Fieldnotes: Blogging on UNICEF's child survival work in the field

One of the greatest pleasures of working with UNICEF is being able to see that kids are the same throughout the world. On a recent visit to Angola, I was reminded of this beautiful reality, which is unfortunately set against a backdrop of disparity and strife. The place where this was most evident was Lar Kuzola, a government-run home for children on the outskirts of Luanda, the capital city of Angola.

© UNICEF Angola/Hvass

Melissa Madzel shares the picture she's taken of a young girl at Lar Kuzola.

UNICEF believes that institutionalization for children is a last resort, so UNICEF Angola partners with Lar Kuzola to help move children out of the institutionalized setting and into the homes of caring families. Lar Kuzola provides temporary shelter and care for up to 330 children at a time, from newborns to teenagers. The children have found their way to the home through often heartbreaking circumstances. Some of them have lost their parents to illness, while others have mental or physical disabilities that led to their abandonment. Others were accused of witchcraft for any number of reasons.

Caryl M. Stern is President and CEO of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. She was recently in Senegal where she visited Basketball without Borders, a phenomenal community outreach program by U.S. Fund for UNICEF partner NBA.

Where to begin?  I want to describe what we are experiencing here but need to find the right words...  It is amazing to divide your days between the abject poverty we are bearing witness to -- the service projects we are participating in -- and the absolute fun we are having traveling with NBA players, coaches, and staff.  The laughs have been many; the tears we shed together at the "door of no return" on Goree Island where countless future slaves were pushed through, reminded me of trips I've taken to Auschwitz.

© U.S. Fund for UNICEF/2010

We led HIV education workshops for kids, watched/played a whole lot of basketball, helped with the training of 100 hopeful African youth who love basketball and are learning far more than hoops here, and participated in a number of service projects.  Today we distributed and hung hundreds of anti-malaria bed nets in a village outside of Dakar.  It was unbearably hot -- very grimy -- and involved quite a bit of work.  Homes were one simple small room -- sometimes with 8+ people living in them.  But when a very elderly man we delivered to asked us to wait while he prayed to thank God for sending us and then blessed us all; or when a little girl jumped in my arms -- well, it really did not feel hot or dirty at all.  Senegal is beautiful -- magnificent beaches, tropical foliage, and people who meet your eyes and smile when they pass you. 

The poverty is apparent everywhere -- clean, running water is scarce and the fact that the power goes out many times each day is just a fact of life here. The 100 kids at the NBA "camp" are from all over Africa.  They speak many languages -- some traditional/tribal, others French, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic and English.  They are united in their love of the game and prove that you do not have to speak the same language on the court.

We are all proud to be here but proudest are the 3 NBA players originally from Senegal.  They are close to bursting as they show us their country and show their country who we are.  Their individual stories awe us all as do the stories of the other NBA players from Africa.  It is for me so inspiring to see faces I know from my TV screen leave their celebrity status at home and become people without names... People whose hearts are huge and whose generosity astounds us all as they teach, lead, hug and help the people of Africa.  I am thrilled to be with them!

Elizabeth Kiem is the online producer of unicefusa.org.

UNICEF supports efforts to ensure that HIV-infected women have access to and continue to use antiretroviral drugs during their pregnancy and during breastfeeding to prevent the transmission of the virus to their newborns.

In fact, a new product launched this spring and available through Inspired Gifts is designed to ensure ARV treatment for women with limited access to health care.

As Jimmy Kolker, UNICEF chief of HIV and AIDS programs points out in the article, 1 in 3 infants born with HIV die in their first year of life if not treated. But beginning ARV treatment during the first 12 weeks of life quadruples their chances.

You can support the prevention of mother-to-child-transmission of HIV by purchasing one of UNICEF's Mother Baby Packs for use in the field today.

Of all my UNICEF field visits (I also spent time in Angola and India), visiting the settlement of Kolonia in western Kosovo ranked up there in the hardest experience I've had on a field visit. The inhabitants of Kolonia, and especially members of the Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian community, tend to live in large collective housing of comprising many families. Living conditions are very bad, lacking even basic infrastructure. One of the main problems is the waste dump of the city, which is located just 100 meters away from this neighborhood.

	© UNICEF
	Alyssa Milano and a new friend in Kosovo.

To see people live in this kind of poverty is horrifying and unacceptable. To make matters worse, the garbage dump that surrounds the settlement has become the livelihood of the community. Many children spend their time collecting metal and scrap to sell for recycling in order to earn something for their families. Food for household consumption is also scavenged from the same dump. I wish this blog were scratch and sniff so I could share what the intense smell was like. Heartbreaking.

Elsewhere in Kosovo, there is still an unfortunate divide between the Serbs, Albanian and Roma communities. Mitrovicë/a [the name itself is an indication of the ethnic divide that marks it] is a city situated in the northern part of Kosovo. Eleven years after the conflict in Kosovo the city remains physically divided by a river, and politically divided along ethnic lines. The Kosovo Serb community lives in the north and follows the Serbian political and administrative system. The Kosovo Albanian community lives in the south and the local authorities belong to the Kosovo political and administrative authorities who declared independence in 2008. The Roma minority community lives on both sides of the river and it is the most marginalized population, vulnerable to extreme poverty and discrimination.

"A wife has to be hard working, not quarrelsome, and pretty," according to Michael, an 18-year old young man we met while visiting a weekly tetanus vaccination initiative at a church in Kotido District, Uganda.

Tetanus vaccinations at church? That's what "health care delivery" can look like when you're at the very last mile of eliminating a disease.

	A UNICEF motor-bike cold-chain in Uganda.

Michael is part of a pastoral community in Karamoja which features a worst-case scenario for development: no electricity or running water; the country's highest under-5 mortality rate; malnutrition rates frequently in excess of the "emergency" threshold; less than a quarter of the population have access to basic health services; and primary school enrollment and literacy is extremely low.

But in addition to knowing what he was looking for in a wife, Michael also knew that it was important to sleep under a bed net and that the immunizations being given to the young women after Sunday church were going to protect them and their future babies.

This is because UNICEF and its partners have helped set up and train "Village health teams" (VHTs) consisting of members of local communities who conduct outreach and education. The VHTs serve as an invaluable link between the most remote villages in Karamoja and community health clinics where basic health services are available.

Rajesh Anandan is the Vice President for Corporate and Foundation Partnerships at the U.S. Fund. He recently visited Uganda with representatives from P&G to learn about UNICEF's tetanus elimination programs there.

The crowing right outside my window wakes me up from a not-so-deep sleep. I look at my blackberry - 9pm. That's NYC time, so it's 4am in Kotido District in Karamoja, Uganda.

Uh. After a brief chorus of earnest crowing, the rooster seems to have gone back to sleep.

© U.S.Fund for UNICEF/2010

Rajesh Anandan in Uganda

I try to fall back asleep too, unsuccessfully. The soft chirping of birds now catches my attention. If I were back on the 29th floor at 64th and West End, this wouldn't be a problem! But here, I'm drawn to the rhythmic sound of some insect in my room which I imagine must be related to a cricket. And there's the occasional barking in the distance which I proudly identify as a dog, not so different from the Upper West Side after all...

I wonder if this is a typical awakening for the local UNICEF staff, Joanna Nikulin and Atsuko Watanabe and their small team, who are stationed in Karamoja, a 9 hour drive on rough roads from Kampala. Lately the drive has been prone to attack. Just a couple weeks ago, an IRC convoy was ambushed, and the driver and passengers of one of the vehicles were shot to death.

We flew here.

But Joanna and the team usually drive. When they're here, they typically work 12-14 hour days, 6 days a week, and only take 5 days of R&R (including weekend days) every 6 weeks.

Amy Cedarburg is an international flight attendant and Champion for Children for UNICEF's Change for Good Program on American Airlines at Miami International Airport (IMA).

Someone once wisely said, "it takes a village to raise a child." Through the UNICEF field visit to Belize, I witnessed this first hand.

Our visit to the South Side of Belize City was exciting! We visited two schools to see the Child-Friendly School Initiative and an Adolescent Child- Friendly After School Center.  At the first school, we were treated to a top notch band session. They had been together less than a year, and they could read music and played fantastically! 

© Amy Cedarburg for U.S. Fund for UNICEF/2010

Amy Cedarburg and student at St. Luke Methodist Primary School in Belize City, Belize.

At the second school, the choir welcomed us with a heartwarming song, "Welcome to Belize", which brought tears to our eyes. Often, these children will arrive early and stay late at school. They were eager to show their learning prowess via their music, reading, writing and picture taking abilities.

At a UNICEF-supported After School Center we visited, children have a safe haven to learn new skills and get help with their homework.  Adult activities have also been added to the curriculum, such as: baking and sewing classes for the women and lawn maintenance and gardening for the men. All around, it's a center for the whole community!

Through my humbling experience in Belize, I've realized that my small part, through the Change for Good program has had an everlasting effect in our world's village.  It truly is and should be about the world's children!!

Proud to be a "Champion for Children" volunteer with UNICEF's Change for Good program on American Airlines.

Singer/Songwriter Jon McLaughlin, a UNICEF Supporter, wrote this blog post upon returning from his first UNICEF field visit in Guatemala.

I just returned from my first UNICEF field visit to the beautiful country of Guatemala. To say this was a great trip would be an understatement...I left the country encouraged and inspired by the people I met there.

Our group was made up of me, my wife, the 11 other UNICEF folks from the U.S., an interpreter and 3 UNICEF staff who live and work in Guatemala, and we traveled around in a small bus manned by a tour guide and driver.

We visited a variety of places, from Roosevelt Hospital in Guatemala City where we spoke to the brilliant staff of doctors and nurses, to the city of Quetzaltenango, where we met with members of the Parliament of Childhood and Adolescence. These amazing kids, ranging in age from 11-19, informed us about the jobs they have taken on as leaders in their communities, as well as representing their fellow youth at the national level of government.

© U.S. Fund for UNICEF/Minah/2010

Jon McLaughlin playing with children at a UNICEF supported school.

The highlight of the trip was being around the kids. We spent time at a public day care center in Quetzaltenango taking pictures and playing soccer with the kids and visited an elementary school in San Cristobal Totonicapán, where we talked to the teachers about how the classrooms are run, what the kids are learning and how the kids get to and from school.

While in St. Cristobal, we also visited a health center for mothers and babies that are supplied with Sprinkles, a nutritional dietary supplement used to help fight malnutrition. At the center, they talked about how the Sprinkles worked, how they distribute them and, most importantly, how they are seeing results.

This trip was such a great opportunity to see the progress that UNICEF is making in Guatemala and the difference we're making in the lives of the people.

Probably the most sobering moment of the trip occurred when we visited a shelter for migrant children and witnessed roughly 40 Guatemalan migrants who had illegally and unsuccessfully crossed the northern border to Mexico waiting in the shelter for a bus to take them back to their homes. Standing there in that small room with the 40 Guatemalans who had been caught was very hard, very awkward, and very uncomfortable.

I know it has the 4th highest chronic malnutrition rate in the world and I am aware of the poverty, the governmental corruption and the need for education. But, I now know what a beautiful place Guatemala is after meeting the beautiful people who live there. And I now know some of the wonderful people working in the UNICEF offices who are committed to change. Their work makes me want to work. Their hope gives me hope. And, in the words of Cynthia, a 14-year-old girl from Quetzaltenango, hope is the last thing to die.

Terrell Lee Kohn is a Champion for Children for UNICEF's Change for Good Program on American Airlines at the Nashville Admirals Club (BNA).

My time and energy has been well spent -- collecting "Change for Good" has proven to be the best investment that I have ever made.  Through volunteering as a "Champion for Children" for UNICEF's Change for Good program on American Airlines at the Nashville Admirals Club, I got the chance to take a trip to Belize with other Champions to see the lifesaving difference that our collections of change from generous AA travelers are making for children.

© Terrell Lee Kohn for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF/2010

Boys greeting the "Champions for Children" team at the San Marcos school in Toledo, Belize.

Belize is making a wise investment in its children's futures.  I saw first-hand the UNICEF-supported model programs in the country, such as the early child development program "Roving Care Givers", the "Baby Safe Hospitals" and the "Adolescent Friendly Spaces" after school programs. More than ever, I feel that Belizean children's future is bright. The children that I spoke with have dreams and passion. They will be our Doctors, Dentists, Nurses, Musicians, Singers, Historians, Pilots, Policemen and Politicians. They will carry the torch of a strong society long into future generations.

