Fieldnotes

Only 3 spots left for the NYC Marathon!

2009-07-02T19:05:52Z

Are you a runner? Be a part of the movement, the biggest movement in New York! This year UNICEF is participating in the 2009 ING New York City Marathon in November. We’re looking for committed individuals to join Team UNICEF!

As the organization that has saved more children's lives than any other humanitarian organization, UNICEF is committed to doing whatever it takes to ensure the survival of children. Each member will be raising a minimum of $3,500. Everyday 25,000 children die from preventable causes; Team UNICEF is helping us turn that number to zero.

Team UNICEF spots are going quickly so apply as soon as possible. If you or someone you know is interested in applying for one of Team UNICEF's guaranteed runner entries, please click here today!

Please email volunteer@unicefusa.org with any questions regarding your interest in joining Team UNICEF.

Have you read Every Child?

2009-07-01T22:02:11Z


	Every Child Summer 2009

My colleague Adam Fifield and I spend a lot of time writing about child survival issues. And most of the writing we do isn't for this blog—it's for speeches and publications that also play a major role in telling folks about UNICEF's crucial work. Our magazine, Every Child, probably takes up most of our focus. We may spend months researching and writing articles that convey the extraordinary range of what UNICEF does for children around the world.

It's that range—that scope—that keeps me perpetually impressed by UNICEF. At any given moment, UNICEF may be vaccinating up to a million children in Sierra Leone, getting emergency supplies to cyclone victims in Bangladesh, creating safe schools for children in Afghanistan, helping former child soldiers find work in Columbia, distributing hundreds of thousands of bed nets to protect children against malaria in Nigeria—the list goes on and on and on. Which means we never run out of things to write about.

]]> Our latest issue of Every Child is hot off the presses. You can read a digital version by clicking on this link. The main feature for this issue—"Defeating the Top Child Killers"—focuses on the five biggest reasons 25,000 die every day: acute respiratory infections (like pneumonia), diarrhea, newborn disorders, malaria and malnutrition. It explores why these child killers are so lethal, and the far-reaching and innovative ways UNICEF is fighting them.

For this story, I interviewed UNICEF's Chief of Health, Dr. Peter Salama. He's endlessly knowledgeable when it comes to UNICEF's work to combat threats to child survival. And he has wonderful stories from his work in the field. Back in 2002, for instance, he was head of UNICEF's Health and Nutrition programs for Afghanistan. That year, he oversaw a massive health campaign that got child survival commodities—things like vaccines, micronutrients and bed nets—to 90 percent of all children in Afghanistan. It's particularly amazing when you consider how much of the country is not accessible by road. But volunteers traveled by donkey (thousands of them!) and foot to reach the remotest corners of the country. And the health campaign was a huge success.

In addition to the feature, this Every Child has an article on the crisis in Sudan, the story of a young woman looking after her orphaned relatives in Swaziland, a field trip account from Mozambique, stories by U.S. Fund for UNICEF donors like you, and more. If you've never seen the magazine before, I really encourage you to take a look.

No Ordinary Meeting

2009-06-26T19:24:14Z

As a former journalist, I've been to a lot of meetings. School boards, planning commissions, city councils, all manner of community gatherings. Some were contentious, some productive, but the majority fell into one or all of these three categories: tedious, forgettable, and decidedly unremarkable.

Which is why I'm so delighted to report that the U.S. Fund for UNICEF’s annual meeting earlier this month at New York's Desmond Tutu Center didn't really feel like a meeting at all. The extraordinary event—which featured moving testimonials from our partners and fascinating firsthand reports from UNICEF staff—packed the emotional power of a stirring ceremony or rally.

The meeting's theme—"Believe in Zero"— couldn't have been timelier. Though UNICEF has helped cut the worldwide child mortality rate by more than half over the last fifty years, 25,000 children still die every day from avoidable causes. Because of the economic crisis, deadly threats to children are actually increasing. It was galvanizing to stand in a room surrounded by so many people who believe that there is nothing more important than saving a child’s life. I'm convinced that, with more people like this, we can come closer and closer to the day when the number of children dying from preventable causes is not 25,000—it's zero.

U.S. Fund for UNICEF President and C.E.O Caryl Stern at the 2009 Annual Meeting.

