THE UNICEF GLOBEUNICEF Australia Newsletter

Do yoU bElIEvE IN ZEro?Comilla, Bangladesh: Nine-year-old Shima Ahkter holds her one-year-old brother Tahir as he squirms to avoid the droplets. “My parents sent me here to get my brother vaccinated because they heard it being broadcast on a microphone near the house,” says Shima.

The droplets contain Vitamin A, a simple and inexpensive vaccine that stops small children becoming blind. Amid the car horns and clamour of this humid city of more than 5 million people, UNICEF is supplying more than 20 million doses of the vaccine. Thousands of venues – set up in schools and offices – are distributing vaccinations for the National Vitamin A Plus Campaign (NVAC).

The annual campaign has been running for almost a decade and has achieved coverage of more than 93 per cent among infants aged 9 to 11 months and 95 per cent among children aged 12 to 59 months.

Many people in Bangladesh have a poor dietary intake of Vitamin A and less than 40 per cent of pregnant and lactating women receive enough Vitamin A as part of their diets. The supplement helps cells function, aids the production of protective red blood cells and boosts the body’s immune system.

Such a huge undertaking requires massive support and more than 400,000 volunteers and 60,000 health service providers across Bangladesh have assisted in getting people to distribution points, administering the droplets and disseminating

UNICEF’s owN DIgItAl DrUm:Named one of time magazine’s 50 best Inventions of 2011. Page 2

William and Catherine, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge joined forces with UNICEF in November to help put the global spotlight on the humanitarian crisis in East Africa. Making a special visit to UNICEF’s Emergency Supply Centre in Copenhagen, the royal couple were joined by the Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Denmark, Frederik and Mary.

“UNICEF are leading the way and they’re doing a fantastic job,” said Prince William during the visit in which the royals packed emergency kits for distribution to malnourished children. “Sadly there’s still a lot more to do and that’s why we’re here today, to try to do our best to get as many people as possible realising how truly horrendous the situation that’s going on in East Africa is.”

The UNICEF Supply Division in Copenhagen is vital to distributing enough essential supplies to reach communities in need. The size of three football pitches, it sources, packs and distributes essential supplies for children around the globe, including food, water, special nutritional supplies for the malnourished children, vaccines and emergency medical kits.

The hunger and child survival crisis in the Horn of Africa left more than 13 million people in need of humanitarian assistance in 2011, including 320,000 children suffering from life-threatening severe malnutrition.

At a time when the international media was turning its back on this devastating crisis, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge helped restore global attention to the plight of those affected.

information about the importance of Vitamin A and healthy living. It’s just one example of how your support is helping to keep children alive.

ImmUNIsAtIoN Is thE ANswEr Last year, 21,000 children died each day because of poverty. Easily preventable diseases such as pneumonia, measles, malaria, diarrhoea and tetanus are among the largest causes of children’s deaths and with more resources, the vast majority of these lives can be saved.

UNICEF is a global leader in child immunisation. Last year, with your help UNICEF provided 2.5 billion vaccine doses to 99 countries, reaching approximately 58 per cent of the world’s children. When emergencies break out, UNICEF works even harder to reach all children, going door-to-door in the most remote areas to distribute lifesaving vaccines.

Through campaigns like The Eliminate Project, which aims to protect every woman of child-bearing age against maternal and neonatal tetanus by 2015, UNICEF is forging a path for improved holistic medical services for the world’s most marginalised communities.

With your support, we have invested in low-cost, effective programs treating malnutrition, providing child vaccinations, securing basic hygiene, and promoting the importance of early breastfeeding for boosting immunity, UNICEF continues to combat the leading killers of children and improve every child’s chance of surviving.

By Tim O’Connor

Shima Ahkter, 9, holds her one-year-old brother Tahir, who was immunised against Vitamin A deficiency as part of the UNICEF-supported National Vitamin A Plus Campaign (NVAC).

Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited the UNICEF supply division in Copenhagen, Denmark with Prince Frederik and Princess Mary.