On the first day of the trip, I traveled with other "Champions for Children" and staff members of the Belize UNICEF office into the field.  We continued into rural parts of the nation's beautiful countryside, and in San Marcos, in the south of the country, we teamed up with the "Roving Care Givers" and visited the homes of two local families who were benefitting from the program. The primary objective of the program is to provide early stimulation and development activities for children, and education and support to the parents.

Before leaving the San Marcos region we had a chance to meet and interact with some of the children at the San Marcos school; they were very much children and very interested in making us feel welcomed.

Then it was back on the roads and deeper into the countryside, through orange and banana groves to the village of Aguacate. The school and the village there are very modest but they are a very proud people. This was a special day to be there, as they were hosting their Arts & Culture Day. The 360 people of this village were all excited and in attendance, even after being up late the night before harvesting their sugarcane crop.

We learned of the rich culture and history of these villagers, their native customs, dance, and songs--music was played on the marimba and harp that our collections helped UNICEF provide, along with books, school supplies, and separate latrines for girls and boys.

My written words can't begin to convey my emotions about these children and their future. I am more proud to be a "Champion for Children" than ever. 

Krista Schmidt is a senior officer for Corporate Partnerships at the U.S. Fund.

I just arrived this week in the beautiful Central American nation of Belize, a middle-income country of about 310,000 inhabitants situated between Guatemala and Mexico, to participate in a UNICEF field visit. Although the population is small, the size of Belize is quite large proportionately, and there is a melting pot of races, languages and cultures from one region to the next.

In the ocean-front city of Toledo, we visited a UNICEF-supported "Roving Care Giver Program" (or "RCP") in San Marcus, one of the communities in the Toledo district. This program was created to address the developmental needs of disadvantaged children up to age 3 who don't have formal access to early childhood education. The program is a great example of UNICEF's unique ability to create programs tailored to the needs of the child. Without this simple intervention, the children of San Marcos start life out without the tools they need to thrive.

© Schmidt for U.S. Fund for UNICEF/2010

Michelle, age three, benefits from a UNICEF-supported "Roving Care Giver Program" in the San Marcus community in Toledo, Belize

In Toledo, you can find Rover Programs in seven communities. Here, caregivers speak both English and the local language and meet individually with approximately 18-20 families for an hour a week to teach the mothers and their children developmental skills and offer health and nutrition counselling.

Frida Giannini is the Creative Director at Gucci. She joined UNICEF representatives on a field visit to Malawi, where in addition to Mozambique, the company's five-year long campaign supports UNICEF programs for thousands of orphans and children affected by HIV/AIDS.

As Creative Director at Gucci, I have seen first hand how our relationship with UNICEF has grown over the last five years. From the very first Holiday collection of accessories I designed in 2006 (which has since grown into a major global annual fundraising activity for our company) to huge ad campaigns and fundraising efforts with Rihanna and Madonna, respectively, our partnership has truly become an integral component to Gucci's company vision. I've always felt very proud of Gucci's commitment to giving back and of its impressive results--to date we've raised over $7 million for UNICEF. So you can imagine the very powerful experience I had when traveling to Malawi last November to see the people we have been helping for the first time.

After touching ground into Lilongwe airport and settling into our hotel, we began to make our way out into the rural regions that surround the city, led by UNICEF's on-the-ground local teams. The first thing that hit me was the adults--or shall I say, lack thereof. Indeed, there was a sea of children everywhere you looked. Tiny bodies with outstretched arms pleading to be picked up and held and noticed and loved.

I was shocked to learn that a whole generation of parents and grandparents is missing and that many children are living alone. Hundreds of thousands of children in Malawi have been orphaned by the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

Yet despite the dire situation and the impoverished conditions most of them were living in, I saw smiles everywhere. The children were running up to me, surrounding me, giving me high-fives, smiling and laughing. It was absolutely incredible. The joy in these kids' faces nearly broke my heart.

The first day when we went to Chimteka Community-based Child Care Center, I remember one girl in particular who climbed into my arms and refused to get down. I wanted to take her home with me. On the one hand you're thrilled to see the advances these places are making in terms of setting up education, recreation (there are swings and play things where there once were none), psychological support and nutrition (they were fed a plate of porridge which for some of these kids was their only meal of the day)--but at the same time, coming from where we do, sleeping on a comfortable bed with clean sheets and enough food, you can't help but think, "Is this enough? Am I really doing enough? Can't we do more?"

This was really the paradox I struggled with throughout my four day visit to Malawi. We visited a maternity hospital called Mchinji District Hospital where nearly 50 women all shared the same room, their family members sitting on the floor beside them. One woman in a separate room had a tiny premature baby strapped onto her stomach with blankets, as there were no incubators. But thanks to UNICEF's aid, the hospital is actually functioning and doctors are there managing both adult and pediatric HIV and AIDS care. Many villages are so far away from the hospitals, and many people, especially women, and children, cannot even reach them.

In one village we visited, the impact of HIV/AIDS became really clear when we met a family where the oldest member was a girl of thirteen or fourteen years old, and the smallest one was around two. And they were completely independent--with no water, no electricity, no beds to sleep in. Malawi has over 1 million orphans, and 550,000 of them are due to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. These families of orphans we met are benefiting from UNICEF programs for child-headed households, and the girls in this village were also somehow managing to smile and remain positive. You can read the news and see clips of these moments on television, but it's completely different when you are there on the ground, touching the hands of these children and looking into their eyes.

In another village, there were all these mango trees, and the children were coming down from this tree with all these fruits. And one of these children was in a corner, holding his mangoes in his t-shirt, guarding them. And he was looking at me really scared, very frightened. Then I started to play with him, and we did a running race together with the other children. He was the winner of the race and at the end I gave him a small piece of chocolate I had, and he gave me one of his mangoes. And I was so surprised by this very generous act, and happy when he finally started to smile at me. For me, this was one of the most touching moments of the trip.

We also visited several schools. Some that were not "child friendly"--meaning, no clean water, no meals, or no separate bathrooms for boys and girls. And then we saw the difference of "child friendly" schools, where each of these elements--which may seem trite and small but are actually key details that ensure kids continue to attend--were present. Thanks to Gucci funding of the Schools for Africa program, more and more of these child friendly schools are being built.

As the trip drew to a close, I began to see the situation much more clearly. The problems this country and these children face are enormous. We will never be able to radically change their existence from one day to the next. But slowly, with our continued support, more children will get fed, more will go to and stay in school, more will be helped in hospitals, more will lead better lives. I am extremely inspired by the work that UNICEF is doing and truly proud of what we are doing to support it. When you stop and think about trying to change the world, every little step, every little bit of help counts. Now that is really something to smile about.

Since 2005, the Gucci partnership with UNICEF has raised more than $7 million to support UNICEF programs that provide lifesaving health care, protection, clean water and education to orphans and vulnerable children in Malawi, Mozambique and South Africa, where more than 2.3 million children have lost one or both parents to HIV/AIDS. Visit Gucci.com to learn more about the campaign.

© Gucci

Annie, Jack, Eva, and Rainie are a group of teens that participated in a Parent-Child Field Visit to Panama last week. Below they share their experiences in their own words.

© U.S. Fund for UNICEF/2010

Rainie, Annie, Eva and Jack in the UNICEF country office in Panama.

I never expected to walk away from this experience wanting to come back. Although I enjoyed all of our visits all across Panama, our two visits to Casa Esperanza in Boquete and Curundú both stood out to me the most. We visited Casa Esperanza in Boquete on our first day. Knowing there would be little kids there, I stuffed my pockets with lollipops and butterscotch candies to give out to them. We had a large welcoming party including five adorable young girls. Their faces lit up immediately when I showed them the lollipops, smiles wide when taking them from my hands. That moment, just seeing their faces that showed such excitement over something so simple was one of the best feelings I’ve ever had. I also never expected to have anything in common with the teenagers we were going to meet in the Casa Esperanza in Curundú, but I was pleasantly surprised when one of the boys asked us if we knew how to “jerk,” which is a type of dance that is also known in America and I had seen before. After much coaxing, we finally got one of the boys and one of the girls to show us how it’s done. By the end of our visit we had all the kids dancing to the song “You’re A Jerk,” with the teenagers from Casa Esperanza teaching us how to jerk, video cameras out and everyone watching. I am walking away from this UNICEF trip wanting to make a difference and come back later in my life and work as a volunteer and do my part to help these people eradicate child labor and violence in their communities. After meeting so many people all across Panama, I feel like I have a responsibility to help out.

- Annie, age 15

Throughout the UNICEF field visit, our group learned about education problems that plague Panama. More specifically, child labor (which prevents children from going to school) was one of the more saddening facts which we were educated about. Because a large portion of the native population of Panama picks coffee for money, indigenous parents use their children to help bring in more money. When we visited a coffee plantation, we saw two little girls, one five and one seven, arrive home from school as we left. The fact that they go to school everyday adds a sense of hope that child labor is diminishing in Panama. Even as the trip comes to a close, our entire group will remember those two little girls for a long while after we leave.

- Jack, age 14

From Ann Putnam Marks and Karen Turney in Panama. March 17, 2010

Our day began with a long drive to the "Comarca" (in Spanish it is an autonomous indigenous reserve) where many people from the Ngobe Bugle ethnic group live. We arrived at Nutrehogar, a nutrition center for malnourished children supported by UNICEF. We soon met a woman holding a limp, visibly malnourished child in her arms. The woman had walked a long distance in the heat to reach the center in search of help for the little girl, Betsy, who was clearly suffering. And although two years old, she appeared much younger. If her physical growth was this stunted, we can only imagine how much her learning potential had been affected, too. We learned Betsy was in such critical condition that Nutrehogar had arranged for her to be transported to a special medical center where she will be restored to good health and to her childhood and potential.

Nutrehogar provides critical nutritional intervention and early childhood development to children in need. Children in the Comarca are at greater risk for malnutrition, healthcare, and education, so Nutrehogar fulfills a critical gap for the youngest, most vulnerable children in this community. The center also trains mothers in the community about nutrition and how to care for and stimulate children from before their birth through age 5. Betsy and the other children we met there underscore the importance of UNICEF’s partnership with this NGO and our shared resolve to do whatever it takes to save a child.

© U.S. Fund for UNICEF/2009

A preschool in Calabazal, where UNICEF helped train the school teachers.

Nutrehogar encourages the participation of mothers in the program. We had the opportunity to meet two mothers who volunteered to cook lunch that day. The menu consisted of rice, beans, and a very fresh iguana! Although not appealing to our palate, we were glad to see a nutritious, protein-rich meal for the children.

We also met a mother there who had been coming to Nutrehogar during her most recent two pregnancies. We met both little boys, eager to meet and play with us. Their mother was grateful for the center and mentioned what a great effect it had on her boys. The mother had not come to Nutrehogar when she had her two older girls and she could see a remarkable difference after coming to the center. Her boys, she said, were smarter, more curious, and healthier. For this woman and her children, Nutrehogar meant a better start and a better future.

We traveled next to another part of the Comarca, to the community of Calabazal. After a long walk down a steep tree-lined and sometimes treacherous path, we were welcomed to the Ngobe Bugle community’s pre-school. UNICEF helped train the school’s teachers, all of whom are mothers in the community. Despite the fact that the one-room thatched roof classroom has no electricity and mud floor, the community displayed an amazing enthusiasm for learning: we were even greeted by a father who serves as president of the PTA.

Ann Putnam Marks and Karen Turney work in the development department at the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. They are currently visiting UNICEF programs in Panama with U.S. Fund donors.

This morning we flew to David, a city in Chiriqui province near Panama's border with Costa Rica. It has the largest indigenous population in the country. The differences between Chiriqui and Panama City were clear the moment we landed. Gone were the skyscrapers, traffic jams and upscale shops. In their place, we found lush greenery, open markets and colorful traditional attire.

Our first stop was a coffee plantation in Boquete, a small town in the highlands of Chiriqui. Although picking season had just ended, we learned about the many families who migrate throughout the region to work. And because these families often move from plantation to plantation and are paid by the amount of coffee they pick, the children work too. Instead of going to school or playing soccer with friends, these children endure hours of backbreaking work in the hot sun. It's no life for a child. Thankfully UNICEF and a partner NGO, Casa Esperanza (which means 'House of Hope' in Spanish), are working together to prevent and eradicate child labor.

© Turney for U.S. Fund for UNICEF/2010

Teenagers on the U.S. Fund donor trip to Panama pose with preschoolers from Chiriqui

We visited one of Casa Esperanza´s centers, where children from indigenous families can come before and after school to continue learning and get the support they need. The center also boasts a pre-school, which gives these children an early start to learning and impresses upon their parents the importance of education.