A series of speakers, including U.S. Fund President and CEO Caryl M. Stern, Board Chair Anthony Pantaleoni, and Nightline co-anchor Cynthia McFadden, told the packed general session crowd about notable accomplishments, remaining challenges, and the need—now more than ever—to remain focused on our mission.

]]> One of the day's indisputable highlights was the presentation by UNICEF's Zimbabwe Representative Roeland Monasch, who described UNICEF's efforts to stanch multiple crises in the deeply impoverished country. In Zimbabwe, where 16 percent of the population is living with HIV/AIDS and 25 percent of children have lost one or both parents, the challenges are already daunting. Add political violence, hyperinflation, a collapsing health system, crumbling infrastructure, widespread school closures, food insecurity affecting seven million people, and one of the world's largest cholera outbreaks ever recorded—and you have a massive calamity.

The audience listened raptly as Monasch chronicled the sweeping response of UNICEF and its partners. UNICEF has supplied 80 cholera centers with needed provisions; provided 1,400 health clinics with essential medicines; distributed 200,000 gallons of clean water daily; drilled 200 wells; paid stipends that allowed doctors and nurses to return to work; supported 70 therapeutic feeding centers treating malnourished children; helped immunize two million children against polio, measles and other diseases; and supplied 2,500 schools with pens, pencils, books and other learning implements.

UNICEF's Zimbabwe Representative Roeland Monasch.

Monasch noted that UNICEF's U.S. supporters were the first to respond to Zimbabwe's emergency appeal. "With your money, we basically started to set up the cholera tents," he told the crowd.

He received a standing ovation when he ticked off the results of this hard work: cholera epidemic under control, all children immunized, hospitals re-opened and staffed again, 90 percent of children back in school. "So the children have a future," he said.

UNICEF's Regional Director for Geneva Philip O'Brien noted that the stories recounted by Monasch and two other colleagues represented "compelling examples of how the lives of young children are made better by what we do, and what you do."

Attendees also visited a "Believe in Zero" photo both and a UNICEF tent set up in the lobby. The tent contained more than 20 examples of Inspired Gifts—items that UNICEF uses to save and improve children's lives every day.

Are you inspired? If so, go here.

United We Serve: Harlem Youth Learn About the DRC

2009-06-26T17:22:16Z

In response to President Obama’s ‘United We Serve’ call to community service, cabinet member Susan E. Rice, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, and representatives from the U.S. Fund for UNICEF hosted an interactive classroom at the Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ) on June 22nd. The Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ) is a nationally recognized non-profit organization, which provides a unique, holistic network of support in Harlem for 10,000 children - from birth through college - including public charter schools, as well as after-school, pre-kindergarten, social-service and health programs.

Ambassador Rice looks on as Kirsten Sheldon from the US Fund for UNICEF discusses the importance of water and sanitation with HCZ students.

Ambassador Rice spoke to over 120 HCZ students about her career and recent trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The 8th and 9th grade students asked Ambassador Rice a range of questions, covering her career and working relationship with President Obama, to global issues and the children of DRC. Cynthia McCaffrey, Senior Vice President of Programs for the US Fund for UNICEF also spoke to the students about her experience in the refugee camps and what the US Fund for UNICEF is doing to assist with the humanitarian crisis in the DRC.

The students had the opportunity to see first-hand, life-saving products that may be purchased through the UNICEF Inspired Gifts program. The gifts on display included insecticide treated mosquito nets, school-in-a-box kits, first-aid kits, nutritional supplements, measles vaccines and more. US Fund staff were present at each interactive station to educate students about the importance of each item. This opportunity provided students with an engaging and educational experience. After students visited each station they were asked to recommend items to be sent to the children of the DRC based on what they learned at each interactive classroom.

It was exciting to see Ambassador Rice, US Fund staff, HCZ staff and HCZ students participate in rich dialogue about child survival.

College students attend Campus Initiative Leadership Summit

2009-06-23T23:33:28Z

Last weekend, 65 college students, who are members and leaders of our UNICEF Campus Initiative, gathered in New York City for a weekend of learning, connecting, and acting.

Campus Conference Attendees show their commitment to achieving Zero child deaths from preventable causes.

Students from all over the country gathered at the U.S. Fund for UNICEF offices and were treated to presentations from UNICEF officers who work in the field, U. S. Fund for UNICEF Senior staff, and program experts who spoke about our volunteer programs, Campus Initiative, Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF, and the Tap Project. Breakout sessions offered topics such as special event planning, a showing of the Final Inch—a documentary about the efforts to eradicate polio in India, and more.