Inside the UNICEF supply Division: will and Kate join UNICEF

By Martha Tattersall

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A mEssAgE From thE CEo

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As I reflect back on the past year I will remember a year of enormous change. The 7 billionth person on the planet was born. Uprisings across the Middle East, led by a new generation using all the technology the modern world has made available, demanded an end to political and economic oppression. The Global Financial Crisis continued to profoundly impact the lives of hundreds of millions of people around the world. The tragedies of the Fukushima earthquake and its terrible aftermath shocked us all.

We were moved to action as the perfect storm of drought, food shortages, fuel price spikes and conflict saw more than 8 million people in desperate need for nutrition, clean water, shelter and support across the Horn of Africa.

In every instance UNICEF was there to lend a hand. Wherever and whenever children are in need, UNICEF is there to do whatever is needed.

Yet UNICEF’s work is much more than responding to emergencies. Thanks to support from our Global Parents, we are making great strides in these underlying sustainable programs which are core to our mission of ensuring the rights of all children are realised. But there are still many children falling through the gaps.

Our flagship annual report, State of the World’s Children, this year focused on children in urban environments. For so long, the image of poverty that traditionally comes to mind is that of a child in a rural village. But cities are the setting for some of the greatest disparities for children’s right to health and nutrition, clean water and sanitation, education and protection.

In some cases, the very poorest children in the most marginalised urban communities may well be worse off than children in rural areas. Because averages lump everyone together, the poverty of some is obscured by the wealth of others.

Take for example Bangladesh where the under-five mortality rate for children in slums was found to be 79 per cent higher than the overall urban rate, and 44 per cent higher than the rural rate.

We must all work to ensure these children do not miss out. There are so many opportunities to address these disparities because children in these urban areas often have better access to education, health services, technology, social activities, quality food and water and so on, the problem is that they cannot access nor benefit from them.

UNICEF believes the onus is on governments at all levels to place children’s rights at the centre of urban decision-making and ensure that those who are currently left out have equitable access to such services.

Thanks to your commitment to the world’s children, together we make a difference for these children and all children around the world.

Norman GillespieChief Executive

A rUsh oF ACColADEs As gEoFFrEy NAmED AUstrAlIAN oF thE yEAr

UNICEF Australia Goodwill Ambassador and acclaimed actor, Geoffrey Rush has been named 2012 Australian of the Year.

Mr Rush has been a UNICEF Ambassador for 15 years and is a strong advocate for children’s rights.

Supporting UNICEF’s response to the Pakistan floods in 2010, Geoffrey Rush, said: “Pakistan is experiencing its worst floods in living memory. The number of people affected is greater than the Boxing Day tsunami and the Haiti earthquake combined. UNICEF is on the ground providing food, clean water and medicine to more than 1.3 million people per day.”

Geoffrey Rush has also lent his talents to help raise awareness and funds for the East Africa famine and silent emergencies – those that do not make the headlines.

In 2011, he appeared in UNICEF Australia’s Believe in Zero campaign video, speaking out for the number of children who die needlessly each day from preventable diseases.

UNICEF Australia congratulates Geoffrey Rush on this immense honour, and thanks him for his continued work to realise a world fit for children.

By Martha Tattersall

brIDgINg thE DIgItAl DIvIDEUNICEF’s innovative Digital Drum has been chosen as one of Time Magazine’s 50 Best Inventions of 2011.

The Digital Drum is a solar-powered information kiosk made entirely of locally-available recycled metal oil drums. Installed in Uganda, it’s a sustainable solution to increase access to information for youth and their communities.

Estimates suggest less than 10 per cent of Ugandans currently use the Internet, the majority living in rural settings with little or no access to information about health, education, job training, and protection from violence and abuse.

The drum’s computers are preloaded with dynamic multimedia content on health, education, employment training and other services.

“Innovative technologies like these actually help create a digital bridge between those who have access to the Internet and those who don’t, in a low-cost sturdy fashion,” says Sharad Sapra, UNICEF Representative in Uganda.

UNICEF Uganda aims to install Digital Drums in over 100 outdoor locations over the next two years, with the eventual goal of making the Drum cheap and easy enough to manufacture for every city and village in Uganda.