Dayle Haddon, a U.S. Fund for UNICEF ambassador, is visiting UNICEF programs in Bolivia with U.S. Fund regional staff. Here are some of her impressions.

	© Maryl Georgi
	A woman from Tacopaya, an indigenous Andean community about 2 1/2 hrs from Cochabamba where UNICEF programs integrate health, education and child rights training.

Flying into La Paz over the Royal Range, the part of the Andes that runs down the west coast of South America, was magnificent. The sun was just rising as we flew in over hundreds of snowpacked peaks, some cupping shimmering green lakes in their craggy nooks. Rays of morning light lit up the snow and soft, puffy clouds hung over the highest peaks. What majestic beauty!

At 12,000 feet, we could feel the altitude the moment we stepped off the plane. Dizzy and off-balance with a low grade headache, it was as if we'd drunk too much and were standing on a boat moving at sea ... with waves! We staggered to get our luggage and handed our endless customs papers to the very severe agents. It was 6 AM. We were in Bolivia!!

At our hotel, we dozed for an hour and then we all climbed into the black mini bus to explore. We met up with the rest of the U.S. Fund team and drove to the central square. Soldiers in formal crimson suits and feathers stood at attention in the hot sun. The crowds watched attentively. It was the Sunday raising of the Bolivian flag.

Ann Putnam Marks and Karen Turney work in the development department at the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. On Sunday, March 14, they leave for a four-day field trip with donors to visit UNICEF programs in Panama.

The countdown to Panama has begun. We are finalizing our plans and look forward to sharing what we learn about UNICEF’s lifesaving programs in FieldNotes.

Located at the southern tip of Central America, Panama is a country of contrasts: Caribbean and Pacific, jungle and beach, wealth and poverty. The wealthiest 20 percent of Panama’s population have an income 32 times higher than the poorest 20 percent, and indigenous and afro-descendant peoples are much more likely to live below the poverty line. During these four days, we’ll have the chance to visit UNICEF programs for children in both urban and rural communities.

We’ll spend our first two days in rural Chiriqui, a rural province with a large indigenous population. There we will visit UNICEF-supported programs to help alleviate poverty, build sustainability, and give children the best start in life. Among the programs we plan to see are a center that works to prevent child labor, a locally-run preschool that provides the youngest children with nutrition and education, and a community-built and managed aqueduct.

The final two days will be spent in the urban areas of Panama City. And while we expect the contrast between the two areas to be stark, it is clear that these children too have great needs—and opportunity. We are very excited to visit a community center that works with underprivileged children to prevent violence through sports, culture and education. Our final stop will be at Panama’s leading NGO on the prevention of HIV/AIDS.

As we start to pack and review the itinerary, we are reminded that we’ve never had to worry about clean water to drink, nutritious food to eat, lack of basic medicine, or a safe home. As we talk with the children and families we’ll soon meet, we look forward to seeing in them the hope and progress of a brighter, safer and healthier future that UNICEF, and its many generous donors, make possible.

Last fall, David Donaldson, Director of Education at the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, and Kristi Burnham, Director of Volunteer and Community Partnerships, traveled to Kyrgyzstan for a field visit on Education Programs. Here is an excerpt of their recent presentation to the U.S. Fund staff on the need for funding in the region.

In this Central Asian country of over 5 million, where 98% of the population is literate and has access to television, UNICEF is developing innovative ways to reach populations affected by a depressed economy, poverty and a primarily agrarian society.

© Donaldson for U.S. Fund for UNICEF/2009

Children attending an Early Child Development Center that uses the pre-school shift model in the remote regions of Kyrgyzstan.

UNICEF's role is to address children’s rights, work with Parliament on the adoption and development of the Code of the Kyrgyz Republic on Children and the inclusion of social protection in its curriculum, while helping to implement policies and political programs. Specific to education, UNICEF is working to make schools more child-friendly, by providing teacher trainings, creating community-based projects, and providing education.

Currently 12% of children in Kyrgyzstan attend preschool, while in rural areas only 4% have access to preschools.

UNICEF Kyrgyzstan and its partners have been implementing a shift model for preschool institutions based on duration rather than intensity of attendance (period in preschool in years, vs hours per day in class) and has also proposed to the Government to make this gradual transition.

This model reaches double the number of children, especially the most poor and vulnerable. It is also much cheaper, as children do not sleep in preschools and attend not for 9 hours, as has been usual practice in the country, but rather for just a few hours. This simplifies maintenance and preserves the educational component.

U.S. Fund for UNICEF President and CEO Caryl Stern visited Haiti last week. These are her notes from the field.

I woke up with the sun again and checked my watch—5:03am. A peek through my tent flap told me it was already too late to join the shower cue, which was too long to consider since the promised second shower stall had still not arrived. Instead I waited on line to share one sink with five others and decided not to even look in the mirror for fear I'd scare myself!

We packed a few bottles of water in our bags and off we went to the tent city in Port-au-Prince's huge soccer stadium. The first thing you notice when you arrive is how tightly the tents are packed in there. We came here to visit the UNICEF Baby Tents—special tents for Moms of newborns and infants less than one year old to get counseling, nutrition checks, lactation assistance/advice, and other natal care. Many of the babies had been born since the quake—right here in the stadium.

© UNICEF/NYHQ2010-0189/Noorani

Sofia feeds her five-month-old daughter a cup of ready-to-use infant formula, in a baby-friendly tent set up in the Champs-de-Mars Plaza in Port-au-Prince.

Mom after Mom told me similar stories of surviving the quake, trying to protect their unborn child, the juxtaposition of giving birth in a dirty camp as opposed to what they had envisioned before the quake, nutritional challenges as they themselves are under nourished and trying to breastfeed, the usual difficulties of being a new mom while also just fighting to survive. Yet they all expressed hope. They see their babies as signs of hope—of possibilities for a future in Haiti that is better than what exists now. They talked of their difficulties but not of anger or helplessness.

We went to look at the water situation for these people. We were led to the spigot outside by a 4-year-old with her mother who was going to brush her teeth. There were at least 30 people there doing laundry in buckets—kids running naked as their moms dumped water on them and even some adults stripping down to bathe. Privacy and modesty are privileges that the quake survivors have had to forego. It was as if they felt that if they did not look at us, we were not there. Just about 20 feet from the water was the trash pile filled with rubbish and plastic bags that serve as make shift latrines inside the camp. Children kept wandering over to the trash, only to be pulled back by half naked adults.

As we drove from place to place we looked upon utterly devastating destruction: rubble everywhere; people, whole families, living in the streets or in tents alongside the rubble; a destroyed church with half its steeple in tact and people praying outside of it; long lines at water distribution site; teams of people trying to clean up by hand—removing one piece of stone at a time and walking them to the few dump trucks trying to cart the stuff away.

Imagine trying to dismantle your home by hand and you begin to understand what they are up against. Then imagine every one of your neighbors facing this same challenge simultaneously and then collectively trying to disassemble all that exists in your community—stores, offices, schools, and government buildings without cranes, trucks, dumpsters, tools, or sufficient manpower—all in excruciating heat and humidity and with no water or AC to seek refuge in. Add to that what you and your neighbors may (actually, more than likely not "may" but "will") find in the rubble.

I experienced this first-hand in my final moments on the ground there. We were filming all my "thank you messages"—brief tapes that give a shout out to donors—in the center of Port- au-Prince. I looked down and realised that where I was standing, there was a leg sticking out of the rubble. Evidently the rest of the body was buried underneath. Most of the flesh was gone. A man came over and told me it had been a young girl—he then pointed her boyfriend out to me as he sat off to the side, on the sidewalk, openly sobbing. It is a hard reality to balance the life around you with that limb sticking out of the rubble.

U.S. Fund for UNICEF President and CEO Caryl Stern visited Haiti last week. These are her notes from the field.

Pitching our tents the first night in Port-au-Prince was not nearly as difficult as I feared it would be. They go up a whole lot easier today than they did when I last went camping 25 years ago! After a quick dinner we turned in, and believe it or not, despite the heat and mosquitoes, I was out cold with just one shot of Nyquil!

Our first stop the next morning was an orphanage. The children we met were amazing. Their school building completely collapsed, they're living in tents, food is in short supply, and yet they're still kids. I taught them to play "duck, duck, goose" and "Simon Sez" and they taught me a game as well. This was all accomplished through gestures and smiles as they spoke little to no English and I know perhaps six words in creole. We played for over an hour and then using an interpreter, I took some time to talk to a few, one one one. Their stories of the day the earthquake struck were heart-wrenching.

They spoke of fear - one girl said she thought she was flying when the shifting earth lifted her up. They told me they held onto one another and watched their school crumble in front of all of them. Then they prayed.

If you saw these little children and pictured them huddled together, praying for their survival ... I know you would shed the same tears I did. I asked how life is now. They miss school - they're hungry for it to start again, even if it is held under a tree instead of in a building. They thanked me for the food and water and other supplies UNICEF is providing them.

© U.S. Fund for UNICEF 2010

Caryl Stern with children of Port-au-Prince.

When I asked if they had a message for the children in New York, one little girl said that she had heard life in NYC was tough and so she will pray for our children. Another told me to tell our children to stay in school - that you really do not know how good it is until it is gone.

U.S. Fund for UNICEF President and CEO Caryl Stern visited Haiti last week. These are her notes from the field.

Flying in, you first see the beautiful rock mountains and for a minute you are a bit awed by them. But then the tent cities come into view, literally lining the runways one after another. And the helicopters! Eight to 10 taking off and landing right next to us as we taxi in.

David Cook's song "this is the time in my life" is playing as we land, and as the Haitians look out the windows longingly, all of us have tears in our eyes. Most of the passengers are Haitians -- coming to look for family or to find what is left of the life they left behind here. The rest appear to be volunteers -- USAid, CompassionCare, all sorts of people.

We see the cracks in the building as we pull up to the gate. Everyone is friendly and there seems to be a camaraderie amongst the volunteers as we wait to clear passport control. But the airport is complete chaos. Luggage is being unloaded everywhere in the main hall and you just have to follow the crowd until you find yours.

© U.S. Fund for UNICEF/2010

U.S. Fund's Caryl Stern arriving in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

Outside the airport is a crowd of hundreds: some waiting for friends and family, many asking to carry our bags in exchange for money, and others just asking for money. We find our UNICEF colleagues and our jeep and are immediately surrounded by teens clinging to the vehicle with their hands out. For quite sometime it is impossible to drive -- the crowd is thick, the road is jammed, and the scene gives new meaning to the word gridlock. Only the scooters are moving as they weave between us all.

Along the road we pass lots where houses once stood and where now there is rubble or half a house and a tent, sometimes two.

Casey Rotter is a development officer at the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. She is in Guatamala on a week-long field trip with members of UNICEF’s Next Generation.

We learned that most children at this shelter had left home to look for work in Mexico. The economic situation is so bad in Guatemala that often parents send their kids across the border to work and send money home. Other children leave to join their parents, who are already in Mexico (or the U.S.) for work. And then there are those who flee because their life at home in Guatemala was filled with abuse or empty with abandonment.

Casey Rotter is a development officer at the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. She is on a week-long field trip to Guatemala with members of UNICEF's Next Generation.

Yesterday we arrived at a women's health clinic in San Cristobal just in time for a nutrition counselling session for mothers. The session at the San Andres Xecul clinic was held outside, and all the women wore beautiful traditional clothing, carrying their children on their backs or holding their hands.

© Casey Rotter, U.S. Fund for UNICEF/2010

A mother attending the nutrition session at San Andres Xecul clinic funded by Unicef and Unicef's Next Generation. She has brought her child's "carnet" which tracks her weight, height and whether she has been given vitamin A and Sprinkles.

They played a learning game similar to 'hot potato,' only with an egg. Whoever was holding the egg when the drum stopped would have to answer a question. The counselor asked, "what is the importance of folic acid during pregnancy?"
-"Healthy development of the baby" the mother replied.
-"Is she right?"
All the mothers clapped and yelled "Siii!" and the game began again.

After the game we asked the mothers about Sprinkles (also called chispitas or microvitals). Our questions were translated into both Spanish and the mayan language, Kiche, so all the women could understand us. One mother told us Sprinkles "makes our children healthy.They have energy now, they have appetites and they aren't sick all the time."

We observed the monthly weight monitoring. I helped a mother measure her daughter's height and I placed a 4-month-old on the scale to be weighed.

