US Fund for UNICEF: Clay Aiken, Ambassador Options

[YSRN]

* Well, I screwed up and accidentally deleted the thread, so we're just gonna have to rebuild it. Sorry.


http://www.unicefusa.org/

United Press International

Aiken visits Somalia for UNICEF

NAIROBI, Kenya, July 4 (UPI) -- Pop star and UNICEF ambassador Clay Aiken, who just spent five days Somalia, is calling on the world to do what it can to help the African nation's children.

"Unfortunately this is a region that's better known for conflict, insecurity, drought and floods," Aiken, who has been a UNICEF ambassador for four years, said in a statement Thursday. "It's truly remarkable that UNICEF is still able to make a difference in the health, education and overall well-being of Somali children."

UNICEF said Aiken traveled to Hargeisa, Gabiley and Boroma, located in the northwest region of the country, known as the republic of Somaliland. There, he was able to observe first-hand UNICEF-supported projects that promote child health, safe water, sanitation and hygiene, primary education, child protection and girls' empowerment, the children's aid organization said.

"Now that I have seen Somalia for myself, I feel it is important for the American public to remember that the Somali people have the same dreams for their children that we do," Aiken said. "The country is one of the most desperate in the world. Fortunately, UNICEF has always been there and continues to provide the support needed to make a difference."

Fieldnotes

July 9, 2008

Somalia: Where is the outrage?

UNICEF Ambassador Clay Aiken recently returned from Somalia, where UNICEF provides children in the war-torn nation with health care, education, nutrition, clean water and sanitation. This is the first in a series of blog posts he will write about his experience in the field.

I recently returned from a UNICEF field visit that took me to northwest Somalia. What I saw there was both amazing and heartbreaking. In many ways, the children I was able to meet are doing better than their counterparts in the rest of Somalia. But in other respects, the situation there is still quite serious.


© US Fund for UNICEF / 2008 / Nick Ysenburg

UNICEF Ambassador Clay Aiken with children he met on his recent visit to Somalia.

For starters, the lack of a permanent central government has contributed to Somalia's status as one of the poorest and most volatile countries in the world. Decades of civil conflict have shattered social structures and exacerbated poverty.

In such conditions—combined with an extremely arid environment and difficult terrain with settlements scattered over vast distances—a Somali child's chances of surviving to adulthood are among the lowest of children anywhere in the world.

Fortunately, UNICEF is there. It has been on the ground since 1972 and is the humanitarian organization with the largest presence in Somalia.

Since the collapse of the Somali government in 1991, UNICEF has continued to provide services to children and women in Somalia.

In Hargeisa, I visited UNICEF-supported schools and hospitals, as well as places girls are able to learn about leadership, get life-skills and play sports. I also visited UNICEF-supported maternal and child health clinics to observe some nutritional feeding and immunization activities. The good news is that these programs are working in the northwest and keeping children alive. The bad news is that one in eight children still dies before his or her fifth birthday in Somalia.


© US Fund for UNICEF / 2008 / Nick Ysenburg

One of the most incredible things I learned on my trip is that there are only 350 doctors left in the entire country, mostly because of the violence and insecurity. And many of these doctors are older than the average life expectancy in Somalia, which is only 45. I can't help but wonder, what is going to happen in a couple of years when there are no more doctors? What will happen to the children who struggle to survive?

What disturbs me most about this terrible situation for children is that most of the world has ignored it. Millions of children live in fear and poverty—where is the outrage?

At least we know something can be done. Help UNICEF save and improve the lives of children in Somalia. Donate online, right now.

[laughn]

Relief Web

UNICEF Ambassador, Clay Aiken, says organization is making a difference in Somalia despite difficult circumstances

merican entertainer visits north-west Somalia and urges the world to remember Somali children

Nairobi, Kenya, Tuesday 1 July 2008 – A five-day visit to north-west Somalia (the self-declared republic of ‘Somaliland’) has UNICEF Ambassador, Clay Aiken, moved by the work that UNICEF is doing under challenging circumstances. ‘In a country that’s better known for conflict, insecurity, drought and floods, it’s truly remarkable that UNICEF is still able to make a difference to the health, education and well-being of Somali children’ said Aiken.

The ambassador traveled to Hargeisa, Gabiley and Boroma to see first-hand, UNICEF-supported projects to promote child health, safe water, sanitation and hygiene, primary education, child protection and girls’ empowerment.

Somalia is a country in which less than 25% of the population has access to basic health services, less than 30% attend primary school and only 29% have access to a safe water source. It's also a place where 98% of girls are circumcised and has amongst the highest maternal mortality rates in the world.

Playing basketball with girls in the enclosed facility of the Somaliland Cultural and Sports Association (SOCSA), Aiken saw the opportunity given to females by the UNICEF-supported organization. ‘Here, girls are able to learn about leadership and health, acquire life-skills and play sports within a safe environment. Even the youngest girls that I’ve met at SOCSA, impressed me with how confident and articulate they are as a result of this project.’

At a camp for 1500 internally displaced families in Hargeisa, Aiken met 11 year old Abduraman, who helps to support his five siblings and blind mother by working each morning to collect stones. He uses his earnings to pay for school which he attends in the afternoon. ‘Somalia has some of the lowest enrollment rates in the world, but every child has the right to an education. UNICEF is working to help ensure that even working children get to go to school.’ UNICEF has also provided the camp with child protection monitors, teacher-training and school materials.

In Boroma, Aiken saw how the town’s water system is functioning thanks to UNICEF support. Under a public/private partnership, the system provides clean water to 95% of the town’s population including schools and hospitals. Aiken also visited maternal and child health clinics to see nutritional feeding and immunization activities along with projects supporting children with disabilities, the eradication of female genital mutilation/cutting and the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

‘Now that I have seen Somalia for myself, I feel it is important for the American public to remember that the Somali people have the same dreams for their children that we do. Somali families still want the best for their children and people really want to help bring about change. Though the situation in Somaliland is less dangerous for children than in the south, the country is one of the most desperate in the world. The country has been without a functioning government for almost twenty years. Fortunately, UNICEF has always been there and continues to provide the support needed to make a difference. No other organization is more capable of making such a difference than UNICEF."

