.

UNICEF provided resources and guidance,

but then the schools and communities and

parents took ownership of the projects. I

liked how UNICEF worked with the gov-

ernment and made sure everybody was

on board. One great example is UNICEF’s

partnership with a local municipality to

train mothers how to feed their babies and

make sure they get the right nutrition in the

first two years of life.

Being able to witness UNICEF’s work

in Honduras was very meaningful to me.

I got involved and went on this trip be-

cause of my son-in-law, Matt, who encour-

aged our family to support UNICEF. Matt

passed away recently, and our support for

UNICEF is a memorial to him. I think he

would be deeply proud of what is happen-

ing in Honduras.

Why I Give: Patricia Anderson

Every child deserves a chance, but there are so many who don’t get one.

E v e r y C h i l d N o . 3 , 2 0 1 1

P A r t N E r P r o F I l E s

15

I will never forget the faces of the children

outside my car window more than 20 years

ago.

When I was growing up, my parents

worked for the International Labor Organi-

zation. My sister and I got to see fascinating

and diverse parts of the world, as my par-

ents’ careers took us from Trinidad to Peru

to India. Of those three places, India made

the deepest impression on me. I lived there

from ages nine to fifteen.

On New Delhi’s wide boulevards and

ubiquitous roundabouts, you’d see whole

families on one bike. Being in a car meant

that you were wealthy. We would drive to

my school, and on the way there was one

— and only one — stoplight. Naturally, we

would stop there every day, and children

between the ages of six and nine would

run up to our windows. We could see that

some of them were missing their tongues.

I was told that they had been cut out so the

kids would be more successful at their job,

which was to beg.

I always knew that the main difference

between these children and me was mon-

ey. My family had money, so I sat inside

an air-conditioned car and went to school.

Their families did not, so their tongues

were cut out and they were sent into the

street. And it was also clear to me that this

was essentially happenstance. It was the

grace of God that had put me inside that

car, and nothing else.

I contribute to UNICEF because I have

left a piece of myself with those children.

They didn’t choose that life, and they

didn’t control the grim circumstances they

faced every day. But something can be

done for children like them, and UNICEF

is there to do it. Growing up in develop-

ing countries, I was able to see UNICEF at

work. Everywhere I lived, they were there,

always doing their best to help kids who

often had nothing. So I trust UNICEF, be-

cause I know they do exactly what they say

they do.

My own children are involved

now, too. My sons are very active and

have helped build a Trick-or-Treat for

UNICEF program at their school. They’ve

really taken to it and don’t stop talking

about Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF. Their

commitment actually lasts year-round.

Every month, they each give a portion

of their allowance to the U.S. Fund for

UNICEF. I’m glad that they have been able

to help other children and also that they

have been able to learn about the reality

faced by most other kids in the world.

Every child is a possibility. So if we do

everything we can to help each possibility,

then there’s more hope for all of us. That’s

what makes UNICEF’s mission so basic

and so important.

Why I Give: Dominique Slavin

Every child is a possibility. So if we do everything we can to help each possibility, then there’s more hope for all of us.

U . S . F u n d f o r U N I C E FU . S . F u n d f o r U N I C E F16

Photo CreditsCover: UNICEF/NYHQ2011-1345/Antony NjugunaP1: UNICEF/NYHQ2011-1012/Riccardo Gangale UNICEF/NYHQ1989-0479/John Isaac UNICEF/NYHQ2009-1508/Kate Holt UNICEF/PAKA2010-00222/Marta RamonedaP2: UNICEF/NYHQ2011-0795/Marco Dormino

UNICEF/NYHQ2011-0100/Shehzad Noorani UNICEF/NYHQ2011-0493/Adam Dean UNICEF/NYHQ2011-0223/Roger LeMoyneP3: John Ferguson UNICEF/NYHQ2006-0528/Shehzad Noorani UNICEF/NYHQ2009-1509/Kate HoltP4: U.S. Fund for UNICEF/Kristi Burnham UNICEF/NYHQ2009-1923/Giacomo Pirozzi U.S. Fund for UNICEF/Kristi Burnham

P5: U.S. Fund for UNICEF/Kristi Burnham UNICEF/NYHQ2005-0726/Christine Nesbitt UNICEF/NYHQ2009-1921/Giacomo Pirozzi P6: U.S. Fund for UNICEF/Thomas Nybo U.S. Fund for UNICEF/Kristen Magelinx UNICEF/NYHQ2008-1577/Giacomo PirozziP8: UNICEF/NYHQ1992-0393/Betty Press UNICEF/NYHQ1989-0475/John Isaac UNICEF/NYHQ2005-2249/Giacomo PirozziP9: Left to right: Tim Wilkerson, Lee Salem of Lee