The students know us well, and truly believe that with their help, the number of preventable deaths of children can be reduced to zero. In fact, they asked to have their picture taken to demonstrate their commitment!

Key Club visits Uruguay

2009-06-19T16:52:50Z

Last week I traveled to Uruguay with 4 Key Club members to learn more about UNICEF’s programs there. Key Club International has recently committed to raise funds for programs for adolescents in Uruguay, and we spent four days learning about life in Uruguay and UNICEF’s efforts there. Pictured here are the four Key Club members as we arrived on our first day, Jared, Abigail, Anna and Lance.

Key Club members Jared, Abigail, Anna and Lance.

A middle income country, with 3.3 million people, nearly half of children under age 18 live in poverty or extreme poverty. Only 40% of students enrolled in the first year finish the basic cycle on time and only one in every three 20-year old Uruguayans graduates from high school. We visited high schools, trade schools, and most frequently a model center for teens, called Mandala Vos, which offers a safe and productive place for teen agers to learn skills, express themselves through the arts, and make friends. The Key Club representatives were welcomed immediately, and while they did not speak the same language, through laughter and music and gestures, became very connected. Many jokes were made, many meals were shared, and I could see that the Key Clubbers understood the impact that this trip would make on their lives when we returned home.

UNICEF Uruguay is doing great work, meeting teens where they are, in providing them opportunities for healthy and safe environments that help them stay in school, return to school, or develop skills. We heard first hand from the young people who go to the center that UNICEF, through Mandala Vos, has changed their lives for the better, and they were happy to hear we would be funding more centers in the future. When I get everyone’s photos, I will post again about the great work that UNICEF is doing in Uruguay.

NewsNet: Don't forget about Somalia

2009-06-18T18:36:38Z

I wrote about the deteriorating humanitarian emergency in Somalia—and how funding shortfalls were hampering UNICEF’s crucial work there—more than a year ago. In a March 15, 2008 Fieldnotes post, I cited a BBC story that quoted the country’s then UNICEF Representative, Christian Balslev-Olesen, calling Somalia’s plight the “forgotten crisis.”

Even though the suffering of Somalia’s people has only grown worse since then, much of the world continues to largely ignore it.

The vast majority of recent media coverage has focused on—you guessed it—pirates. Fighting between government forces and militants and concerns about the country becoming a terrorist safe haven have also generated considerable press. But little attention has been paid to the enormous human toll of Somalia’s woes. Read these articles from The Christian Science Monitor, Reuters, and Voice of America.

]]> Relentless violence, extreme poverty, drought, rising malnutrition and dangerous conditions for aid workers have created an unbelievably harsh environment for children and their families. More than 3.2 million people in Somalia now rely on humanitarian assistance—a 300 percent increase since early 2007. Recent violence has exacerbated an already desperate situation; last month, fighting in the capital Mogadishu displaced 122,000 people. In May, militiamen raided a UNICEF compound in the city of Jowhar and destroyed and looted humanitarian supplies—including cold chain vaccine storage equipment. This and other acts of aggression against UNICEF and other aid agencies have made efforts to help the people of Somalia—whose very survival often depends on those efforts—extraordinarily difficult.

Despite these mammoth challenges, UNICEF has still been able to make huge strides in saving and improving children’s lives in Somalia. Since December, 2008, UNICEF and its partners have provided vaccinations, Vitamin A supplements, nutritional screening and a host of other health services to more than 1 million children and more than 788,000 women of child-bearing age. As the menace of malnutrition has intensified, UNICEF and its partners have reached more than 126,000 children with emergency, life-saving therapeutic foods. UNICEF has also trucked safe water to scores of vulnerable people and has also helped distribute blankets, soap, jerry cans, and insecticide-treated bed nets to protect children against malaria.

If you would like to support UNICEF’s work in Somalia, please visit this page.

Cyclone cripples south-western Bangladesh

2009-06-17T17:51:07Z

Things have been so busy around here lately, we haven't had time to write about Cyclone Aila—a monstrous storm that ripped through Bangladesh on May 25, leaving millions displaced or homeless. The cyclone hit hardest in the particularly low-lying south-western part of the country (though, on average, the entire country is less than 39 feet above sea level). Multiple rivers converge in that area, making it highly susceptible to storms and flooding. In fact, the region is still recovering from Cyclone Sidr, which struck in 2007.