"All looks great!" the doctor smiled. I can't describe how that moment felt.

We saw doctors handing out Sprinkles packets to the mothers and we learned that Next Generation's $175,000 donation for Sprinkles will help this very clinic! Next Gen's fundaising and donations will allow this clinic to hire more (much needed) staff, train staff, provide needed measuring equipment and mas Sprinkles for these families AND thanks to Next Gen we will be able to provide for even more families!

Muchas gracias Next Generation!

I woke up to the most amazing and inspirational breakfast I have ever experienced (the food wasn't bad either ;). But I am referring to the company! Ten members of the Guatemalan Parliament of Childhood and Adolescence joined us for huevos, frijoles y platanos. Aged 11-19, they are all elected by their indigenous communities to be the voice of their peers. We broke the ice with a song and dance game called "cuchiera y paleta." Tak tak!

This group speaks to the public and the government about issues that are affecting children in Guatemala, like sexual abuse, HIV/AIDs, migration, violence, gangs, and malnutrition. They also educate their peers on their rights as children and work with them to identify and speak out about their problems.They are the future leaders of Guatemala.

Eleven-year old Jaclyn told us, "Guatemalan children are like corn kernels—you plant them and then need to take care of them, and if you do they will grow and prosper and feed the country."

We asked them about obstacles to their work. They said, "We must be like coconut trees. When we encounter barriers we must bend, never break."

These kids speak to judges, visit juvenile jails, and they even have a child rights radio show and tv show. They are some of the most amazing people I have ever met. Guatemala's future is in good hands.

© U.S. Fund for UNICEF/2010

Next Gener Danielle Abraham with two members of the student government, Mayra and Evelyn.

Now we are at a UNICEF-funded school in Totonicapan for students in kindergarten through sixth grade. UNICEF provides the funding for the three teachers, as well as for training, micro library and school supplies.

We were given a tour by five girls who are part of the school's government, acting as teacher's assistants and representatives of the student body. The second graders sang us a welcome song. I asked if they liked their school and 20 students yelled an enthusiastic "Siiiiii."

The president of the student body, Sindy, presented us with a letter that informed us of what they need. "First, we would like another teacher. Then, a new playing area or at leastsome ground for it. And a better kitchen to prepare the food."

They thanked us for coming saying, "because of UNICEF, we have good teachers, notebooks and books. Thank you!"

Casey Rotter is a development officer at the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. She is on a week-long field trip to Guatemala with members of UNICEF's Next Generation.

Greetings from Guatemala!

We arrived -- all fourteen of us Next Geners -- in Guatemala City safe and sound! We had a nice Guatemalan dinner and went to bed early so that we could be refreshed for the early morning activities.

The next morning we had our briefing at the UNICEF headquarters where we met all of the fabulous staff! And then had a security briefing to ensure that our stay in Guatemala is safe. Then we were off to see our first Unicef-funded program.

© U.S. Fund for UNICEF/2009

Young siblings met by Casey and Next Geners during a field trip to Guatamala last year.

We went to Roosevelt Hospital and visited their prenatal programs and emergency prenatal and birthing services. Unicef funds 40% of the program -- including funding for staff, training, supplies, food, drugs and vaccines, as well as testing for HIV, syphilis, and Hep B. We met the incredible doctors, social workers, nutritionists, psychologists and nurses who take care of all the patients.

The vertical transmission rate of HIV is 0% when the clinic detects the disease during pregnancy (meaning HIV+ mothers are giving birth to completely healthy children thanks to this clinic). Transmission rate is 5% if the disease is discovered after birth (meaning the mothers didn't go to the clinic for prenatal care). That's compared to 30% if there is no prevention services.

We met a beautiful woman with her son who said that she came to the clinic when she was 5 months pregnant and found out that she was HIV+. But through PMTCT services at the clinic she is happy to say that her son (now 3 years old) is negative! She said the clinic provides her with everything she needs to stay healthy. She is so grateful!

She said "I first thank God and second, I thank the clinic. Me and my son are healthy and happy because of this clinic and these people. They are so nice to me here."

Living proof that these services work!

Now we are on a bus heading to Quetzaltenango, 5 hours away. And tomorrow we will wake up to breakfast with adolescents who are working to empower other kids to speak out about sexual violence and advocate on their behalf.

Talk to you soon!

Casey Rotter is a development officer at the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. On Saturday, February 13, she leaves for a week-long field trip to Guatemala with members of UNICEF's Next Generation.

© U.S. Fund for UNICEF/2009

Casey Rotter visiting UNICEF programs in Guatemala.

Next week we will be visiting Guatemala City, Quetzaltenango, San Cristobal, and Totonicapánget to see the programs that will actually be funded by Next Generation's Project Sprinkles (for those of you who contributed to our project and helped us reach our goal to raise $175,000 to help 35,000 children in Guatemala - thank you!). We look forward to meeting the families and children who have been able to get the proper nutrients they need to survive, thanks to UNICEF. We cannot wait to ask how Sprinkles and UNICEF have made a difference in their lives!

Elizabeth Merola recently visited UNICEF programs in Zambia. In this post, she recounts the experience of visiting a rural health clinic.

The drive to Keemba Rural Health Clinic from the closest town is a long and bumpy ride due to the uneven dirt roads. Looking out the window I see children walking to and from school alongside the road and across fields that are being prepared for the first rains of the season. Cows are crazing and ox carts are transporting people from one village to the next.

When we arrive at the clinic, mothers with their children are waiting for post-natal and prevention of mother-to-child treatment (PMTCT) care. The nurses dressed in white stand out among the women with colorful wraps.

I am immediately drawn to Brenda who is 7 months old and attached to the back of her mother, Rolina. Rolina waits patiently in line for her turn to speak with the nurse. Her calmness gives me the impression that there is no urgency for her visit and she has been in this position many times before.

© U.S. Fund for UNICEF/2009

Rolina and Terrance with daughter Brenda.

Rolina is HIV positive and is enrolled in the clinic’s PMTCT program. She and her husband Terrance married in 2002 and they have three children; Terrance is also HIV positive. Both Rolina and Terrance are doing everything in their power to ensure that little Brenda stays safe and healthy which is not the case for Brenda’s older sister Constance. Constance is 4 years old and HIV positive. Constance is on pediatric treatment which is keeping her strong. Their older brother Clayton does what he can at 7 years old to look after his two younger sisters.

Elizabeth Merola recently visited UNICEF programs in Zambia. In this post, she recounts the experience of visiting a school in Lusaka in conjunction with the UNICEF-supported anti-cholera campaign called “Your Life Is in Your Hands.”

When we arrived at the Twalumba Basic School we are immediately greeted by the District Commissioner, Ms. Christah Kalulu. Ms. Kalulu explained that the students were waiting patiently to see Banja, a traditional drama group.

© U.S. Fund for UNICEF/2009

Banja, a traditional drama group, kicks off the a "Your Life is in Your Hands" event by engaging the students in a demonstration of hand washing.

UNICEF and its partners are assisting the government and working with Banja to spread messages about cholera prevention in schools and communities across the country as part of the “Your life is in Your Hands” campaign. The rainy season is about to begin so preparedness is essential in preventing cholera outbreaks and saving children’s lives, particularly in the poorest compounds (i.e. unplanned communities) that tend to be overcrowded and lack adequate sewage and draining systems.

Twalumba, which means “thank you” in Tonga, is a school for grades 1-7 located in a compound in one of the four districts of Lusaka, the capital city of Zambia. Last year, nearly two-thirds of Zambia’s 7,000 cholera cases were recorded in Lusaka, which is home to more than 1 million people.

“Kamwamba” (What’s up?) says the lead performer of Banja. Banja kicks off the event by engaging the students in a demonstration of hand washing. Hand washing with soap is the cheapest and most accessible strategy that has proves to be the most effective means of reducing the incidence of cholera.

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.

© U.S. Fund for UNICEF/Renner/2009

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.

Jennifer Dorian, member of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF’s volunteer Marketing Committee and a true friend of children, visited UNICEF programs in Guatemala this week and sent this post from the field.

Growing up, my favorite movie was Norma Rae.

I loved the character--the way she stayed a welcome member of her community without suppressing her natural leadership. She was unstoppable despite her odds and humble beginnings. She led her mill town to a better life with charisma, strong opinions and courage.

© Dorian/2009

A real-life Norma Rae: Jennifer Dorian with Marileni.

Today I met a real-life Norma Rae in Nuevo Concepcion, Guatemala. She is young (21), childless (by choice), charming and beautiful. Her name is Marileni.

The tiny nation of Swaziland in Southern Africa has the world’s highest HIV-prevalence rate and, as a tragic result, is home to more than 70,000 orphans and vulnerable children.

During a U.S. Fund for UNICEF field visit to Swaziland last May, I met one of these orphans, seventeen-year-old Nonhlanhla Mabundza.

© U.S. Fund for UNICEF/Martin Dixon

Nonhlanhla Mabundza with her nephew, Sisekelo, and her sister, Takhona, outside their home in Swaziland.

Check out this feature article I wrote about this extraordinary young woman and an innovative UNICEF-supported program that is providing her and other orphans in Swaziland with care and essential services.

And please leave your comments below if this story gives you any insight or thoughts about the impact of HIV/AIDS on the world's children.

Hi everyone! Some of you probably know, and some might not, but Benji and I recently traveled with UNICEF to the Central African Republic, a small country in the center of Africa. We had a life-changing, wonderful trip and we are so excited to share this video from our time there with all of you!

As you can see, we had an amazing time and met so many wonderful children while we were there. They are so full of laughter and hope, but the truth is, that they really need your help NOW.

25,000 children, including the little ones we met in Central Africa, die everyday from preventable causes—things like not getting enough food, or medicine, or clean, safe water to drink. These are things our children at home never even have to think twice about. These are the basic things every child deserves to have. 25,000 children die EVERY DAY. I believe that number should be zero.

Right now, you can join me in making a difference in the lives of these children. Go to ibelieveinzero.org and get involved. Thanks for taking the time to learn about our trip, and thanks for believing in zero.

Kendra Flowers works with the U.S. Fund for UNICEF at our national headquarters in New York City. She's currently in Peru visiting UNICEF programs.

I'd like to begin this entry by sending wishes of support to those presently suffering in the aftermath of Pakistan's recent earthquake. Having just left the devastation of Pisco and Chincha—still recovering from their own devastating earthquake of over a year ago—I am somber, yet so glad to know that UNICEF is working tirelessly in Pakistan to ease the suffering of children and get aid to those in need.

After Tuesday's seven-hour drive through the beautiful Andes, and a little light-headedness at over 12,000 feet, the lights of Ayacucho in the valley below were a welcome sight. Wednesday morning we journeyed over an hour back into the Andes to the indigenous communities of Rosaspata, Arizona, Chullucapampa and Huamanguilla.

© US Fund for UNICEF/K. Flowers

A UNICEF-trained heath promoter in the Rosaspata community of Peru's Ayacucho District, says "Napaykullayki," a friendly greeting in her native language, Quechua.

There we learned directly from the community leaders and parents all about their early childhood stimulation programs and child health surveillance centers. Early childhood stimulation practices the concept that children fare far better socially, physically, and intellectually when they're sung to, played with, and engaged in activities as infants and toddlers. Surveillance centers are posts where child growth is measured and local health promoters are trained in an effort to combat chronic malnutrition in indigenous communities.

We were all struck by how utterly committed these communities are to their children's physical and emotional health. The president of one community program was so impassioned when he proudly explained their meticulous charts and graphs that one needn't have any knowledge of Quechua (the native tongue) to know his community's priorities revolve around its children. UNICEF trains health promoters within the community to monitor families and ensure they are educated in how to nourish and protect their children. The promoters report back to the center with height, weight and other general health measurements revisiting the children's progress each and every month.

In August 2007, an earthquake measuring 8.0 on the moment magnitude scale hit the central coast of Peru. UNICEF responded to the emergency by providing critical lifesaving supplies in the immediate aftermath, and has led longer-term efforts for recovery and rehabilitation in the earthquake zone. Kendra Flowers works with the U.S. Fund for UNICEF at our national headquarters in New York City. She's currently in Peru visiting UNICEF programs.

Monday we drove south along the Peruvian coast for three hours from Lima to Pisco, perhaps the saddest stretch of road I've ever encountered. Mounds of rubble line the sides of the road where walls and structures once stood, absurd in their perfectly neat organization, considering the total destruction and chaos they represent. The closer we came to Pisco, the more densely these mounds were organized, awaiting removal trucks that never come.

