A Celebration to Benefit the Children of Argentina

The annual event “Un Sol Para los Chicos” is a highly recognized telethon benefiting UNICEF programs in Argentina. Held every August during “El Dia de los Niños,” the national day dedicated to children, the event is broadcast nationally in conjunction with the El Trece network. This August's record-breaking event embodied the spirit of a nation eager to help the country's most in need, raising an astounding AR$14,309,929 (over US$3,000,000). Inaugurated in 1992, the telethon has become the flagship UNICEF event in Argentina. This year marked the 21st anniversary of the lively event, which included performances and appearances by highly recognized celebrities and special guests such as Ricardo Montaner, Luis Fonsi, Ismael Serrano and the group Teen Angels, in addition to live games and raffles. The event took place at Luna Park in Buenos Aires and was held in conjunction with events in other provinces, which were all  raising funds at the same time.  All proceeds will benefit UNICEF programs in Argentina. UNICEF Argentina spearheaded over 60 initiatives in 2011 in the areas of child protection, education and nutrition, benefiting over 400,000 children and adolescents. While robust economic growth has helped to lower poverty and unemployment rates in Argentina substantially, inequalities among provinces continue to exist. For example, the rate of maternal mortality—which stands at 4 per 10,000 live births—is relatively high in relation to the available health services in the country. These inequalities have created many challenges for the country’s most vulnerable, therefore making UNICEF´s work critical to the well-being of children nationwide. Among the many innovative programs implemented by UNICEF Argentina is the “Cities for Education” initiative, which promotes access to education for all, and is made possible by a partnership between UNICEF, provincial and local authorities, and non-governmental organizations. The initiative provides training for teachers and school administrators on sequence learning, which promotes holistic learning through the use of words and concepts that are familiar to the children. Instead of learning single letters, the children identify each letter with words and sentences that give meaning to the concepts they are learning. Most recently, on the secondary school level, UNICEF implemented daycare services in high schools in the province of Buenos Aires in order to increase the graduation rates of teenage mothers. This past year, 300 students and their children benefited from this program. UNICEF Argentina dedicates a significant amount of expertise and resources in reaching those hardest to reach, particularly in indigenous communities, where violence, abuse and exploitation are prevalent. To this end, this year UNICEF established three community centers in Amaicha, an indigenous community in the province of Tucuman. Dedicated to providing community members with the necessary education and training to understand their legal rights, the centers will help to empower indigenous communities to fight for those without a voice. For more information on UNICEF´s lifesaving work in Argentina, please visit: unicef.org/argentina.