In the wake of Cyclone Sidr in Bangladesh, UNICEF provided emergency supplies like the high-energy biscuits this girl is carrying. Now UNICEF is rushing to get clean water and other resources to the same region, recently hit by Cyclone Alia.

Cyclone Aila washed away embankments that normally protect waterside villages from incoming high tides. Now huts that survived the storm itself are continuously flooded. Families are camping out on the highest ground they can find, but they're running out of food and safe, drinkable water.

]]> It's one of the great and depressing ironies of floods: often the biggest danger for those surrounded by water is a lack of water. Floodwater quickly becomes too contaminated by dead animals and waste to be safely drinkable. Those who have no access to clean water and—out of desperation—drink the dirty water usually become terribly sick with diarrheal diseases. The diarrhea, in turn, leaves them acutely dehydrated and in need of water. It's a vicious cycle and, without a supply of clean water, it quickly leads to death. As diarrhea and water-borne diseases spread, children are likely to be hit the hardest because they may lack the nutrition and immunity needed to fight off these debilitating diseases.

Houses submerged as a result of Cyclone Alia.

To thwart the spread of diarrheal diseases, UNICEF has provided the funding for the immediate provision of safe water, supplies and proper sanitation facilities. As the secondary damages from the cyclone become clearer, UNICEF field offices are also planning additional provisions of water, plastic sheets (for temporary shelters) and medicine.

As I've written before, UNICEF is constantly responding to multiple emergencies at once. But I'm continually impressed by the juggling abilities of the UNICEF Operations Center (OPSCEN), which tracks emergencies all around the world day and night, and helps coordinate initial response amongst field offices, supply division and UNICEF HQ. And it should go without saying that we're all a bit awed by the round-the-clock work of UNICEF field staff in response to events as destructive as Cyclone Aila. These folks are tireless. And fearless.

Bangladesh's geography makes it particular susceptible to storms and flooding—in fact, floods in 1998 left a full two-thirds of the country under water. It's low elevation means that climate change and rising ocean levels will continue to create problems for the country in the future. Whatever happens in Bangladesh, though, UNICEF will be there to help.

A Walk for Water

2009-06-15T20:21:05Z

On June 10th the TeachUNICEF team and other community members spoke to over 500 New York City youth about the importance of clean water. We reflected on our own water usage and some of the challenges people around the world face when trying to access clean water. Led by a marching band, we then joined the youth in walking across the Brooklyn Bridge to simulate the distance many people around the world walk to access clean water. Youth carried signs and chanted, educating New Yorkers as they passed. It was moving to see so many people unite for such an important cause.

New York city youth walking across the Brooklyn Bridge to simulate the distance many people around the world walk to access clean water.

TeachUNICEF and the U.S. Fund for UNICEF are committed to global water and sanitation issues. To learn more about these issues and download free classroom resources click here.

A UNICEF staff member is killed in Pakistan

2009-06-12T16:21:00Z

We're still reeling from the death of UNICEF staff member Perseveranda So. In case you haven't seen the news, So was killed in the massive car bomb explosion that hit the Pearl Continental Hotel in Peshawar, Pakistan on Tuesday. The hotel was acting as home base for many aid workers, including more than 25 staffers from UN agencies. All told, 5 of the 17 people killed in the blast were with UN agencies responding to the region's growing humanitarian crisis.

Pakistan, 2009: On 1 June, a girl attends school in a tent classroom in the Chota Lahore camp in Swabi District, in North-West Frontier Province (NWFP). An estimated 877 children are enrolled in the school. UNICEF is helping to provide education support for displaced children in camps and host communities. The Chota Lahore camp is one of many created in the last few weeks to accommodate people fleeing the current conflict.

We all know that working in volatile countries brings personal risk. Just a few months ago, Kate Horton blogged about the dangers UNICEF field staff often face. And the fact that some die while on the job. But knowing the dangers doesn't make news like this any easier. When colleagues like Perseveranda So—"Persy" to those who knew her—are killed in violent and targeted attacks it feels particularly tragic. And just, well, unfair. Those who are working tirelessly to help save and improve lives should not be felled by those who seek only to destroy lives.