About UNICEF

UNICEF is on the ground in over 150 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

For further information, please contact:

Denise Shepherd-Johnson, Chief, Communication, UNICEF Somalia, Tel: +254 20 762-3958; Mob: +254 722 919 867; E-mail: dshepherdjohnson @ unicef.org

Marissa Buckanoff, Director, Public Relations, United States Fund for UNICEF, Tel: +1 212 922 2485; E-mail:MBuckanoff @ unicefusa.org

Unicef.org posted the same article the next day, along with this photo



caption:

UNICEF USA Ambassador Clay Aiken talks Rahma, 9, during a visit to the Somaliland Cultural and Sports Association in Hargeisa, North West Somalia.

This is the UNICEF Somalia Press Release, with slightly longer quotes and a donation link. The story is previewed on the home page.

UNICEF Ambassador Clay Aiken visits northwest Somalia

UNICEF is making a difference in Somalia despite difficult circumstances; Urges world to remember Somali children

Donate now to support UNICEF's work for the children of Somalia.

NAIROBI, KENYA (July 3, 2008) — UNICEF Ambassador Clay Aiken today ended a five-day visit to the troubled East-African nation of Somalia and called on the world to remember the plight of that country’s children.

“Unfortunately this is a region that’s better known for conflict, insecurity, drought and floods,” said Aiken who has been a UNICEF Ambassador for four years. “It’s truly remarkable that UNICEF is still able to make a difference in the health, education and overall well-being of Somali children.”

Aiken traveled to Hargeisa, Gabiley and Boroma located in the northwest region of the country, known as the republic of Somaliland. Here, Aiken was able to observe first-hand UNICEF-supported projects that promote child health, safe water, sanitation and hygiene, primary education, child protection and girls’ empowerment.

Somalia is a country in which less than 25 percent of the population has access to basic health services, less than 30 percent of children attend primary school and only 29 percent have access to a safe water source.

It's also a place where 98 percent of girls are subjected to genital circumcision and maternal mortality rates are among the highest in the world.

One of Aiken’s first stops was the Somaliland Cultural and Sports Association (SOCSA), an enclosed facility in Gabiley dedicated to empowering girls through sport and cultural activities.

“The girls here are able to learn about leadership and health, acquire life-skills and play sports within a safe environment,” said Aiken. “Even the youngest girls that I’ve met at SOCSA impressed me with how confident and articulate they are as a result of this project.”

At a camp for 1500 internally displaced families in Hargeisa, Aiken met 11-year-old Abduraman, who helps to support his five siblings and blind mother by working each morning to collect stones. He uses his earnings to pay for school which he attends in the afternoon.

“Somalia has some of the lowest enrollment rates in the world, but every child has the right to an education,” Aiken stressed. “UNICEF is working to help ensure that even working children get to go to school.” UNICEF has also provided the camp with child protection monitors, teacher-training and school materials.”

In Boroma, Aiken also visited maternal and child health clinics to observe nutritional feeding and immunization activities along with projects supporting children with disabilities, the eradication of female genital mutilation and the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

“Now that I have seen Somalia for myself, I feel it is important for the American public to remember that the Somali people have the same dreams for their children that we do,” said Aiken, who in recent years has also visited conflict areas in Afghanistan and Uganda for UNICEF.

“The country is one of the most desperate in the world. Fortunately, UNICEF has always been there and continues to provide the support needed to make a difference. No other organization is more capable of making such a difference than UNICEF," Aiken added.

The lack of a permanent central government has contributed to Somalia’s status as one of the poorest and most volatile countries in the world. One of the most serious droughts since the 1970s has affected large parts of the country, exacerbating hardships for rural populations.

This post has been edited by laughn: Jul 11 2008, 04:13 PM

[laughn]

UNICEF

Young child survival and development

‘The Survival Project’: CNN programme shines spotlight on UNICEF work

NEW YORK, USA, 3 July 2008 – UNICEF will be the focus of the special global broadcast on CNN and CNN International this Sunday.

The Survival Project: One Child at a Time will feature work that UNICEF is doing to protect and support children in countries such as Laos, Iraq, Ethiopia and Peru.

“CNN’s correspondents will show the challenges faced by children around the world and will offer viewers an opportunity to effect helpful change,” said Executive Vice President of Content Development and Strategy for CNN Worldwide Sue Bunda.

Joining the fight for child survival

Anchored by CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, ‘The Survival Project’ will premiere on Sunday, 6 July at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. Eastern Time in the United States, and will be simulcast on CNN and CNN International.

The broadcast will also feature UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Lucy Liu and musician Joel Madden as panellists speaking about their experiences with UNICEF. Other celebrities – including Clay Aiken, Nicole Ritchie, Al Roker and Marcus Samuelsson – will appear in video diaries of their volunteer work, encouraging viewers to join the fight for child survival.

A challenge to the audience

Child mortality rates reached a new low last year: For the first time since the United Nations began keeping records, the number of children who die each year before the age of five has dropped below 10 million.

‘The Survival Project’ will focus on the challenges that remain.

“As many as 9.7 million children die each year before their fifth birthday, largely due to preventable causes like measles, malaria and diarrhoea. That is 26,000 children every day,” said US Fund for UNICEF President and CEO Caryl Stern. “We’re extremely grateful to see the world’s top news network not only highlighting the difficulties facing children’s survival, but moreover, challenging its audience to put an end to this injustice.”

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Music For Afghan Teacher Training/blogspot

There will be an exciting announcement made in Chicago this July. Delta Kappa Gamma has teamed with UNICEF to produce a CD that will serve as a fund-raiser for the Afghan Teacher Training Project. We are so excited to tell you all about it. The CD features the song "We Sing for the Children" which Northwest members sang in Vancouver, B.C. last summer. There is an update on the work being done in Afghanistan and interviews with Afghan teachers, UNICEF staff and the popular singing star Clay Aiken. You will be able to get a CD by making a donation of $15.00 or more at the convention.

from berkeley at the CH...