Pisco, over a year after the earthquake, still looks like a disaster zone in many places, and hearing stories from the children and parents makes one realize it still feels like yesterday to them that the earth was shaking for two solid minutes while their worlds collapsed around and on top of them.

© US Fund for UNICEF/Flowers

Mother and child in Chincha, Peru

We began our day at Wawa Wasi, a daycare center in the District of Villa Tupac Amaru. These centers are essentially 10 x 12 makeshift shelters attatched to the homes of families who, for a small reward—prestige in the community and possibly a practical gift for their home—volunteer their care for the children in the community while their parents are at work.

The kids took to Chuck instantly! The language barrier was not an issue, as he and the children were speaking a language entirely unique to them. The kids entertained themselves with musical instruments, games and educational toys, all provided by UNICEF. They also washed their hands dutifully before eating (using a water tank and soap provided by UNICEF), and sang a hand-washing song while doing so.

Next we headed to School No. 22540 "Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe" where temporary classrooms and latrines were installed by UNICEF to replace the original earthquake-stricken school. Reconstruction of the new school is underway and were were shown lots of drawings the kids did showing how they'd like their new school to look. Here I have to mention that these kids are really a bunch of future architects! When I saw the rubble of the collapsed school my heart lurched, until I remembered with relief that perhaps the only possible silver lining of this entire disaster is that the earthquake struck after 6pm so no children were inside the schools.

Kendra Flowers works with the U.S. Fund for UNICEF at our national headquarters in New York City. She's currently in the field with UNICEF supporters, visiting programs in Peru.

I arrived in Lima last night with UNICEF supporters Chuck Meyer and Jamie Gross. The drive from the airport to our lodgings revealed the depth of the casino culture here, which could give Reno a run for its money. We are gearing up for the days ahead which I anticipate will be filled with eye-opening experiences for all of us.

My first impressions of Lima—aside from amazement at the creativity and variety of theme-casinos—revolve around the inherent history of this place, the beauty of its seascapes and warmth of the individuals we've encountered. While the city itself see-saws between the bleak and the opulent, the people we've met have been consistently kind and welcoming (and incredibly forgiving of my very broken Spanish).

We were also fortunate enough to see a magnificent Pre-Inca ruin called Huaca Pucllana, a ceremonial temple of the Huaca people, dating back 1500 years—right in the heart of bustling Lima.

© US Fund for UNICEF, 2008/K. Flowers

Ruins of Huaca Pucllana

In the week ahead, our kind hosts at the UNICEF Peru Country Office will take us to visit child protection and emergency response programs in Chincha and Pisco, reconstruction efforts after last year's deadly earthquake, child protection facilities in Lima and a special visit to the remote indigenous communities of Ayacucho.

I look forward to sharing my observations with you of UNICEF Peru's lifesaving and life-changing initiatives in the days to come.

U.S. Fund for UNICEF President and CEO Caryl Stern recently visited Sierra Leone with Pampers "One Pack = One Vaccine" campaign spokesperson Salma Hayek and Pampers representatives, to witness the effect of tetanus on mothers and newborns, and the positive impact of the Pampers/UNICEF program. She sent this post from the field.

	© UNICEF/ HQ98-0510/Pirozzi
	SIERRA LEONE: An adolescent girl holds her baby in her lap near Freetown, the capital.

UNICEF's Dr. Yvonne Hardy and I sat on the floor with 19-year-old Memunata as we watched her tiny newborn daughter struggle for her life in a small crib next to her. Memunata had given birth to her first child exactly seven days prior. The delivery took place at home with the assistance of a traditional (but unskilled) birth attendant.

The labor went well by all accounts, and the baby girl screamed and cried on her arrival as anyone would expect. But within 48 hours, the baby was crying relentlessly and stopped nursing. Her jaw was clenched shut.

Memunata was frantic and found the birth attendant who told her to go to a local health facility. When she arrived at the clinic, the baby was diagnosed with tetanus and immediately referred to Ola During Children's Hospital, the only pediatric facility in Sierra Leone.

Yvonne went to the hospital in the early afternoon to meet with Memunata and her baby in advance of the rest of our group.

We arrived in time to learn that Memunata had just expressed her breast milk into a plastic cup, eager to feed her baby with a syringe. But the baby couldn't take it. We heard tiny gasps and watched as the baby convulsed, her back arched and her arms locked. She did that every so often, over the course of a few hours. The pain she was feeling was obvious. We all felt it.

Casey Marsh is part of a delegation of U.S. Fund for UNICEF staff and supporters currently visiting UNICEF's country programs in Zambia. She has been reporting on her experiences from the field this past week.

The final few days of our trip to Zambia have been incredible. On Thursday morning, our group flew from Lusaka to Ndola. As we wondered why we were delayed for about an hour, the crew announced that their vehicle had run out of gas on the way to the airport. It is a different world….

Our first stop was the Arthur Davison Children's Hospital in Ndola. This is only one of two children's hospitals in the entire country, and there is only one pediatric doctor on staff. That day, he was out of town for meetings, so there were none.

© US Fund for UNICEF/Casey Marsh

This young Zambian girl's mother died from AIDS. She is now cared for by her 80-year-old grandfather.

We toured the facilities, including new equipment called a PCR machine that detects HIV in babies under 18 months. There are only three such machines in Zambia. And because of the device, this hospital has been able to complete about 4,200 HIV tests since 2007. Approximately 700 babies turned out to be HIV positive, and those results are just from one small region of the country.

We also visited the hospital's severe malnutrition ward, which was heartbreaking. There were about six mothers and babies crowded in a very small, shabby room. The babies eyes' looked lifeless and their faces were gaunt. The staff told us that the rainy season is the worst time for malnutrition. The rains wash away most of the crops, and the hospital becomes overcrowded.

Casey Marsh is part of a delegation of U.S. Fund for UNICEF staff and supporters currently visiting UNICEF's country programs in Zambia. She will be reporting on her experiences from the field all week.

We have learned a lot about water and sanitation during our time in Zambia. The schools that we visited yesterday featured "hand-washing corners" and the schools and villages told us proudly about the fact that they are striving for one toilet for every family. For many years, villagers have defecated in the fields for lack of better facilities. This caused all kinds of diseases, and UNICEF is supporting a widespread effort to bring healthy sanitation, including pit latrines and water wells, to the region.

© UNICEF/ HQ96-1166/Giacomo Pirozzi

Children drink and play with water from a handpump financed by UNICEF at Nthombimbi Primary School, a community school in the village of Nthombimbi, Zambia.

When our group woke up this morning in our lodge, there was a problem with the water tank and there was no water available for most of the guests. We take clean water, toilets and showers for granted every day, but for hundreds of thousands of people in this tiny country alone, there are no such facilities. When we missed one shower, complaints were filed on our behalf by our hosts, and apologies were made. However, everyone has a right to clean water and safe, hygienic facilities, and the irony did not escape us!

Casey Marsh is part of a delegation of U.S. Fund for UNICEF staff and supporters currently visiting UNICEF's country programs in Zambia. She will be reporting on her experiences from the field all week.

© US Fund for UNICEF/Casey Marsh
Moms and their kids came from miles around when we came to visit their schools, even though the school year doesn't start for another month.

While en route to visit UNICEF programs in the southern province of Choma, Zambia on Tuesday, we learned that Zambia's President, Dr. Levy Mwanawasa, had died. And so, the rest of our travels here will correspond with a seven-day national mourning period. It's aparent that the country is in quite a state of shock and grief. But in this time of crisis, everyone is being urged to stay calm and resume normal activities as soon as possible.

Carrying on ourselves, our first stop out in the field was Child Hope Africa, a pre-school with capacity for 150 children. It seemed as though all the mothers and their children—hundreds of them—walked for several kilometers to greet us at the school today, despite the fact that classes are not in session until September. But despite their numbers, there are unfortunately more than 1,000 pre-school-age children in the area that want to attend the school, and many have to be turned away because of overcrowding.

Training and early-childhood education are key priorities for our colleagues at UNICEF Zambia, in close conjunction with the Zambian government. In fact, everything that UNICEF does is in partnership with the government and typically with other NGO partners as well. The idea is for the government to be self-sufficient, and ultimately, for there to no longer be a need for UNICEF in the country in the future.

Casey Marsh is part of a delegation of U.S. Fund for UNICEF staff and supporters currently visiting UNICEF's country programs in Zambia. She will be reporting on her experiences from the field all week.

	© US Fund for UNICEF/Casey Marsh
	Mother and child receive medical care at a UNICEF-supported health clinic in Zambia.

Today was a fully-packed day! Our group visited the UNICEF Zambia office where the staff made several presentations about the nature of their work.

There are four key areas of UNICEF's work in Zambia: child health, which includes nutrition and HIV/AIDS prevention; basic education, which includes life skills and information on HIV prevention; water and sanitation projects; and child protection, such as the prevention of child trafficking, child labor, and other forms of child abuse.

Of course, UNICEF is always there in emergencies. Recently, there have been more floods and droughts in Zambia as a result of climate change, so more frequent urgent emergency intervention is needed.

The staff faces a variety of challenges on a regular basis, too. Zambia is a large country—similar in size to Texas—with a relatively small population of about 11 million. This means that people are scattered far and wide throughout the country, making it difficult to make services such as health clinics and schools accessible to everyone. Plus, out of 177 countries, Zambia is ranked 165th in terms of poverty on the Human Development Index.

Casey Marsh is part of a delegation of U.S. Fund for UNICEF staff and supporters currently visiting UNICEF's country programs in Zambia. She will be reporting on her experiences from the field all week.

I arrived this afternoon in Lusaka, Zambia after being 'stuck' overnight in Johannesburg. It seems that everyone in our group experienced some type of delay, and we all agreed that we need to adjust to a new cultural rhythm in Africa. Nothing moves quickly.

Betty Chella Nalungwe, the Communications Assistant for the UNICEF office in Lusaka, greeted me at the airport. It was wonderful to see a bright blue UNICEF t-shirt and a warm, friendly smile as soon I stepped into the terminal. I was quickly moved through the VIP/Diplomat line at passport control, which is an indication of the esteem in which UNICEF is held within the country.

© US Fund for UNICEF

Maryanne and Paul Harvey with Betty Chella Nalungwe stand next to the UNICEF Range Rover at Lusaka Airport.

Betty gave up most of her weekend to fetch me and the other visitors, which she seemed to do happily. In fact, Friday was her birthday, and she spent many hours at the airport waiting for Sean and Griffin Flannery, 2 members of our group from the Boston area, to arrive. None of that put a damper on her energy, though!

UNICEF Ambassador Clay Aiken recently visited the East African countries of Somalia and Kenya, where UNICEF provides children with health care, education, nutrition, clean water and sanitation. This is the last in a series of blog posts he has written about his experience in the field.

In early July, after visiting Somalia, I traveled to Eldoret, in Kenya’s Rift Valley, to visit camps for internally displaced people. This is where some of the worst violence took place following the Kenya elections in early 2008. Thousands of children were made homeless by the unrest.

Everywhere we went, there were the charcoaled remains of homes, schools and shops. We drove for hours and everywhere we went, we saw people trying to get their lives restored.

© US Fund for UNICEF / 2008 / Nick Ysenburg

Although many schools were re-opened, far fewer children are turning up for class than before. And classes are taking place in schools that have been completely destroyed. I saw children sitting on rocks and bricks—which used to make up the foundations and roofs of their schools—using them now as desks and chairs.

	© Elizabeth de Velasco, 2008

U.S. Fund for UNICEF staff member Elizabeth de Velasco recently traveled to UNICEF's main supply division warehouse in Copenhagen, Denmark, and filed this report.

Sure, there’s a warehouse the size of three football fields. But more than that, the UNICEF staff at the supply division in Copenhagen have an expertise in the procurement, shipment and use of international development supplies.

	© Elizabeth de Velasco, 2008

For example, the government of Sudan requested that UNICEF manage the supplies needed for its census. UNICEF dispatched Omar, a warehouse employee. He spent five weeks there making sure that there were enough pencils, paper, boxes and trucks for the census to function throughout Sudan—which is roughly the size of western Europe, but insecure and with weak infrastructure.

Another warehouse staff member, John, develops innovative ways to pack and distribute supplies in conflict and post-conflict situations. In a Back-to-School campaign in Afghanistan a few years ago, John figured out how to get the education supplies to all of the new schoolchildren from an Aghanistan supply center. But women and men could not work side-by-side, so John just rigged up a bedsheet to partition the room, and work was able to commence.

