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| © US Fund for UNICEF/Burnham | |
| A Swazi child has a meal while visiting a Neighborhood Care Point. |
This weekend I will be meeting with 4 teenagers: Abigail, Lance, Anna and Jared, who are members of Key Club International, the largest high school service organization in the world.
For years, Key Club has been supporting UNICEF through the Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF program. Three years ago their leadership (made up entirely of high school students) voted to designate all funds raised toward HIV/AIDS programs in Africa. In just two years, they've raised nearly $1 million, most of which was designated to Kenya. Last year, their international board committed to raise $2 million to support the Swazi Children Care Project, which supports Swaziland’s most vulnerable children.
Swaziland has the world's highest HIV infection rate among adults, but it's children who are most affected. The Swazi Children Care Project supports Neighborhood Care Points, which provide a warm meal, education, health services and more to those children who might not otherwise have access to these services. In just one year, Key Club has raised nearly $700,000!
Abigail, Lance, Anna and Jared have been appointed the 2008-2009 Key Club Youth Ambassadors for UNICEF, and are coming to New York for a train-the-trainer session. While here, they will learn about UNICEF and about the Swazi Children Care Project so that they can help share the story of the children in Swaziland with their members, at meetings, conventions and throughout the year. I am looking forward to meeting them and working with them over the next year. Next week I’ll let you know how our training went and share a picture of the new Ambassadors.