A bit more, from TXClay in Public Access. DKG is a professional society of women educators that started projects to support UN programs in 2002:

TXClay wrote:

Re: the Delta Kappa Gamma Afghanistan Teacher Training Project:

There is a little more about the cd here w/Clay mention (direct link):

http://www.dkgs.affiniscape.com/associatio...NSummer2008.doc

The link was found at this Delta Kappa Gamma page:

http://www.dkgs.affiniscape.com/displaycommon.cfm?an=17

and scrolling down to the "United Nations Newsletter 2008" - "Summer 2008-Volume 10" link - the additional information is there.

new post from the DKG blogger about the availability of the UNICEF CD benefiting the Afghan Teacher Training Program:

Moen's Musical Moments - Answering Your Questions

The CD will also be available after the convention.
It will be sold through Delta Kappa Gamma and
at the United Nations Gift Shop.

All the proceeds, wherever purchased, will go
to the Afghan Teacher Training Project.

Clay Aiken will only be speaking on the CD.
He is a US Fund for UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.

[laughn]

from OK Magazine, 8/11/08 issue

CLAY'S KIDS

Is Clay Aiken practicing for fatherhood? The American Idol alum and expectant father, 29, visited Somalia and Kenya from June 24 through June 29.

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from Unicef Fieldnotes

Clay Aiken: Give the gift of growing up

UNICEF and Malaria No More are teaming up to defeat malaria—a completely preventable disease that still kills one child every 30 seconds worlwide. But as UNICEF Ambassador Clay Aiken puts it in this short video, "It doesn't have to be this way." He shows how insecticide treated bednets provided by UNICEF are being used to protect children from malaria in Somalia.

For a limited time, Malaria No More will match your donation in the fight against malaria, helping UNICEF save twice as many lives. To learn more, click here. Or, "give the gift of growing up" and make an online donation today.

YouTube video clip embedded

[laughn]

Unicef

Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF moves into the 21st century with digital initiatives, new fundraising techniques and college campus challenge

UNICEF continues to save children's lives worldwide and make halloween count

NEW YORK (October 1, 2008) — This October, Trick–or–Treat for UNICEF expands into the 21st century with digital initiatives, new technology–backed fundraising techniques and a college campus challenge. What started 58 years ago as a simple door–to–door coin collection by a youth group in Philadelphia, has evolved to incorporate social media, mobile giving, partnerships with MLS W.O.R.K.S. and more.

Raising over $140 million to date, Trick–or–Treat for UNICEF continues to make Halloween by teaching children across the United States about the world beyond their backyards and the importance of global citizenship.

"So much has changed in the world in the 50 years since this campaign launched," said Caryl Stern, President and CEO of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. "Reaching technologically savvy young people and engaging them on their level was essential for us not only to bring Trick–or–Treat for UNICEF into the 21st century, but also to underscore our commitment to do whatever it takes to save a child's life."

This year, Trick–or–Treating for UNICEF is easier than ever with the introduction of several new fundraising ideas and techniques including:

* Facebook.com: Add the Causes application, join the Trick–or–Treat for UNICEF cause, then start recruiting friends and raising funds!
* "Text–or–Treat for UNICEF" Mobile Giving: Text the word "TOT" to 864233 ("UNICEF") to donate $5 on your mobile phone.
* Personal Trick–or–Treat for UNICEF Fundraising Webpages: "Trick–or–Treat Online" by creating your own fundraising webpage at unicefusa.org/totonline.
* Trick–or–Treat for UNICEF E–Store: Wear your support for Trick–or–Treat for UNICEF by purchasing t–shirts and sweatshirts, Halloween products and educational toys at unicefusa.org/totstore.
* Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF Halloween Parties: Host parties for friends, family and colleagues to celebrate Halloween and, at the same time, raise funds for the Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF campaign. Register your party at unicefusa.org/halloweenparties.
* Major League Soccer: Coaches of youth soccer participants in New Jersey Youth Soccer will receive a customized Major League Soccer/TOT fundraising kit to help kick off Trick–or–Treat for UNICEF efforts this fall. MLS W.O.R.K.S, Major League Soccer's community outreach initiative, and The New York Red Bulls will recognize the outstanding achievements of the youth teams with special incentives.
* The "Help us save some lives!" Campus Challenge: Trick–or–Treat for UNICEF can be the first activity for college students participating in a challenge to raise funds for UNICEF. Sponsored by the George Harrison Fund for UNICEF and the Association of College Unions International, campuses across the country can compete from September 5, 2008 to February 28, 2009, and the George Harrison Fund for UNICEF will match every dollar raised up to $150,000 for a total of $300,000. Incentives have been created to inspire students and reward the winning campuses. For more information visit unicefusa.org/campuschallenge.
* Send a Halloween E–Card from unicefusa.org/totcard to let your friends and family know you are fundraising for Trick–or–Treat for UNICEF and encourage them to join you.
* Speak about Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF in your Community: Visit unicefusa.org/totdownloads for sample speeches to get you started.
* Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF on MySpace.com.
* Tell us How YOU Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF: For a chance to be featured on the U.S. Fund for UNICEF website, share your Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF stories by emailing us at trickortreat@unicefusa.org and upload your favorite photos to the Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF photo group on Flickr with a "TOTFU" tag.

The traditional fundraising methods of Trick-or-Treating for donations door-to-door with UNICEF orange collection boxes, bake sales, car washes, etc. are also highly encouraged. Collection boxes are available at several retail locations, including Hallmark Gold Crown stores and Pier 1 Imports®. Store locations can be found at unicefusa.org/trickortreat. They can be ordered online at the same web site or by phone at 1.800.4UNICEF. They can also be picked up at Six Flags New England in Agawam, MA and Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, NJ during the month of October.

Although Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF is a program geared towards kids, we encourage parents, educators, corporations and adults to participate as well. As such, the U.S. Fund for UNICEF makes available door signs for families wishing to alert trick-or-treaters that they are supporting the campaign, parent letters, a 30-day family calendar, as well as a teacher's guide for educators, including activity sheets, lesson plans, wall posters and other resources, all available for download at unicefusa.org/totdownloads.

Through relationships with faith based and service partners, Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF is supported by kids of all ages. Of special note is UNICEF's partnership with Key Club International, the largest high school service organization, whose members have raised over $750,000 in support of the Swazi Children Care Project through Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF. Visit unicefusa.org/keyclub for more information on how to get involved.

Procter & Gamble, through its Live, Learn and Thrive™ global cause, is this year's Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF National Sponsor. This marks the company's eighth year supporting the program through a donation, as well as a special Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF edition of the October P&GbrandSAVER™, which reaches 57 million households.