	© Elizabeth de Velasco, 2008

While the Copenhagen warehouse stores less than ten percent of UNICEF’s supplies—the rest get shipped directly from producers to the UNICEF country offices—it does have the items that are most essential to have on hand for emergencies: buckets, blankets, protein biscuits, School-in-a-Box kits, recreation kits, health kits and more. And then UNICEF gets them anywhere in the world in fewer than 48 hours.

UNICEF Ambassador Clay Aiken recently returned from Somalia, where UNICEF provides children in the war-torn nation with health care, education, nutrition, clean water and sanitation. This is the second in a series of blog posts he will write about his experience in the field.

For children in Somalia, the situation is dire. But, it's just amazing to me that UNICEF is still able to make a difference in children’s lives in one of the most dangerous places on earth.

© US Fund for UNICEF / 2008 / Nick Ysenburg

For instance, while I was in northwest Somalia—where 45 percent of the population are children and women—I observed how UNICEF improves water, sanitation and hygiene conditions for everyone in the region. One of the ways they do this is by drilling "borewells" so that clean drinking water is easily accessible and readily available. Without these borewells, children would have to walk hours to fetch water instead of going to school and getting an education.

UNICEF Ambassador Clay Aiken recently returned from Somalia, where UNICEF provides children in the war-torn nation with health care, education, nutrition, clean water and sanitation. This is the first in a series of blog posts he will write about his experience in the field.

I recently returned from a UNICEF field visit that took me to northwest Somalia. What I saw there was both amazing and heartbreaking. In many ways, the children I was able to meet are doing better than their counterparts in the rest of Somalia. But in other respects, the situation there is still quite serious.

© US Fund for UNICEF / 2008 / Nick Ysenburg

UNICEF Ambassador Clay Aiken with children he met on his recent visit to Somalia.

For starters, the lack of a permanent central government has contributed to Somalia's status as one of the poorest and most volatile countries in the world. Decades of civil conflict have shattered social structures and exacerbated poverty.

In such conditions—combined with an extremely arid environment and difficult terrain with settlements scattered over vast distances—a Somali child's chances of surviving to adulthood are among the lowest of children anywhere in the world.

Fortunately, UNICEF is there. It has been on the ground since 1972 and is the humanitarian organization with the largest presence in Somalia.

Martial arts legend and UNICEF Ambassador Jackie Chan just returned from a visit to the island nation of East Timor, where he promoted peace—and martial arts. The martial arts are hugely popular among the young people of East Timor, and Chan urged his young fans to use their sport "as a peaceful force." For the children of East Timor, Jackie Chan's visit marked the beginning of a return to normalcy for their country after years of unrest and violence.

© UNICEF/HQ08-0644/Josh Estey

Jackie Chan joins children at the Comorro Youth Center in Dili. The center provides literacy classes, skills training and sports and recreation for young people.

UNICEF Ambassador Mia Farrow just returned from a week-long trip to the Central African Republic. She brought back some pictures that we wanted to share with you below. She also brought back some sobering news, describing the people of the Central African Republic as, "without question, the most abandoned people on the earth."

© UNICEF/ HQ08-0580/Pierre Holtz

Mia Farrow takes notes during a visit to a "bush school" in the northwestern province of Ouham-Pendé. Working with the Italian NGO COOPI, UNICEF reopened 104 schools in 2007, serving some 32,000 primary school students. More than half of the schools are located in the bush where families have taken refuge, afraid to return to their villages following attacks by armed groups.

The Central African Republic (CAR) has been ravaged by civil war for a decade now, in addition to being affected by the conflict in neighboring Sudan. What's even worse, the people of CAR are terrorized by gangs of bandits who loot property and kidnap children. As a result, many families with children hide in the bush where they are threatened by disease and rape, have little to eat or drink, and have no school for their children to attend. More than 300,000 people are now refugees in their own country, and almost a million people have been affected by the ongoing violence.

UNICEF’s first ever comprehensive report assessing the status of Africa’s children cited major challenges and some significant gains in the effort to cut that continent’s stubbornly high child mortality rates.

The State of Africa’s Children 2008: Child Survival, released late last month, noted that among the nearly 10 million children who die each year before they reach age five, half of these deaths occur in Africa.

Mark Engman, Director of Public Policy and Advocacy for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, was recently in Panama for a conference involving UNICEF’s national committees from around the world, and UNICEF’s Latin American and Caribbean offices.

Fact: Between 1990 and 2006, Panama lowered its overall under-five mortality rate by a third, from 34 to 23 per thousand live births.

Fact: Among rural, indigenous communities, the poorest people in Panama, the under-five mortality rate is about 57 per thousand live births, more than twice the national average.

Those facts highlight both the progress and the problems facing the Americas and Caribbean region. At our UNICEF workshop in Panama, we heard Nils Kastberg, UNICEF's Regional Director, talk about the "tyranny of averages." Throughout the region, national progress in many areas – child health, education, access to AIDS treatment – masks the underlying reality that the poorest communities have been left behind.

© Mark Engman

	UNICEF/ HQ98-1137/Giacomo Pirozzi
	In this photo, taken during a different trip, a girl is examined at one of the many hospitals and health clinics in Angola that receive vaccines and other essential supplies from UNICEF.

We saw Maria on Tuesday. The U.S. Fund delegation visiting Angola was observing UNICEF-supported services at a pediatric hospital in the southern city of Lubango. In a small room off a corridor, a tiny, striking child—too tiny to be 15 months of age—lay in a bed near a window. Feeding tubes snaked out of her little body. Her wide eyes stared at some other place. Rows of scars marked her stomach—evidence of a traditional healing ritual.

Sitting next to her on the bed, Maria's mother quietly watched her daughter cling to life. Maria suffered from severe malnutrition and diarrhea. Because she was taken to traditional healers and brought to the hospital only as a last resort, her chances did not look good.

On Thursday, we learned that Maria had died. The burdens of malnutrition, diarrhea, and perhaps other complications were too much for her to withstand—especially because she had not been taken to the hospital until she was very sick.

We did not know Maria, or her family, but we know she was an innocent child who deserved the right to live. Her death—the death of any child—is an unnatural, world-splitting event. In Angola, it is also horrifically commonplace.

	© Mark Engman
	Edith (at right) and her daughter Isabel. Isabel says, “I am so proud of my mother.”

Mark Engman, Director of Public Policy and Advocacy for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, is in Panama for a conference with UNICEF’s national committees from around the world. Prior to the conference, UNICEF Panama took several visitors to learn about its work in the field, including its partnership with the Panamanian NGO, PROBIDSIDA.

Though Panama's AIDS prevalence rate is less than one percent, the disease is growing most rapidly in young women. Unfortunately, though testing is free, only half of all women are tested for HIV.

Eleven years ago, Edith's life turned upside down.

Happily married and the mother of a young boy, Edith learned that she was HIV-positive—and so was her son. Her husband, who had hemophilia, contracted the disease from a transfusion; he passed it to her, and she passed it to her son. Her husband and son both died from the disease, leaving Edith to care for her daughter Isabel and fight the disease alone.

	© Frank Susa
	Girls from the Taboada school's student government wear traditional Panamanian dress to greet their visitors from UNICEF.

Frank Susa is in Panama for a conference with UNICEF’s national committees from around the world. Prior to the conference, UNICEF Panama took several visitors to learn about its important work for children in a variety of Panama City's most marginal neighborhoods.

At first, it might not seem so novel to consider putting children's needs at the center of a school's mission. But in Panama City, the idea has far-reaching implications for how a school works and how successful it can be.

On Thursday, we visited one such school in the neighborhood of Tocumen, which has been successfully implementing its "child friendly" approach to education for four years with the support of an alliance between UNICEF, Panama's Ministry of Education and COPA Airlines.

Tocumen is a fast growing neighborhood largely populated by an influx of Panama's indigenous peoples, but with very little infrastructure and even less governmental support. Unemployment is high, so the cost of private education is outside the reach of most. But public schools here have been underfunded and incapable of supporting the growing needs of children in the area for years. Not only are qualified teachers in short supply, but basic things like running water and food are sometimes scarce.

	UNICEF/ HQ96-0110/Giacomo Pirozzi
	This photo, taken during a different trip, shows an Angolan boy in a UNICEF-assisted centre for children orphaned by the war.

Greetings from Angola. I arrived here early Sunday morning as part of a U.S. Fund for UNICEF group visiting this captivating, yet struggling, country on Africa's southwest coast.

Angola is a nation of stark contrasts. After 40 years of war, and only six years of peace, this former Portuguese colony now has the second fastest growing economy in all of Africa, and a wealth of natural resources including oil and diamonds. But the majority of Angola's estimated 18 million people have been left out of the country's new prosperity, with 62 percent living on less than two dollars a day. The child mortality rate is staggering—one out of every four children dies before their fifth birthday.

Greetings news buffs! My NewsNet posts will be on hiatus for a few weeks while I travel to Angola and Swaziland on U.S. Fund field visits.

I’ll be accompanied by additional U.S. Fund staff, among others, on both trips. I will attempt to submit some Fieldnotes posts during my travels, if technology allows it. Meanwhile, I encourage you to follow the important work of UNICEF as it responds to the Myanmar cyclone and many other crucial challenges.

Stay tuned.

UNICEF Ambassador Lucy Liu recently visited a UNICEF-sponsored program for orphans and children with disabilities in Moscow, Russia and shares her experience in the following post.

Last week I was in Russia, and on Friday I had a chance to visit UNICEF's “Maria’s Children” project in Moscow. The facility is in a basement in the center of the city and has two small rooms where orphans and children with disabilities can go and express themselves through art. In addition to the art facilities, they also teach children cooking and other life skills to help them once they “graduate” from the facility.

© Aaron Poirier

Unfortunately, in Russia there is a stigma attached to children with any type of handicap and children who have been orphaned and therefore institutionalized. They are at a great disadvantage, not only educationally but socially as well. UNICEF is currently working on an inclusion program, helping schools slowly integrate these children to have a more normal and connected lifestyle with other kids and with society in general.

Studies have shown that they receive a very limited education, not only because they are alienated from society but also simply because handicap access on buses and in schools does not exist. Some children will only receive what would be a 4th grade education for their entire lives. This, of course, limits their possibilities for their futures.

© Aaron Poirier

The orphans I had the pleasure of meeting were wonderful. We spent the day with kids who ranged from 8 to 13 years old creating a giant collage about Moscow. It was a very involved process and took about 6 hours. We started with drawing the images, and then painting with watercolors. Then we cut the images out and glued them onto paper to create a beautiful and incredibly colorful collage.

© Aaron Poirier

The little boy that you see me hugging in the photo looks 7 or 8 years old, but he is actually 13 going on 14 in April. His growth was severely stunted because of lack of nutrition from the time he was born. Sadly, there is nothing that can change that now; he will be quite small for the rest of his life. We worked together on the same sheet of paper sharing thoughts on color and what animals to draw to create our very own idea of what trees and animals and people lived in Moscow. Incredibly, though neither of us spoke the other’s language, we were able to communicate through art. It’s really special to be able to express your thoughts and imagination with children this way and to also help push them to have more self confidence and fun in their lives.

They started out quite shy but still very curious, as all kids are! By the end of the day, they were showing me how to wash up for dinner and giving me lots of hugs. I was heartbroken when it was time to leave, but so happy for the time we shared together.

It's been awhile in the making, but we've just put the final touches on Clay's album of photos from his holiday visit with kids at UNICEF programs in Mexico.

Everyone who donated $50 or more to Clay's appeal for Mexico will be getting a link to a PDF of the album this week via e-mail -- and signed copies for folks who were able to give $1,000 or more will be going out by postal mail shortly.

Keep your eyes open for yours, and let us know what you think!

Jenna Bush, former UNICEF intern and author of Ana's Story: A Journey of Hope, based on her work with UNICEF, is visiting UNICEF programs in Peru and blogging from the field. This is her third entry.

Today started early; at six in the morning we were up preparing for a visit to the provinces of Chincha and Pisco, two areas that faced serious damage after an earthquake affected the region on August 15th. Although the sun had just risen above the grey water of the Pacific, our two-hour drive South to Chincha was filled with energy and anticipation. The earthquake, a magnitude of 7.9, caused tremendous devastation to the regions of Chincha, Pisco, and Ica: 519 people were killed, 430,000 people were affected. The earthquake resulted in massive destruction of houses, health centers, schools and, communication infrastructure. And UNICEF Peru was there the day after the tragedy, assisting in disaster relief and providing comfort to the families affected; we were anxious to see their work first hand.