]]> Perseveranda So was UNICEF's Chief of Education in Pakistan. All told, she had been with for UNICEF for 15 years and, as Ann Veneman described in a recent statement, "She was a dedicated and highly committed staff member, who worked with grace and determination…earning the respect and admiration of all those with whom she came into contact." As Chief of Education, she strove to make sure that all children in Pakistan—especially girls—had access to schooling. In Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan, UNICEF's commitment to providing girls with an education has been unwavering in the face of increasing violence.

The fighting between Taliban militants and Pakistan government forces (as well as civilian militias, fed up with the Taliban's attacks) has destabilized the northern region of Pakistan considerably. UN agencies and aid organizations are doing their best to help the more than 2 million people (most of them children) who have fled the violence. And the attack on the Pearl Continental Hotel will do nothing to deter all the extraordinary field staff in northern Pakistan. If anything Perseveranda So and others' deaths will inspire them to work even harder to bring relief to those in the region. But we mourn their loss. We grieve for their families. And, with them in mind, we rededicate ourselves to child survival.

Putting children first in Tanzania

2009-06-11T19:12:59Z

The past decade in Tanzania has been marked by successful reforms, steady economic growth, and political stability. Despite this progress, Tanzania’s challenge for the future is to create better living conditions for the rural poor, control the spread of HIV/AIDS, address the needs of the largest refugee population in Africa (due to neighboring conflicts), and through education develop the next generation of leaders. Sonya Renner was part of a U.S. Fund delegation from Texas and Georgia and witnessed firsthand how UNICEF impacts the lives of Tanzania’s children, and through them, Tanzania’s future.

Is it a childhood luxury to be able to attend primary school? Are dreams for the future a privilege for a limited few? While the American public education system and its schools face challenges, particularly now, we have an advantage that many countries don’t have: a long and deep-rooted belief that quality education is a right for all children. We work to insure that education is free and compulsory. We teach our children that they can—and should—dream of a future.

Students at a school not in the child friendly school pilot program talked of their need for more classrooms, windows, floors, desks, books, paper, and pencils.

UNICEF believes that every child around the world has an equal right to education and should dream of a better future. This can become a reality for more children through UNICEF’s child friendly school model, which focuses not just on academic skills but also teaches basic life skills—lifesaving skills—such as hand-washing, hygiene, and preventing the spread and impact of HIV/AIDS. The child friendly school program then can have a major role in achieving zero child deaths from preventable causes.

]]> Across Tanzania, 50 schools participate in the child friendly school (CFS) pilot program, and on our UNICEF field visit we visited two of them: Isangije Primary School in the Magu District and Kizuiani Primary School in the Bagamoyo District. We visited a third school that is not in the CFS program (although it does benefit from another UNICEF program to improve toilet facilities).

When I saw the child friendly school in action, I finally and truly understood what it meant in making transformative changes in a Tanzanian child’s life. I saw obvious and substantial differences in the facilities, equipment, and supplies. Even more importantly, I saw remarkable differences between the children, in their confidence, their dreams, their understanding of the issues that affect their lives, their leadership and participation, and their realization that staying in school was vital to their future and to their country’s future.

Students participate in the classroom of a child friendly school, Kizuiani Primary School in the Bagamoyo District.

In the child friendly schools, we heard from student leaders and members of the School Committee made up of concerned and involved parents, teachers, and local leaders. Newly formed student councils participate in making decisions about issues that affect them and organize programs to assist other students where needed, such as a school feeding program for those without adequate nutrition at home. Student performance and attendance has improved, along with school results; children are more likely to stay in school, pass to the next grade, and continue on to secondary school. Teaching is at a higher level of quality, and there is a commitment to providing adequate classrooms, desks, and books (in the case of the latter, aiming for one of each text per child).

And although challenges remain, we were most heartened by the voice of Tanzania’s future: children whose dreams include becoming doctors, lawyers, teachers, government ministers, and even the first female president of her country.

UNICEF and 12for12K team up in June

2009-06-10T20:12:18Z

We’ve been chosen as the featured charity for June in the 12for12K challenge! The reason for this partnership is simple: No child should ever die from a preventable cause. Every day 25,000 do. 12for12k is partnering with UNICEF USA to help bring that number to zero.

The 12for12k Challenge is the combination of social media and fund-raising that aims to change the lives of millions worldwide. How will 12for12K do this? By using the power and outreach of social media to spread the word. From Twitter to Facebook, blogs to social media newsrooms and more, the 12for12k Challenge will be helping UNICEF USA connect with as wide an audience as possible.