Salem Photography, Kim Coffman, Barron Segar/U.S. Fund for UNICEF, Wendy Serrino, Julie Skarratt

P10-11: UNICEF/NYHQ2011-0203/Kate HoltP12: UNICEF/SUDA00449//UNICEF UNICEF/NYHQ1992-1169/Hoss Maina

UNICEF/NYHQ1992-1199/Betty PressP13: UNICEF/NYHQ2011-1185/Kate Holt UNICEF/NYHQ2011-1203/Kate Holt UNICEF/NYHQ2011-1124/Kate HoltP14: Courtesy of Patricia Anderson UNICEF/NYHQ2005-2076/Donna DeCesareP15: Courtesy of Dominique Slavin UNICEF/NYHQ2009-2167/Tom Pietrasik UNICEF/NYHQ2008-1404/Tom PietrasikP16: UNICEF/AFGA2010-00325/Shehzad Noorani UNICEF/NYHQ2011-1013/Riccardo Gangale U.S. Fund for UNICEF/ Amador Valley High SchoolIBC: UNICEF/INDA2011-00191/Niklas Halle’n Courtesy of Jeff RoweEnvelope: UNICEF/LAOA2011-00048/Martha Tattersall

I N s I d E t h E U . s . F U N d C o N t I N U E d

Back to School with UNICEF“It opened up the world for us.” That’s how a middle school so-

cial studies teacher described the effect of TeachUNICEF on her

classroom.

As the Internet, and technology in general, shrink our world

a little more each year, it’s increasingly important that children

have the chance to study and understand the entire global land-

scape. The U.S. Fund for UNICEF’s TeachUNICEF program pro-

vides U.S. educators with free tools — including lesson plans and

firsthand accounts of children from a huge range of countries,

economic backgrounds, and ethnicities — that help students

learn about issues like pov-

erty, gender equality, child la-

bor, and water and sanitation

challenges.

TeachUNICEF resources

give students a valuable in-

sight into the major issues that

confront their peers in the de-

veloping world and, in turn,

empower them to become

better global citizens.

The U.S. Fund for

UNICEF’s Education Depart-

ment supports TeachUNICEF

through teacher training, pi-

lot study, and other outreach

initiatives. It is currently

working with schools to fa-

cilitate screenings of an ac-

claimed documentary about

education and gender issues

in the developing world: To Educate a Girl. A Viewing Guide to

the film helps teachers and their students dig deeply into the

film’s topics, which profoundly impact so many children around

the world.

The U.S. Fund also gives students the opportunity to explore

global issues outside of the classroom through the UNICEF High

School Clubs program — a growing movement of students who

want to help the world’s children survive. Student-led clubs

partner with the U.S. Fund for UNICEF to educate, advocate, and

fundraise in support of UNICEF’s lifesaving work. Club mem-

bers stay connected to humanitarian and child survival news,

and engage their families and communities in these essential is-

sues. They brainstorm about the best ways to raise funds and

awareness, and hold innovative, fun events.

For more information about TeachUNICEF, please visit teachunicef.org.To learn more about UNICEF High School Clubs, visit unicefusa.org/highschool.

Danny Kaye SocietyThe U.S. Fund for UNICEF

Recognizing Those Who Have Invested in the Future of the World’s Children

to learn more about how you can create a legacy of life for future generations of children, please contact Karen metzger toll-free at (866) 486-4233, or visit our website: unicefusa.org/giftplanning.

“I was lucky to grow up in the United states. When I was a kid, I didn’t haveto worry about where my next meal came from, or whether I would get a terrible disease, or whether I would be able to go to school. I put UNICEF in my will, because I want other children to get the same kind of chances I had. supporting UNICEF is the best opportunity to make a lasting difference in the world. A charity also has to get good grades to get a donation from me. And UNICEF is an A-plus charity — I am confident the money I contribute is going to have the greatest impact.”

Jeff RoweDanny Kaye Society Member

U.S. Fund for UNICEF125 Maiden Lane, New York, NY 10038

1.800.FOR.KIDSunicefusa.org

© 2011 U.S. Fund for UNICEF.All rights reserved.

No child should die of a preventable cause. Every day 21,000 do. We believe that number should be zero.

Believe in zero.

The U.S. Fund for UNICEF has earned 6 consecutive 4-star ratings from Charity Navigator. Only 3% of charities evaluated by this trusted organization have received its highest ranking for at least 6 straight years.

We meet all 20 of the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance Standards for Charity Accountability.

Every Child #4 2011

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Transcript of Every Child #4 2011