The damage around Chincha was startling. Although, the earthquake occurred almost five months ago the area was still reduce to rubble. A row of camping tents covered debris and I could imagine the community of houses that were once there. Our first stop was at a Ludoteca, or a Play Center. UNICEF assisted with the emotional relief of the children affected by the earthquake by establishing 30 recreational centers in the area. They knew that with the devastation of the community’s homes and schools, the kids had nowhere to play; and they would need time to recover and heal with their friends in a safe environment.

As we walked the path to the play center, the laughter of children combined with the noise from drums and flutes and spilled out onto the sidewalk.

“Ven! Come in,” the kids called. As we entered the small one room house, the walls painted an optimistic yellow, the floor covered with games, books, and toys the kids swarmed around us, kissed us on the cheeks and pulled us into different corners of the room.

I ended up with some elementary-school-aged girls who were adorned with plastic pink and silver capes.

“Nosotros estamos reinas. We are queens,” they giggled.

During our time at the play center, I met a 12-year-old girl named Anita. Anita told me that she lives only five minutes from the center and walks here every morning and afternoon. She recalled, with a look of jaded fear that during the earthquake she was in her house with an older cousin and a wall collapsed between them. She was frightened, isolated in a small space for nearly three hours. When some family members finally rescued her, she was devastated to see that her house was ruined.

“I was really sad and scared before, but I like having somewhere to come and play. I like coming here and sharing stories with my friends, playing ball, and forgetting about my problems.” Anita said. She told me later that she now lives in a tent with her family.

Our next stop was at the San Martin primaria school. The elementary school was completely destroyed by the earthquake; the 1,500 students deprived of a safe place of learning. UNICEF in partnership with other relief organizations immediately started building temporary bamboo classrooms called esteras and put up tents to serve as classrooms. UNICEF Peru not only assisted with the rebuilding of this school, but also helped rebuild 304 temporary classrooms, making it possible for 34,000 kids to return to finish the school year.

I walked around the courtyard lined with tents and esteras posing as classrooms, imagining the school that was once there. I entered one tent that housed a third grade class. The kids all stood when I walked in, calling in unison, “Buenos dias, good morning.” They were studying multiplication and when I started quizzing them on problems from the times table they called out the answers proudly and joyfully. Leaving the school, I was filled with the notion that these kids, these third graders, are so very similar to my third grade students in the U.S.

Our last stop in Chincha was at a module for integrated protection, an early-childhood development program that keeps infants and toddlers nourished while also providing parenting classes to their mothers. UNICEF established 54 similar modules to feed the young children of these poor regions twice daily, preventing malnutrition in the area.

The tent was full of thirty babies, toddlers, and their mothers. Some of the mothers were in the corner holding their babies while, nurses, trained by UNICEF, taught parenting classes. The kids were spooning a nutrient-enriched porridge into their small mouths.

A nine-year-old girl walked directly towards me; holding her three-year-old sister’s hand.

“I want to tell you my story,” she said as she pulled up a chair for me. “This is my baby sister. I bring her here twice daily. After the earthquake, my family didn’t have any money so my sister started getting skinny; I was worried. I had heard about this center and asked my mom if I could bring her here. At first, my mom said no, but finally she agreed to let me bring her. Now she is happy because my sister has gotten so big, so healthy.”

I’m struck by the maturity of this young girl. She too is just a child, but because of the earthquake she has been forced to grow up too fast.

“You are so brave,” I told her. “And so smart. What do you want to be when you grow up,” I ask?

“A woman who provides porridge to the children” she replies, smiling.

In the afternoon, we were off to Pisco. Driving past the traditional town square we saw shattered windows, abandoned stores and a boat that was catapulted from the ocean a mile away in the middle of the street, creating an eerie ghost-town-like feel. You could tell that Pisco was once a charming fishing village but now the streets were lined with tents and temporary bamboo houses, much of the village had been destroyed.

We spent the afternoon at the Parque Zonal shelter, a type of refugee camp for the residents of Pisco who had lost their homes. The camp took over what must have been a beautiful park, benches still sat among bushes of tropical flowers. Now, however, the park is a makeshift community center. UNICEF assisted the people of the camp by providing both a recreation center and a module for the children. One of the teachers told me later, “It was a gift when UNICEF built the play tent. The kids were scared from the earthquake and since they were out of school many became bored and turned violent. Now, with a place to play many are healing and there is far less violence in the camp.”

When we arrived at the play center, the kids of the community were playing games, cards, and building block castles as the sun began to slip towards the horizon. Two boys began playing bongo drums as we lined up, an eager audience. A young boy and girl enticed by the rhythm of the drums start stomping their feet, and shaking their small hips to the music. They present us with a fluid traditional Peruvian dance.

I’m overcome with emotion. It’s so amazing to me that these kids--kids who have been affected by something so traumatic, many of whom have lost family members, their homes, and schools--are so resilient. These kids are overcome with worries, but they have continued studying, smiling, laughing and playing.

On this beautiful summer day in Peru these kids have continued to survive, continued to live. They have continued to dance.

Jenna Bush, former UNICEF intern and author of Ana's Story: A Journey of Hope, based on her work with UNICEF, is visiting UNICEF programs in Peru and blogging from the field. This is her second entry.

We woke to the sun breaking through the clouds of the Andes and flew to Lima for a day visiting urban programs. As we drove through the crowded city, passing large buses and motor taxis, mothers and children I was struck by the stark difference between the isolated, slow life in the communities outside of Cusco and the congested city life.

After a thirty minute drive through traffic, we arrived at our destination: the Tahuantinsuyo Bajo Health Center.

Dr. Cornejo immediately leads us down a narrow hall and takes us into a small examining room. He then introduces us to Ines, a pregnant mother of three. A nurse is speaking with Ines about the HIV/AIDS rapid test.

Dr. Cornejo explains, “This clinic has one of the most integrated programs in preventing the transmission from mother-to-child and we have given more HIV rapid tests than any clinic in Peru.”

UNICEF Peru has provided much of the research and assistance in creating this program. In this clinic, and eleven others in the area, the plan is this: a patient receives information about HIV, including the rapid test, the health of their baby and then ultimately it is their choice if they will take the test. After a patient knows the results there is a staff of guidance counselors that will help them accept the news.

Ines has decided that she will take the test, not only for herself, but for her unborn child.

UNICEF Peru has supported Tahuantinsuyo Bajo Center and many other clinics in Peru by providing rapid HIV tests for patients just like Ines. Ines is already seven months pregnant and therefore cannot wait for the results from Elisa, the traditional HIV testing measure; she must know immediately. Her test results from the rapid test will be ready in fifteen minutes.

We say goodbye to Ines and she tells us she is comforted that she will know her results so soon. We continue to walk down the hall and enter a mother and baby waiting room. Five mothers lay in twin beds cradling and breastfeeding their newborns. They smile when we enter and beam with maternal pride when we take pictures of them with their babies.

Dr. Cornejo tells us that this room is provided as a comfort for new mothers, but is also, a place of learning. Nurses provide counseling, early child parenting classes and teach the mothers the importance of breastfeeding and lifelong nutrition.

Our visit is almost over, but Dr. Cornejo wants us to view the hospital counseling program in action. UNICEF Peru has provided the training and support for many of the nurses. We enter a room where a young girl, only fourteen-years-old, sits across from a nurse who is explaining diagrams from a large flip book.

The girl looks up when we enter and smiles gently. Her mother who is seated next to her mumbles a greeting, her eyes worried.

The young girl, who has just finished her first year of escuela secundaria, or high school, is four months pregnant. But it seems to me, that despite the challenges her baby will bring she is full of hope.

The nurse gives her the information she needs to keep her newborn baby healthy and information about HIV/AIDS prevention. Then she tells us that 20% of the patients in the hospital are teenagers.

We ask the girl if she plans to finish high school. Her mother shakes her head in doubt but the girl replies, “ Yes, por supuesto, of course.”

I ask, “Promise?” “Promise,” she says as she shakes my hand in confirmation.

Jenna Bush is visiting UNICEF programs in Peru and blogging from the field. This is her first entry.

The low clouds hung over the mountains as we drove from the center of Cusco up the rolling hills to the rural village of Huancarcani. The two and a half-hour drive through winding cliffs to the elevated community which sits at 3,800 feet keeps the villagers isolated from the city life below. The village’s economy is the fifth poorest of the 1,831 municipalities in Peru. We have come for a full day in the village: first a meeting with local political figures, then to tour an innovative health center, and finally a visit to a children’s defense center.

We arrived at the traditional square to meet with the Association of Child Friendly Municipalities. With the decentralization of Peru more power and financial resources have come into the hands of municipalities around the country and UNICEF Peru has been there to help with the transition. UNICEF’s goal is to help these small local governments access and manage the funds supplied by the government with a result-based focus on human rights. They help these municipalities with their budgets and encourage them to spend in a way that will strengthen public health and education.

Three of these municipalities—Caicay, Colquepata, and Huancarcani—have come together to create the first ever Association of Child Friendly Municipalities. With UNICEF assistance, their philosophy is that by creating municipalities that focus on the welfare of children all people in their villages will profit.

In the meeting, Jose Patricio Mendoza, the mayor of Huancarani told me, “We hope to use funds for the government to help the kids of our village. Here in Huancarcani only 40% of all of the people are literate. There are no real professionals and none of our children have gone on to university. Many of our kids must walk 3-4 hours to get to school and this is not acceptable.”

UNICEF Peru supports this collaboration of municipalities and hopes that the association is a model for other municipalities to follow. They have strengthened their voices by joining together and are advocating for more funds from the government to help provide nutrition, education, health, and safety for their children.

And UNICEF Peru is helping them use the existing funds efficiently because as Jose Mendoza said, “All children no matter where they live deserve a good education and a chance for a successful future.”

After the meeting came to a close, and we were embraced with the traditional wraps and hats of the villages, we were escorted down the street to visit another UNICEF supported program, the Health Center of Huancarani. This innovative heath center has been supported by UNICEF Peru since the beginning. The health center is a place where pregnant indigenous women, many of whom live in remote villages miles away, can come and give birth in a way embraced by their culture.

Ten years ago, the health center was empty because the indigenous women of the community chose to give birth from their homes. The language barrier and the fact that the hospital promoted horizontal birth, a practice foreign to the women’s culture kept them away and in turn the maternal and child mortality rates were high.

The health center worked with women from the community and changed their policy to support the traditions of the indigenous women and advocated for vertical birth and other practices. On our visit, the health center was full of expecting mothers and mothers and toddlers returning for check ups.

We met with Yeri, a mother who was expecting her third child to come any day and we watched as a traditional doctor preformed the ancient birthing practices. We also spoke with the doctors about how now—since, many women use the clinic—the doctors are able to perform rapid HIV/AIDS test to prevent the spread of HIV from mother to child.

After her check up, Yeri lead us up a hill to the maternal waiting house, another UNICEF supported project. Yeri has been boarding in the house for the last week and will stay there until several weeks after she gives birth. Many of the patients including Yeri live hours from the clinic and by the time they are ready to give birth they are too far to make it in time.

Yeri boards here, adjacent to the clinic and receives check-ups daily so, that when her baby is ready she is close to the center and faces no threat of delivering at home, endangering herself and her child. Yeri smiled at me and squeezed my hand as we left. She seemed ready to give birth and at peace in the small home.

The last stop in Huracani was at a Communal Defense Center. We walked into the small wood room and were greeted by Ana and her daughter Xenia. Xenia immediately grabbed my hand and sat close to me on the wooden bench where she colored in her small note pad.

Her mother, Ana, lead the meeting and explained to us that the defense center is a place that works for child and women’s rights and the decrease of physical and sexual violence.

Ana told us how she and the other volunteers work traveling from home to home explaining to families their rights, conducting classes for children and parents, and documenting and protecting those who have faced abuse. Ana said, “There is a lot of sexual and physical violence in this community. Before the health center was created in 2002, I was overcome with despair for the children of the community. But women and children are learning their rights.” Right then Xenia’s small body leans in closer to me and it’s easy to see the inspiration for her mother’s tireless efforts.

As we are leaving, Ana hugs me and thanks UNICEF for their dedication in saving children’s lives. Before I go, I feel a tug on my shirt and Xenia, who is beaming, hands me a drawing of a little girl smiling.