Donations can be made via credit card or check, or through over 12,000 participating Coinstar Centers®, found in supermarkets, drug stores and mass merchants nationwide. For more information, visit unicefusa.org/trickortreat.

About UNICEF
For more than 60 years, UNICEF has been the world's leading international children's organization, working in 150 countries to address the ongoing issues that affect why kids are dying. UNICEF provides lifesaving nutrition, clean water, education, protection and emergency response saving more young lives than any other humanitarian organization in the world. While millions of children die every year of preventable causes like dehydration, upper respiratory infections and measles, UNICEF, with the support of partnering organizations and donors alike, has the global experience, resources and reach to give children the best hope of survival. For more information about UNICEF, please visit www.unicefusa.org.

For additional information or to request an interview, please contact:
Marci Greenberg, U.S. Fund for UNICEF Media, 212.922.246

This post has been edited by laughn: Oct 6 2008, 04:27 PM

[laughn]

Unicef

Field Notes

Clay Aiken: Please Pledge Today



Did you know that approximately 25,000 children die each day before their fifth birthday, largely due to preventable causes? Thanks to organizations like UNICEF this number is getting smaller every day. Last year, the number of child deaths worldwide declined to about 9.2 million. In 1990, that number was 12.7 million. That's definite progress, but that number should be zero.

Your support will help UNICEF reach the day when no child dies of a preventable cause. No child, not even one, should die of causes we know how to prevent—diseases like malaria, measles or tetanus.

So today, despite these tough times, I decided to help save children's lives and make a monthly pledge to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. Even a small amount makes a huge difference. For instance, $5 a month (about 15¢ per day) can ensure five children are protected from measles.

If we could all make this small commitment we may be able to see the day when no child dies of a preventable cause.

Please visit unicefusa.org/join-with-clay and pledge today.

Sincerely,
Clay Aiken
UNICEF Ambassador

[laughn]

Sometimes I sort of forget just what Clay, and Unicef are trying to do when they send him into these different areas of the world. He's a celebrity trying to use his name to shine a spotlight on a troubled area. This news article today reminded me how hard it is to make change.

Yahoo News/AP newswire

10 Taliban arrested in school girl acid attack

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan – Afghan police have arrested 10 Taliban militants involved in an acid attack this month against 15 girls and teachers walking to school in southern Afghanistan, a provincial governor said Tuesday.

"Several" of the arrested militants have confessed to taking part in the acid attack, said Kandahar Gov. Rahmatullah Raufi. He declined to say exactly how many confessed.

High-ranking Taliban fighters paid the militants a total of $2,000 to carry out the attack, Raufi said. The attackers came from Pakistan but were Afghan nationals, said Doud Doud, an Interior Ministry official.

The attackers squirted the acid from water bottles onto three groups of students and teachers walking to school in Kandahar city on Nov. 12. Several girls suffered burns to the face and were hospitalized. One teenager couldn't open her eyes days after the attack, which sparked condemnations from around the world.

After the investigation is complete, the accused will be tried in open court, said Raufi.

One of the attack's victims, a teacher named Nuskaal who was burned through her burqa, called Tuesday for a harsh punishment for the attackers.

"If these people are found guilty, the government should throw the same acid on these criminals. After that they should be hanged," said Nuskaal, who like many Afghans goes by one name.

President Hamid Karzai earlier this month called for a public execution of the perpetrators.

Afghanistan's government called the attack "un-Islamic," and the United Nations labeled it "a hideous crime." First lady Laura Bush decried it as cowardly.

Kandahar is the spiritual birthplace of the Taliban and is one of Afghanistan's most conservative regions, a place where women rarely venture far from home.

A Taliban spokesman earlier this month denied that Taliban militants were involved in the attack.

Girls were banned from schools under the Taliban regime, the hard-line Islamists who ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001. Women were only allowed to leave the house wearing a body-hiding burqa and accompanied by a male family member.

The country has made a major push to improve access to education for girls since the Taliban's ouster. Fewer than 1 million Afghan children — mostly all boys — attended school under Taliban rule. Roughly 6 million Afghan children, including 2 million girls, attend school today.

But many conservative families still keep their girls at home.

Raufi said that girls attending Mirwais Mena girls' school didn't attend class for three days after the attack, but that girls have since returned to class there.

Kandahar province's schools serve 110,000 students at 232 schools, Raufi said. But only 10 of the 232 are for girls. Some 26,000 girls go to school, he said.

Arsonists have repeatedly attacked girls' schools and gunmen killed two students walking outside a girls' school in central Logar province last year. UNICEF says there were 236 school-related attacks in Afghanistan in 2007. The Afghan government has also accused the Taliban of attacking schools in an attempt to force teenage boys into the Islamic militia.

Elsewhere in Afghanistan, the country's intelligence agency said it has arrested four people, including three religious leaders and a youth, for alleged involvement in suicide and other bomb attacks in northern Kunduz province.

The ring was broken up after a failed bombing mission in the province earlier this year, when the would-be bomber failed to properly detonate his explosives, the agency said in a statement Tuesday.

Clay's article from April, 2007

UNICEF.org

UNICEF Ambassador Clay Aiken visits Afghanistan

NEW YORK, USA, 18 April 2007 – UNICEF National Ambassador Clay Aiken has visited central Afghanistan to see for himself how UNICEF is trying to improve life for children in the region.

“We met a number of young women who have an amazing outlook on their future now in post-conflict Afghanistan,” said the US pop star. “There is an amazing sense of hope, an amazing sense of promise, not only in the country but in the youth as well.”

Photo: UNICEF Image
© UNICEF Afghanistan/2007/Khadivi
Caption: UNICEF Ambassador Clay Aiken holds a newborn baby at the Sadat Health Clinic in Bamyan Province, Afghanistan.


At the Sadat Health Clinic near Bamyan, Mr. Aiken saw lifesaving measures in action and even administered the oral polio vaccination to a newborn baby. Besides providing immunization, the clinic offers family planning services and midwives to advise mothers on breastfeeding and good hygiene practices.

People from other villages sometimes walk up to four hours in order to reach the clinic.

UNICEF supports Sadat Health Clinic by training health staff in hygiene education, vaccines, integrated maternal and child health, and nutrition. The organization has also assisted with the construction of water points and latrines to provide safe drinking water and sanitation.