UNICEF strives to be at the forefront of social innovation, addressing problems affecting people at the base of the social pyramid and using solutions that solve the problems in a transformative way (“innovation”). Stay tuned for more innovative UNICEF projects.

By Bohdana Szydlik

mAKE ChIlDrEN thE CorNErstoNE oF UrbAN DECIsIoN-mAKINg, UrgEs UNICEFCities are failing hundreds of millions of children, leaving them virtually invisible and excluded from vital services, according to UNICEF’s latest report.

When her elderly mother suffered a stroke, Bronwyn Peyton made a peculiar bargain: if her mother put the effort into walking again, she would train for the City2Surf. Though that was a number of years ago, Mrs Peyton still participates in this annual run in her mother’s honour.

This year, she joined Team UNICEF in the City2Surf to raise funds for UNICEF-supported education programs around the world.

“I am a strong believer that education is power, and through educational programs, children around the world can bring about change in many, many areas,” said the mother of three. “I teach in a school where children often take for granted what they have and the opportunities open to them. To see the delight on a child’s face with just the gift of a book, a pencil, a soccer ball is worth the effort that the City2Surf takes.”

You too can help improve education around the world by joining Team UNICEF. Sign up today at www.unicef.org.au/teamUNICEF

By Lin Taylor

syDNEy FC AND UNICEF: lEvEllINg thE PlAyINg FIElDSydney FC has joined global football giants Barcelona and Manchester United in a partnership with UNICEF to improve child rights. Kicking off the new partnership at their match against Wellington Phoenix in February, the players proudly displayed the UNICEF logo on their shirts.

Over 10,000 people turned up to the match including 400 UNICEF Global Parents, who were offered free tickets as a thank you for the work they do in supporting the rights of children and young people all over the world.

Clovelly mum and UNICEF Global Parent, Ann Reich, who attended the match with her son, said: “My seven-year-old son is a mad football player and will be so thrilled that UNICEF, which is on his Barcelona Messi kit, now has a partnership with Sydney FC!”

UNICEF believes that sport plays a critical role in children’s lives and that fostering The World Game can bring about positive change in communities.

“Nelson Mandela said that ‘Sport has the power to change the world’ and Sydney FC’s partnership with UNICEF reflects how we are using sport to bring people and communities together around the globe,” said UNICEF CEO Norman Gillespie. You too can help make it right for all children by becoming a UNICEF Global Parent.

By Bohdana Szydlik

Sydney FC fans and UNICEF Ambassador Brett Emerton at the kick off of the UNICEF and Sydney FC partnership.

ChANgE For gooD ComEs oF AgEQantas and UNICEF are turning 21! From humble beginnings on a selection of domestic flights, the Change for Good program now celebrates its coming of age helping transform lives around the world.

The Change for Good initiative, the first of its kind on an Australian airline, asks passengers to place foreign and local change in envelopes provided. Since it began, it has raised a staggering $25 million to help vulnerable children around the world.

“The generous donations of Qantas passengers have an immense impact on the lives of children,” said UNICEF Australia Chief Executive, Norman Gillespie. “I am so proud of all that Change for Good has achieved in its 21 years. It shows the impact of a united belief – and that even the smallest contribution can help make a world of difference to children in need.”

You can contribute to the UNICEF Change for Good on any of 5,000 weekly Qantas flights by placing your foreign currency in the envelopes provided.

By Bohdana Szydlik

meet City2surf fundraising hero, bronwyn Peyton

By Martha Tattersall

State of the World’s Children 2012 investigates urban poverty in developing countries, finding that child well-being averages are masking the widespread disparities that exist in cities for children’s rates of survival, nutritional status and education access.

Today, more than half the world’s 7 billion people live in urban areas and, by 2050, it is predicted two-thirds of the population will live in cities.

While many children do enjoy the advantages that urban life offers – including access to education,

medical and recreational facilities – hardships experienced by children in poor urban communities are often concealed by statistical averages.

UNICEF is urging governments to put children at the heart of urban planning – and to improve services for all.

Read State of the World’s Children: Children in an Urban World at www.unicef.org.au

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The First Grader is an inspiring, uplifting true story of a Kenyan man’s dream to go to school.