Help us reach our goal this month by posting the challenge to your Facebook page, tweeting about it on Twitter, or mentioning us on your blog. Follow @12for12k on Twitter for news about an upcoming “twitterthon” benefitting us.

The more people we reach, the more lives we can save. So, while you’re face-spacing and tweeting the day away, please consider helping us help the children of the world.

U.S. Fund for UNICEF Partners with ONE to support clean water

2009-06-09T14:54:23Z

If you’ve been reading the U.S. Fund for UNICEF website, or followed the TAP Project, you know about the importance of water to everything UNICEF does. Access to clean water and sanitation is fundamental to every aspect of a child's life–from survival, to good health, to education, to dignity. We Believe in Zero, and that means no child should suffer from the lack of access to safe water and adequate sanitation.

Individual Americans like you, through your support for UNICEF, help bring safe water to children every day. But our government needs to play a stronger role as well. In order to strengthen the U.S. Government’s response, Senators Richard Durbin and Bob Corker introduced S. 624, the Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act of 2009, a bipartisan bill to make clean water a reality.

Unfortunately, with everybody’s attention focused elsewhere, the bill isn’t getting the attention it needs for a hearing and further action by Senate leaders. It needs more Senators to show their support–and that means we need you to let them know you care about this!

The ONE Campaign set up an online petition to show American support for this legislation. YOU CAN HELP by clicking on the link to go to the ONE website and helping ONE reach its goal of 50,000 signers.

Tetanus: A silent killer

2009-06-08T14:11:11Z

Mufflers can generally be found in cars. They stifle the loud, high-pitched sound of a car’s engine so that you hear a more smooth-sounding vroom! vroom!

But (as I’ve discovered) mufflers are not limited to the metal bellies of cars. They also exist in our everyday conversation with the rest of world. Sometimes (and usually because of the distance between us) the messages we hear—or the ones we send—are muffled; they lose their inflection, their sting, their urgency. This is especially true of the silent killer, tetanus. Despite the fact that a combined 158,000 mothers and newborn babies die every year from this preventable disease, very few people hear this message in all its severity. Instead, tetanus treads lightly and it continues to retain its title as a silent killer.

Young girls wait at an EPI outreach receive tetanus (TT) shots in Lelan village of Fatikchori Upazila, Chittagong District. Bangladesh.

But I’m happy to say that since I started interning at U.S. Fund for UNICEF, I’ve found no mufflers here—no silent treading. This organization has been working overtime to sound the alarm on killers like tetanus. Consider that, since it began its campaign to eliminate this disease from developing countries, UNICEF—with the help of its donors and partners—has protected more than 81 million women and newborns in some of the most remote areas in the world. It has helped eliminate tetanus from 12 of the 58 countries where the disease was a threat to the lives of mothers and children. And most recently, BD (www.bd.com)—a leading global medical technology company—renewed its partnership with UNICEF to immunize mothers and children against tetanus. This means we can look forward to saving more lives, and bring the number of preventable deaths from 25,000 a day to zero!

So, want to get rid of your cumbersome mufflers? Want to hear the facts—loud and clear—about tetanus and how you can help eliminate the threat of this disease to mothers and children around the world? Visit UNICEF USA to learn more about the work UNICEF does to save lives.

And I don’t mean to say this eerily, but be aware of mufflers. Because in the case of loud, obnoxious engines (like that of my uncle’s very old, heavy truck), mufflers can be very useful. But they are not so great when it comes to silent killers like tetanus.

Key Club members to visit UNICEF programs in Uruguay

2009-06-06T00:45:02Z

Key Club representatives Anna, Lance, Abigail and Jared met in Atlanta in January to learn about UNICEF's work in Uruguay and plan the June 2009 field visit.

This weekend I will be traveling with four youth representatives from Key Club International to Montevideo, Uruguay, to observe UNICEF-assisted programs. Last November, the student-led Key Club International Board voted to support programs in Uruguay through their Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF collections. More than half a million children and adolescents in Uruguay live in poverty. UNICEF helps at-risk adolescents by providing education, counseling, job skills, recreation, and social services. Pictured here are the Key Club representatives making the trip, Anna, Lance, Abigail, and Jared. We’ll post to the blog when we get back!