Literacy for girls and women

During his two-day stay in Bamyan, Mr. Aiken also visited the Said Aabad women’s literacy centre, which UNICEF helped to establish last October. He heard from girls and women aged 16 to 50 about how they were learning to read and write for the first time, and the subsequent impact on their lives.

Photo: UNICEF Image
© UNICEF Afghanistan/2007/Khadivi
Caption: Clay Aiken talks with students at Shirin Hazara School in Afghanistan’s Foladi Valley.

In Bamyan Province, the literacy rate is 6 per cent for women and 44 per cent for men. UNICEF currently supports over 95 literacy courses in the province and is working to create 30 new literacy centres there due to high demand.

“Educated women can contribute effectively to the reduction of child and maternal mortality rates,” said UNICEF Representative in Afghanistan Catherine Mbengue, who joined Mr. Aiken on this visit. “Educated women will be able to voice their concerns and also make better decisions in regard to family planning.”

Ms. Mbengue also urged government officials to make adult literacy initiatives a priority and to ensure the active involvement of women in training programmes and activities.

Rebuilding schools, training teachers

Despite challenging, bumpy paths in the mountainous region, the delegation members continued with their visit to meet hundreds of girl students at Shirin Hazara School in Foladi Valley, west of Bamyan. There, Mr. Aiken spent time with students and the teachers in their outdoor classrooms.

“As a former teacher, I recognize that spark of hope and excitement all children possess when given the opportunity to learn,” he said. “Rebuilding schools, training teachers, providing essential supplies and teaching materials are just some of the advances UNICEF and its partners have made to keep that hope flourishing.”

Still, girls’ school enrolment in Bamyan remains low at just 38 per cent, compared to 62 per cent for boys. Although Mr. Aiken witnessed positive moves to address this situation and make lasting improvements for young people, at least 30 per cent of the province’s school-age children – over a million in all – are not even enrolled in school.

That fact alone shows there is still much work to be done.

Video

18 April 2007:
UNICEF correspondent Hani Shawwa reports on UNICEF Ambassador Clay Aiken’s visit to central Afghanistan.
VIDEO high 5 | low 6

[laughn]

US Fund for UNICEF
December 19

"12 Days of UNICEF" Encourages Americans to Give Gifts that Give Back This Holiday Season

UNICEF Celebrity Ambassadors and Supporters to Post Daily Blogs Discussing Life-Saving Gift

New York, NY (PRWEB) December 19, 2008 -- The U.S. Fund for UNICEF announced today "12 Days of UNICEF," a blogging campaign to encourage Americans to give back this holiday season with Inspired Gifts. Beginning December 19 and running through December 31, UNICEF celebrity Ambassadors and Supporters, including Lucy Liu and Clay Aiken, will post daily blogs on the UNICEF website at http://fieldnotes.unicefusa.org about Inspired Gifts and their impact on children around the world.

From nutrient enriched food, medicines and immunizations, to wool blankets, tents and school supplies, UNICEF's Inspired Gifts can mean a world of difference to children living in harsh circumstances due to poverty, exploitation, armed conflicts and natural disasters. Participants in the program choose an item from the collection of life-saving gifts to be shipped to children in need in one of over 150 countries and territories where UNICEF works. Recipients receive a UNICEF Acknowledgment Card identifying the item that was sent and how it will be used to save children's lives.

Celebrities lending their support to the program include Clay Aiken, Lucy Liu, Joel Madden, Nicole Richie, Alyssa Milano, Marcus Samuelsson, Al Roker, Jon McLaughlin, Mia Farrow and Sarah Jessica Parker. Some of the items they will blog about include HIV test kits, bicycles, water well hand pumps, insecticide-treated mosquito nets, measles vaccines and more.

For more information, visit www.inspiredgifts.org or call 1-866-237-2224.

Fieldnotes blog for Unicef
December 25

Clay Aiken: Help kids in emergencies stay in school

Every child has a right to an education.

Often times in emergency situations, it becomes harder than ever for children to go to school. Natural disasters and conflict often destroy schools and supplies, leaving children without a place or the tools to learn.

UNICEF works hard to make sure that children receive an education no matter what the obstacle. For just $186 you can send children in need a School-in-a-Box kit, offering an opportunity to an education that otherwise wouldn’t exist. Just think—one kit provides a temporary school for up to 80 children at a time in an emergency!

As you count down the twelve days this holiday season, think of these children who have nothing but hope—don’t turn your back on a child’s right to education.

I am Clay Aiken and I believe in zero.

25,000 young children die every day from preventable causes—things like malnutrition, poor sanitation and lack of safe, drinkable water. UNICEF believes that number should be zero.

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April 11, 2007

Afghanistan: Press conference - Clay Aiken, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador; Catherine Mbengue, UNICEF Representative for Afghanistan; Aleem Siddique, UNAMA Spokesperson's Office
Talking Points

Aleem Siddique, Senior Public Information Officer (SIO):

Good morning and welcome to UNAMA, my name is Aleem Siddique from UNAMA Spokesperson's office. Before we begin I have a few brief announcements to make.

Firstly, the spokesperson for the Secretary General in New York issued a statement last night condemning the acts of violence we have seen in Afghanistan over the last few weeks, full copies of this statement are available on the side table for you.

Secondly, we will be holding our next press conference with the UN refugee agency, UNHCR this Saturday 15 April at 11am to mark the end of the grace period for Afghan refugees currently unregistered and living in Pakistan. We will be joined by UNHCR's representative in Afghanistan, Salvatore Lombardo, to update you on repatriation of Afghan refugees from Iran and Pakistan as well as plans for refugee camp closures in Pakistan amongst other key issues.

Moving on, we are joined today by a very special guest, Clay Aiken who is a singer from America and a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF, the UN Children's Fund, accompanying Clay is Catherine Mbengue, Country representative for UNICEF in Afghanistan and Mary Props, Clay's former teacher also from the US. Clay was appointed as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 2004 has been a strong advocate for the rights of children around the world on behalf of UNICEF. We welcome him to Afghanistan, since he arrived in Afghanistan I know Clay has had a chance to see for himself some of the grass roots health and education projects that UNICEF is delivering in Afghanistan in order to raise awareness and vital funds for UNICEF's ongoing work.

www.reliefweb.com

Without further ado I will hand over to Clay for him to make a few remarks after which we will of course be happy to take your questions.