Kimani Maruge, played by Oliver Litondo, is an 84-year-old man who has never gone to school. In 2004 he responds to the government’s announcement of free universal education by calmly presenting himself at a primary school and demanding to enrol. Initially turned away by the teacher he persists, even wearing a baggy, adult-sized uniform. Maruge is a Mau Mau veteran and is desperate to learn to read at this late stage of his life.

This inspirational film highlights the importance of education for every person. Around the world

The road that leads Netsayi Bote to the households in her village is long and bumpy. On this grey morning, surprisingly cold for April, she is dressed in her new uniform, hat and health kit in tow as she sets off for the day.

Yet despite the tough terrain, Netsayi is thrilled to be on the road, particularly since the addition of her new bicycle.

Netsayi is part of a troupe of formidable women who have become the heros of the primary health care system in Zimbabwe, a country riddled with political fragility and a deteriorated basic social service sector.

Today, she will visit mothers and babies in her community, spreading messages in disease prevention and checking up on their health and wellbeing. Village Health Workers like Netsayi are the lifeblood of the health system, empowering families to strengthen their own health through preventative measures. They are the ever-unbreakable link between rural communities and local health services.

Yet up until three months ago, far distances between households meant this role, for which

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67 million children don’t receive the opportunity to go to school. While this number has dropped significantly over the past ten years, it is often children from poor, rural areas that miss out.

Schools for Africa, a partnership between UNICEF, the Nelson Mandela Foundation and the Hamburg Society, aims to see all children within some of the poorest countries in Africa attending school.

UNICEF is working with governments, local authorities, communities and other partners in 11 African countries to ensure all children have access to a quality education.

she is paid a measly $14 stipend per month, was inefficient and time-consuming.

“Before this bicycle, I was doing my round at the village four times per week. I am now doing two days and [then] I am finished,” says Netsayi.

Improving the access and the quality of care as these committed community members do, is indispensable in a country facing some of the most challenging health statistics on earth: almost 15 per cent of the population are living with HIV; over 1.3 million children are orphans; and 100 children under five die every day from preventable causes.

UNICEF Zimbabwe has begun to distribute bicycles to Village health workers in ten districts in Zimbabwe, with the aim of providing every village health worker with a bicycle by the end of the year.

It is an investment in the people of this resilient country, particularly if all village health workers have the determination and resolve of Netsayi: “They chose me because I laugh with everybody, I like everybody, I can hear some issues from someone and I [can] keep the secret. They chose me because I have a heart.”

Entertainment: the First graderMore than 300 UNICEF Global Parents recently attended a special preview screening of The First Grader. UNICEF Australia’s Communications Officer, Bohdana Szydlik, reviews the film.

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Jenn watson @jenKwatson Why hasn’t Aust. signed this yet? @JuliaGillard RT @unicefaustralia A complaints mechanism for children http://nblo.gs/uz1JG #childrights

Essential vision @EssentialVision Can $1 save a life? What on earth is Plumpy Nut? @unicefaustralia has the answers #3Q http://tiny.cc/fo0dn

tara moss @Tara_Moss My piece on BFHI and the importance of ‘baby friendly’ hospitals: http://www.essentialbaby.com.au/baby/breastfeeding/why-making-hospitals-baby-friendly-matters-20120227-1tyco.html #bfing ping @unicefaustralia

Aman salar @AmanTalwar Thanks @unicefaustralia for the #SydneyFC football tickets... It was good fun. http://pic.twitter.com/hcCwJu31

Jenn watson @jenKwatson Wonderful to see Australia’s @SydneyFC partner with @UNICEF to improve #childrights in Asia http://nblo.gs/ub4t8 @unicefaustralia #football

Eovaai @Eovaai I got free tickets to the next SydneyFC home game because I am a UNICEF global parent! What a great idea! @unicefaustralia

melissa hoyer @melissahoyer @unicefaustralia so glad to be a Global Parent for UNICEF . You can too by visiting http://www.unicef.org.au

les murray @lesmurraySBS Sydney FC wearing UNICEF logo tonight. Brilliant.

By Martha Tattersall