A Kimberly-Clark employee’s view from the field

As Kimberly-Clark Brazil’s liaison for UNICEF, Jefferson Correia has had the opportunity to see UNICEF’s child survival initiatives in Brazil firsthand. In Jeff’s own words: “This role has given me the chance to better understand UNICEF’s projects and the country where I live.”

In Brazil, Kimberly-Clark and UNICEF have been partners since 2007. Since then, Kimberly-Clark has partnered with UNICEF by supporting projects to address the needs of indigenous children and adolescents living in the Amazon and quilombolas (Afro-Brazilian) populations in the desert-like Semi-Arid region. These two populations represent the lowest child development rates in the country, live far away from where the resources are, and are quite distant from authorities, statistics and public opinion. Despite all of the difficulties facing these children, I was surprised to see how much potential exists, thanks to UNICEF’s efforts and the support offered by local NGOs. I witnessed these young people attending schools and fighting to improve illiteracy rates. They are receiving quality educations, related to their local culture and context, which are enabling them to become conscious citizens as adults.

© UNICEF/BRZ/Luciana Serra

Participants in the Urban Platform launch event created a colorful web together to show how this innovative program is connecting all sectors of society to make a difference for kids.

Another project that brings me professional fulfillment as well as personal satisfaction is the new Urban Platform Initiative, which is driven to provide a better life to vulnerable children living in big cities in Brazil. Despite presenting good life-quality indices, city life hides very high inequities between the rich and the poor.
UNICEF designed the Urban Platform Initiative as a civic engagement program with the help of local NGOs, representatives from the government, private companies, celebrities, athletes, individuals who have sympathy for the cause and, especially, young people from favelas (high-need, urban communities). The program gave power to participants to build this platform together, deciding on the procedures to be followed, goals, plans of action, and strategies to assure political engagement. It has grown to cover over 120 communities in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, with each community registering itself voluntarily in the Platform. This program now reaches over 2 million people!

The Urban Platform Initiative was officially launched in July in Sao Paolo and Rio de Janeiro in a very beautiful and warm atmosphere. It is rare to see so many different people united with a mutual goal, but that was the feeling during the launch event. On that day, I felt very proud to belong to Kimberly-Clark, a company that enables me to play such a leading role in helping change peoples’ lives for better and giving them some hope.

In our daily routines, there are many tasks that have to be handled with efficiency and professionalism. However, my work with these projects has shown me that putting hope in the eyes of a child challenges us to reach beyond those day-to-day practices, to detach our minds from our hearts and to add a great deal of soul.