Clay Aiken, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador:

It is a pleasure to be here, we have had an amazing time observing the programmes and the people of Afghanistan over the past week. I've traveled with Catherine, UNICEF's country representative here in Afghanistan, and my high school teacher, Mary Props, two people who individually who have in different ways had a major impact in the way that I look at world affairs and the needs of children all around the world but especially here in Afghanistan.

There's a very distinct impression that those of us in America have been given about Afghanistan, the people and the children and the situation here in Afghanistan. Because of major media in the US unfortunately only had the opportunity to see the more negative aspects, the more painful images of what's going on here in Afghanistan. For that reason I didn't really know exactly what to expect when I found out I was traveling here and was not really anticipating such an amazing and positive welcome from the people both in the city of Kabul and in Bamiyan where we have just returned from. The people of Afghanistan are without question it's greatest natural resource because we have been greeted by nothing but wonderful hospitality since we've been here and it's been really amazing to see not only the generosity but also the strength of the people. Some of the most impressive people without question, I would think are the national staff in the office at UNICEF. Not to negate or take away from the international staff, like Catherine [UNICEF representative] and those who have come from other countries. But there's an amazing number of [national] staff from right here in Afghanistan who are working with UNICEF to make sure the children of this country are given every opportunity to survive be that through education, through health and nutrition, through sanitation and water access. There's a lot of work going on here by UNICEF through not just the people who have come from outside Afghanistan but also lots of Afghans too.

Thanks to Catherine and her colleagues we had an opportunity to visit a high school here in Kabul [Macfee High School] where we met a number of young women who have an amazing positive outlook on their future now in post conflict Afghanistan and it really provides a backdrop of hope, there's an amazing sense of hope and promise not only in the country but in the young people here too.

In Bamiyan, which is some the most beautiful country that I have ever seen in my life. We had an opportunity to visit other schools and one very interesting school where boys and girls are learning together in the same classroom which is extremely promising and very exciting for me to see. We visited clinics I actually got an opportunity to give polio vaccine to a new born [baby] that was exciting for me and risky for the mother and the new born! But it's indicative of the type of work UNICEF is doing in every area of the country but in Bamiyan they are having a lot of success with polio vaccines, with healthcare in general, prenatal and postnatal healthcare in Bamiyan.

I could speak on and on about the different activities and programmes that we saw taking place, we did see a literacy centre for both young and old women who are learning to read now in post Taliban Bamiyan. Instead of pin pointing each and every experience that we had I think it's more important to give you a sense of the overall feeling that we got. I have never in my life, and I've traveled with UNICEF to a number of countries and of course have seen all parts of my own [country], I have never in my life seen such a thirst and an excitement for learning, seeing children, women, men, boys and girls to be so excited about learning, to be so excited about being in school it's actually something I know makes my former teacher [Mary Props] quite jealous! That kid's are so excited about being in school and really being on the forefront of making sure that they have the best education possible and that's exactly how and why I know that Afghanistan is such a powerful force to be reckoned with because the natural resource in its humans and the people who are thirsty for knowledge is just so evident.

That idea that education is so important is why I asked my high school teacher to join me. A lot of the children in the US don't really have access to or the desire to learn about issues that are facing our world outside of our own country which I find to be a horrible situation, that kids don't have that desire so I asked my teacher to come along and she'll be able to provide some different perspective on education here in Afghanistan from an educator in the United States perspective and Catherine will be able to provide more insight into exactly what UNICEF is doing.

I really appreciate you giving us the opportunity to be here and talk with you.

Thank you.

Questions and Answers

GMA: You have spoken about visiting Bamiyan and a high school in Kabul where there is peace. Have you visited or have any information from southern provinces where the people live in fear and horror?

Clay: Unfortunately I didn't have an opportunity during this trip to visit south. We visited the areas which are a little bit secure and where we can visit children. I will let Catherine speak about the south because she has been to Kandahar. Before she starts I would imagine just by seeing the amount of enthusiasm from kids here in this area that there is still that thirst [for education]. Because I think just in general children in this country have been oppressed for so long that they may have not had access to education, access to such an opportunity so I can imagine that there in the south where children continue to live in the darkness they still must have the thirst for education. And Catherine can speak about it more specifically.

Catherine: You remember a few weeks ago when children started going to school some six million children are now back to schools, including children from the south. Of course there are concerns. But ladies and gentlemen from the media we count on you to continue to help us mobilize and talk about education in this country and that children want to be educated and that children have nothing to do with conflict and that they are thirsty to go to school. Look at areas which are not secure, the communities come together with all partners to take care of their community schools. Even though there are security problems, they are taking steps, they make demands, they go to the government and local authorities to say they need schools and we are ready to pay for that. Of course we are concerned about that but we are working with communities to make sure that even in those places, there should be schools.

IRIN: I would like to know your personal commitment to children of Afghanistan. What would you do to change the situation of children here in Afghanistan when you return the US? In the meantime I would like to know Mary's opinion about the education system in Afghanistan?

Mary: First I am glad to be an invited guest as part of the UNICEF delegation. I was excited and interested to learn about Afghanistan's schools and have chance to talk with teachers and students. I think my first impression was on commonalities that educators across our two countries face and particularly despite some of the challenges that the teachers and students face with resources, facilities, meeting the needs of all students, the learning styles the list could go on. We do in fact have a lot to share. I would like to echo the fact that Catherine and Clay have already made is that the most impressive thing that I saw was the desire. While there are steep roads ahead there is a desire for these students. I saw them learning Dari, English, math and in the high school in Kabul they were studying other subjects particularly in social sciences which interested me, and economics and geography. So overall I have a positive impression of the educational system.

Clay: It is our goal in UNICEF to raise awareness and money. I think probably the most important thing I will be able to do is to talk about some of the positive things I have seen. Because very few people in the US have the opportunity to learn about the positive things that are taking place in Afghanistan. And that is the kind of thing that encourages people to get out of their seats. I think the most positive and exciting thing about this trip for me is that I have been with UNICEF to Indonesia and Uganda and what is the different about this country and what helps us in some ways is that Afghanistan is in the forefront of Americans minds right now unlike Indonesia or Uganda unfortunately. People in America do care about what is going on here in Afghanistan. They want to learn more about Afghanistan and know what exactly is happening here. And there is a distinct desire and drive amongst the American people to do what they can to help out here. So I am looking forward to be able to go back there and say not only do we need your help but here is why because here are the great things that are happening here and these are the positive outcomes of your support.

RFE: You said that media reports very grim picture about Afghanistan. How do you find Afghanistan?

Clay: I would like to restate my earlier comment. We do see a lot of negative in the US. Most of it is associated with conflicts, troops, military activities in Afghanistan and unfortunately we see reports of insurgent attacks or suicide bombings and there is not much stories at all about children in Afghanistan. And the reason there is so much negative is because there has not been much about children. There is a lot positive things going on with children and if we did see more about the kids we will see more positive support and help. Obviously there are needs as Catherine said there are needs for every conflict situation, there are needs for kids to have access to safety, to be safe in their schools and have access to clean water. There are the needs that would be there even if there was not a conflict in Afghanistan at all. My major impression was a population of kids who really want to learn and a group of communities and a group of international aid workers and NGOs who are working together as much as they can to make sure that this is possible.

Radio Farda: My question is for Ms Mary, the teacher. What will you specifically do for children in Afghanistan after you return to the US?

Mary: In the US I think we have a strong curriculum in all subjects. In history we tend to concentrate on history a lot and not on current world issues. My message in going back is that we need to do more in our curriculum to make sure that our students not only understand the past but they can also relate it to today and what today's problems, issues and concerns are.

BBC: There are reports that the Italian Emergency Hospital is going to leave Afghanistan. Do you have information on this? If they do leave what will be the impacts on Afghanistan?

SIO: I am only aware of this from media reports, about the Emergency Hospital that may or may not be leaving Afghanistan. Whenever an organization comes to Afghanistan to help the people of Afghanistan we have always welcomed and encouraged this. If we hear of an organization leaving Afghanistan not only does this sadden us all here in the United Nations but it is also a loss for the Afghan people. We want organisations that come to help to stay here and work hard on behalf of the Afghan people because as you all know there is much for all of us to be doing to deliver the progress that people want to see and so richly deserve.

Pajhwok: My first question is for the UNICEF representative. Is there any change in the 26% children who are earning bread for their families? And my second question is for Clay. You have seen some other post-conflict countries. How do you compare the condition of Afghan children with that of those countries?

Catherine: A very good question. Today in the afternoon we are going to visit an organization called Ashiana which is doing a very good job in Afghanistan particularly in Kabul. We are going there to learn from them. We have concerns about street children in Kabul and we really want to make sure that we benefit from all organisations who have experience in dealing with these vital issues. In other countries we have good lessons learnt and we want to share them with organizations here in Afghanistan so that we can pull our resources together to make a better impact for these children. So this afternoon we have an education trip to Ashiana and there are some other organizations that are doing a lot for street children and we are looking forward to work more closely with them.

Clay: With regard to the question about my other travels and comparison, I have been to Indonesia in Banda Aceh right after the tsunami in 2004 and I was in northern Uganda in 2005 to visit the children in the northern part of the country who have been victims of a 20 year long conflict. Probably the biggest or the most striking contrast, I guess in the US we call it hardiness, the hardiness of the Afghan people, it has been a long dark three decades here in Afghanistan and it has been extremely trying unlike other situations like Indonesia it was a natural disaster. The people here are very strong and they are very proud of their country, their homeland and themselves and it seems to be for that reason or because of those things they seem to be poised in a wonderful position to really pick the country up and move it forward in the way it needs to be moved forward. It is not that I have not seen this elsewhere but I believe that I have seen it more here in Afghanistan, just the strength and conviction of the Afghan people and their ability to make sure that this country returns to its glory after such a long darkness.

SIO: If I could just pick up on the question that was addressed to Catherine earlier about street children, I know that the World Food Programme runs an extensive school feeding programme. One of the main issues that we are faced with here is why are children not able to go to schools? And why are they on the streets? One of the key factors is poverty. So if we can encourage school children to go to school and at the same time provide food for their families and themselves then this can be a real motivating tool to encourage parents to send their children to school and keep them off the streets. Great efforts have been made on this vital area of work by the WFP and UNICEF and these efforts are continuing.

GMA: You said the UN Secretary General has issued a statement condemning violence. I just wanted to know whether he means by violence the beheading of Ajmal Naqshbandi or some other violence since there is a lot of violence in the country.

SIO: The Secretary General's concern is the safety of everybody living and working in Afghanistan. Over the last few weeks we have seen not only innocent civilians being targeted we have seen journalists being targeted and we have seen international and Afghan forces targeted. This is of course a mater of great concern for the Secretary General and that is why we saw the statement from the Secretary General. It is indication of the closeness with which the Secretary General is following events here and the commitment that the Secretary General and the United Nations has here in Afghanistan. If you pick up a copy of his statement from the side table you will see that it makes a specific reference to Ajmal Naqshbani's case, Canadian soldiers that perished in Helmand over the weekend and also the horrific attack we saw in Laghman province on April 1 in which nine civilians were killed including five children. Like all of us, the Secretary General wants to see peace and stability in Afghanistan and that is what we remain focused on achieving.

Clay: I just want to go back to your question about comparisons of the countries I have visited. Afghanistan's terrain is very tough and is also full of so much promise. It has been such a key part of travel, dating centuries back. It is such a valuable country in so many ways. As you fly in or as we flew into Bamiyan and when we were flying to Kabul it is dark, rough and dusty. And as we were approaching Bamiyan on the plane I was told of the promise of the grass and the promise of green. When the summer comes there would be grass over the hills and that it is so beautiful and lush in the summer yet I didn't see that and some were skeptical that any grass grew in Bamiyan. When we flew out today and I looked out of the window and I saw a little grass peeking through. And I think that has been a kind of capstone experience for me here in Afghanistan that there is so much promise and it has been a long winter for Afghanistan and it is spring time finally. I think that is what UNICEF is excited about doing and being a part of the rebirth and re-growth and part of the spring time here in the country and I am thrilled to be associated with them for that reason.

Catherine: Ladies and Gentlemen of the media. You have such a great role to play. Today we talked a lot about children and I would like you to remember too that anything we have to do in this country has been for children. We talked about poverty reduction, conflict resolution please remember that poverty reduction starts with children. Conflict resolution begins with children. More children are going to schools, more children are going for vaccinations, more women go to literacy courses and we have recognise that. We have to tell that story and tell the world that the children of this country are the beginning of this country. If we invest in them, lots of problems are going to be solved.

SIO: I would like to thank our UNICEF delegation and particularly Clay Aiken for joining us here today and sharing their experiences with us.

Thank you.

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Clay Aiken talks about the Tap Project on YouTube

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Unicef
January 15

Clay Aiken talks about the Tap Project

UNICEF Ambassador Clay Aiken talks about the Tap Project. For more information got to tapproject.org

The video was filmed when Clay was in Somalia.

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ONE.org Blog
January 22

Believe in Zero

January 22nd, 2009 at 1:10 pm | posted by Margaret McDonnell

Our friends at UNICEF just passed along this great blog post written by Clay Aiken. Enjoy!

I’m Clay Aiken, and I am a UNICEF Ambassador.

The U.S. Fund for UNICEF is proud to be a partner of ONE. ONE has mobilized millions of Americans to speak up about the importance of tackling global poverty – saving and improving lives around the world.

I’ve had a chance to see many wonderful children, full of laughter and hope, in even the poorest places around the world. And I’ve seen the incredible work of UNICEF to help those children and their families survive and thrive. But I have also seen children sick and dying from lack of basic nutrition and medicines. And I cannot forget that despite UNICEF’s work, 25,000 children die every day, mostly from preventable causes. I believe that number should be “zero”– no child dying unnecessarily.

All of us can help to save children’s lives – individuals, nonprofits, corporations, and governments.

So I am asking President Barack Obama to launch a Presidential Initiative to Accelerate Child Survival. And I am asking YOU to join me, by signing a petition to the President.

ONE supporters care about helping the most vulnerable people on our planet. Please join me in telling the next President of the United States that Americans want him to make global child survival a top priority. For more information and to sign the petition, go to:
http://volunteers.unicefusa.org/activities...tiative-to.html .

-Clay Aiken, UNICEF Ambassador

Note: The link to the Presidential Initiative to Accelerate Child Survival (non-Clay version) was originally posted in CH's UNICEF thread on Friday, November 7, 2008.

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Ecorazzi.com
January 23

Clay Aiken Helps Tap Project Provide Clean Drinking Water Abroad

If I told the average person that Clay Aiken was working with the Tap Project, most would probably assume it involved a cane, top hat and a shuffle, shuffle, flap. But they’d be WRONG!

The Tap Project is a program that raises money for UNICEF’s efforts to bring clean and accessible water to millions of children around the world by asking restaurant patrons to donate $1 or more for the tap water they usually enjoy for free. For every dollar raised, a child will have clean drinking water for 40 days. That’s pretty frigin incredible, right?

Check out Clay on the video below and make sure you stop by TapProject.org to find out how YOU can get involved!

There's a link to the Youtube video of Clay talking about the TAP project.

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huffingtonpost.com

Dec. 29, 2009

Progress in Somalia Despite Difficult Circumstances

Progress in Somalia Despite Difficult Circumstances

Clay Aiken
UNICEF Ambassador
Posted: December 29, 2009 06:23 AM

This past November, while we celebrated the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, a grim milestone was reached in the east African nation of Somalia. The conflict and instability which has characterized that nation for the past 20 years has produced a generation in its central southern province that has never known peace.

In this season of peace and goodwill, this jarring reality should spur us to action so that future generations are not lost.

The mere mention of Somalia conjures in the mind of everyday Americans a place where lawlessness reigns. Indeed, the perception is that no other country has done more to place the issue of maritime piracy at the forefront of our minds and within our headlines.

While this may be true...it's certainly not the whole story.

Last year, in my role as UNICEF Ambassador, I spent five days in northwest Somalia. There's no question that years of civil war and a defunct central government has left much of this nation dangerously unstable. In fact, half the population of Somalia remains internally displaced and in a state of humanitarian emergency.

This tragic reality affects an estimated 3.6 million people, half of whom are children. Over 1.5 million are displaced as a result of conflict, largely between Islamic extremists and government forces. Not only is this population burdened by violence and instability, but also extreme poverty and recurrent food shortages.

There are, however, glimmers of hope. For one, the Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG) has made overtures to place the well-being of children on its emerging social service agenda.

One significant achievement the country boasts is that it has remained polio free since 2007. Also, despite a prolonged drought affecting over 1.4 million, including 700,000 children, there is visible evidence of declining malnutrition rates. This year, in fact, UNICEF and the World Food Programme (WFP) have reported that they're on track to reach up to 50,000 severely malnourished children -- more than double those reached in 2008.

In addition, through the Child Health Days initiative, UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO) were able to deliver low-cost, high-impact health packages this year to over one million children under the age of five. These interventions included immunization, vitamin A supplementation, de-worming tablets and oral rehydration salts to combat diarrhea caused by contaminated water.

As a former teacher, the issue of education remains close to my heart. Education provides the confidence needed to make the most of a child's abilities. A protective learning environment can help change attitudes about violence while also promoting equality. Keeping schools operational in communities affected by conflict and in camps for the internally displaced is an essential priority for UNICEF in Somalia, as is providing incentives and training for teachers. This year, in the central southern zone, 89,000 out-of-school or emergency affected children gained access to primary education.

Last month, after being one of only two countries to not ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Somali Transitional Government signaled their intention to join the community of nations who have already adopted this groundbreaking human rights treaty. This is a tremendous step in the right direction. But more still needs to be done. A minimum of $12 million is needed to respond to the emergency needs of the Somali population in the first quarter of 2010.

Let's pledge to make a difference this holiday season for the children of Somalia so that the next milestone the current generation marks will be one of dreams realized for their children.

Learn more about the situation in Somalia and help UNICEF bring hope to children in this area through Unicef.org.

This post has been edited by laughn: Dec 29 2009, 03:12 AM

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Clay's Huffington Post blog was added to Unicef's Field Notes today.


UNICEF USA Field Notes



This post has been edited by laughn: Dec 30 2009, 02:51 PM