Congratulations to everyone who participated in UNICEF Ambassador Clay Aiken's holiday challenge--once again you have amazed us and surpassed our goal of raising $100,000 to help the children of Mexico. Thank you so much for sharing the true spirit of the holiday season with children who need it the most.

We're putting together Clay's Mexico Holiday Photo Album now -- in the meantime, here is one photograph we wanted to share with you to start off the New Year -- faces of two of the people your generous gifts are going to help.

From all of us here at UNICEF, a great big thank you and best wishes to you and your loved ones for the happiest of new years!

UNICEF Ambassador is visiting UNICEF projects in Mexico and blogging from the field.

"Les deseo un prosperó año nueva!"

Yesterday we spent a long, but rewarding, day visiting schools that were severely damaged by the floods. I had the opportunity to talk to many children who have been unable to attend school since the disaster struck. They are full of hope and excited to return to school soon.

We also had the unique opportunity to visit the largest shelter in Villahermosa, Tabasco. When we got there I began walking and immediately a little boy ran over to me with the biggest smile on his face. And of course I was confused that he was excited to see me since I am not well known in Mexico, but it all became clear when he pointed to my UNICEF t-shirt and gave me a hug.

Throughout my travels with UNICEF - to Indonesia, Uganda, Afghanistan and now Mexico - I have been greeted with this same warm welcome. Children everywhere know that UNICEF is there for them, to help them get the food, shelter and education they need to not only survive but to thrive.

I am so proud to be a UNICEF Ambassador and to do my part to help UNICEF as they take care of children in need around the world. And I thank you for joining me this holiday season to give to those in need.

C

P.S. Good news everyone! We have our bags - yes, even mine!

UNICEF Ambassador Clay Aiken is visiting UNICEF projects for children affected by the recent floods in Mexico. He sent the following post from the field.

Merry Christmas to all from Mexico!

The past couple of days have been crazy – from delayed flights to lost luggage (yes, the airline lost all our bags – mine, mom’s and Brett’s – and mine’s STILL missing, so if you see it, could you send it my way?), to missed flights - if it could go wrong it did! But despite everything I couldn’t be happier than to be with my family and UNICEF in Mexico sharing the Christmas holiday with the people of Chiapas and Tabasco who have suffered such tragedy.

They have lost so much (much more than a few suitcases) but they have an unbelievable spirit and contagious joy. This is the holiday season and the spirit of family and giving is alive and well here.

Yesterday we were privileged to travel with the First Lady of Chiapas to the mountain village of Ostuácan. People here were severely affected by the recent flooding and mudslides. In fact, more than 2,000 people, many of whom are children, have lost their homes and are celebrating Christmas in shelters this year. But, they rolled out the red carpet for us and we celebrated the holiday together singing Jingle Bells and other holiday songs and even taking a whack at a piñata (and, believe it or not, I didn’t hit anyone!).

As upbeat and positive as the people are they still need our help. There is much to do to reconstruct their village and get their lives back to normal. Thank you on behalf of myself, UNICEF and the people of Chiapas for your generous donations… and if you haven’t already, please consider opening your heart to these wonderful people who have opened their hearts and homes to me.

More tomorrow from Tabasco… in the meantime, from my family to yours we wish you a very Merry Christmas!

UNICEF Ambassador Clay Aiken will be visiting UNICEF projects for children affected by the recent floods in Mexico and blogging about his experience. Here's his first post in advance of the trip.

As I prepare for my trip to Mexico, I'd like to encourage everyone to help the children and families in need. I could receive no greater gift this holiday season than your support of UNICEF and the children of Mexico.

We've been so successful helping kids in the past—thank you.

Following several days of torrential rains, including the passage of Tropical Storm Noel, 80% of the state of Tabasco was left underwater. Approximately 70% of the schools were damaged and 100% of the state crops were destroyed.

Let's aim high and raise $100,000 before the end of the year to support UNICEF's work in Mexico. Join me in our campaign to make a difference this holiday season—for the kids in Mexico.

If you donate $50 before the end of the year UNICEF will email you my holiday photo album of my trip to Mexico.

Donate $1,000 or more and I will sign my holiday photo album of my trip to Mexico and mail it directly to you!

UNICEF doesn't take a vacation. No matter what time of year it is, there are UNICEF staff in the field working hard to save children's lives. That's why I called my friends at UNICEF to tell them that this year I wasn't going to take a vacation either.

Thank you for your continued support of UNICEF.

I forgot to mention in my last post: Clay will be blogging from the field, so be sure to check back soon. And if you want to donate in his honor to help kids in Mexico, click here. Thanks to everyone who's given already -- children in Mexico will have the best chance of survival because of your generosity!

It's official: UNICEF Ambassador Clay Aiken will be visiting UNICEF projects in Mexico over the holidays with his family. Check out his interview in the Kansas City Star. He told us that since UNICEF doesn't take a vacation when it comes to saving the world's children, he isn't going to either.

We'll keep you posted on the trip here. In the meantime, feel free to leave your best wishes and questions via the Comments section below.

On Friday, our last day in Brazil, we met UNICEF's NGO partners working within some of the poor neighborhoods or favelas of Rio de Janeiro. We also had the opportunity to talk with some of the adolescents who are working to improve their neighborhoods. I read that it is estimated that up to 20% of Rio's population lives in the favelas, which are plagued by violence between the gangs and drug dealers that dominate these neighborhoods and the police. Children are frequently caught in the middle and unable to attend school when the violence erupts.

UNICEF and its partners are working with adolescents to conduct research on what the biggest issues are within these neighborhoods and their suggestions for improvement. The results of their research will be presented at a public hearing with city officials for changes to be implemented.

I was struck by the challenges that these kids must overcome to attend school. One teenager told us about the struggle to get bus transportation to school. While free bus cards are provided, the private bus company maintains a quota for how many free riders can be on the bus at any given time. The quota is 3. This presents a serious obstacle to getting to school. I'm hopeful that their research work will help to change problems such as this one.

We had an amazing experience this morning with children in the Nova Iguaçu community, a very poor area south of Rio de Janeiro. Theirs is one in which UNICEF and the community are coming together to develop a neighborhood concept for schools that is dramatically changing education for children and reducing violence. In this community the project divides childrens´ school day in two parts: class time and activities. The activities are all located within the community and may include swimming lessons in the pool of one of the residents or work on a film project at the film school nearby. All of the activities are walking distance and the path is marked on the sidewalk with red paint. The community even mobilized to change the traffic patterns and placement of street vendors to improve childrens´ access to the various places on the ``campus``. We visited with elementary students participating in a drawing workshop as well as teenagers at the film project where we were able to see short films they had written and created. We were all incredibly impressed and thrilled to hear that this neighborhood school concept is active in 20 communities and plans are in place to scale up to 80 by next year.

I am having trouble posting photographs from the computer I am working on, but will try to post some on Saturday if I don´t have luck before then. So please check back then!

We have been so fortunate to meet so many people who are willing to share stories from their lives with us while we are here in Brazil. Yesterday we met the staff at GAPA-Bahia (AIDS Prevention and Assistance Group of Bahia), a local NGO in Salvador that provides support for children and their families who are living with HIV/AIDS. This NGO, which is supported by UNICEF, provides critical psychosocial support to children beyond the medical treatment. Here we met children ages 6 to 12 in a play room at the center. They come here to play games and tell stories that help them express themselves and discuss themes in their everyday lives. The children were clearly enjoying themselves in the play room judging from the shrieks of laughter and other noises coming from the room during our meeting! We had the chance to meet some of them and talk with them in the play room - a great experience for both of us.

After our visit and some minor delays, we arrived safely in Rio de Janeiro last night. We are off this morning to meet students at a local school. I will try to write again this evening and post more photos from our visits.

KM

© U.S. Fund for UNICEF/Mangelinkx

Celia with her water tank.

This morning we were up early to visit the homes of families participating in a couple of different projects that UNICEF and its partners are working on in this region of Brazil. One project that is changing the lives of families here is the Million Water Tanks project - an initiative of the government, UNICEF, and other partners to provide the materials and training to families to build and maintain their own water tank that would provide them with water for cooking and drinking during the 8 months of the dry season. The tank filters and collects water during the rainy season that can sustain the family during the harshest months of the year. We met Celia, who participated in the training and now has the ability to provide her family of 6 with water, saving her the time of collecting water from the well - a task that could take up to 4 hours for some families here.

We also visited, Maria, who participated in a program that provides families with goats and training to care for them. Through the program, Maria has begun a breeding program that has provided her family with enough income to purchase additional acres of land and a new home in their community.

We returned to Salvador this evening and are resting up for more visits in the morning and our trip to Rio. I will write again tomorrow evening. Please post your comments and questions!

After a long drive yesterday afternoon and a meeting with UNICEF´s NGO partners in the Conceicao do Coite community in the semi-arid region, we arrived at a school that is working to prevent child labor through extended hours and a reading program, called the Reading Chest.
The government is working with UNICEF and its partners to grow this program which provides a stipend to families whose children participate. The stipend provided is equivalent or more to what a child would be making working on one of the farms or in a factory. Instead the children engage in a program that improves their reading skills and focuses on issues around three main themes: identity of their community, the relationship to nature and the environment, and their rights as citizens. The children performed songs, dances, and gave readings in honor of our visit. Most of all, we loved the opportunity we had to sit on the floor with them and talk about their favorite books, their lives, and their hopes for the future. It was the perfect start to our visit here in Brazil.

Our group with children participating in the Reading Chest program.

We arrived safely in the Northeast coastal city of Salvador yesterday afternoon. After checking in to our hotel, we toured the city and learned much about its rich history. Salvador was a major port for slaves arriving from West Africa and today approximately 85% of the population is of African descent. Slavery was abolished in Brazil in 1888 and its influence can still be seen today in the mixture of cultural and religious practices of the city´s residents.

This morning we are getting ready to greet our UNICEF colleagues and travel with them to visit a UNICEF-supported program for AIDS prevention and support for children. We will also drive to Feira de Santana (1 hour west of Salvador) to see a community mobilization program before driving another 2 hours to Conceicao do Coite. This community is one in which UNICEF is working to develop an integrated and sustainable approach to programming that involves the entire community.

We will be spending the evening in Conceicao do Coite so that we can begin visits first thing in the morning. I will probably not have internet access until tomorrow evening, so more then.

My name is Kristen Mangelinkx and I work in the Boston office of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. On Saturday, I will be traveling to Brazil for the week to visit UNICEF's programs in Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, and Conceicao do Coite, a rural area that is a several hour drive from Salvador.

Although Brazil is considered a middle-income country, approximately 50 million people still live in poverty. While infant mortality rates are declining and improvements in living conditions, child healthcare, and nutrition are being made, the progress is not spread equally throughout the country. Deaths of children in the Northeast region where we will be traveling are twice as high as those in other parts of the country.

UNICEF's programs in Brazil are focused on improving access to healthcare for vulnerable children, developing quality education and reducing drop-out rates, improving access to services for mothers and children with HIV/AIDS, and protecting children from violence. On this trip we will be able to see these programs in both an urban and rural context.

I will try to write daily about our visits and answer questions that are posted, so please visit the blog each day and send me your questions!

KM

Our last visit was to the Murama 'Catch Up' program that is located in the primary school in the Bugesera District about 40km east of Kigali. The goal is to provide a basic education to all children even though they may have missed a grade or two. The program began in 2005 and is currently at an enrollment of 179 children - 112 boys and 67 girls. They are distributed into levels that lead them to prepare for the leaving exam so they advance to the mainstream school system. The rest of the children have classes as usual. The Ministry of Education developed a curriculum for this program that includes language, math, science and technology, and social sciences - including HIV/AIDS and peace education. Eventually, they aim to have at least 1 catch up school in each district of the country, for a total of 30.

© U.S. Fund for UNICEF/Rusanganwa

UNICEF is assisting these schools as they focus the programming on human rights. Capacity building empowers the communities to reach a self-sustaining level and grants them ownership of their own progress. Two agricultural cooperatives were created to add to their success. A school garden and animal husbandry system have been integrated into the program which is managed by the parents. (Again, parents are involved in the food program by preparing porridge for breakfast and a lunch as well.) Pigs are housed behind the schools and they are sold and also used in the school feeding program. Proceeds from the sales are distributed among families who participate and help. The fertilizer that the pigs produce is used in the gardens of beans, corn, pineapple to name a few.

The involvement of the parents is increasing annually and is helping tremendously and I have mentioned it several times through this blog. The elements that contribute to this concept include involving parents in the school's programs, creating what we call a child friendly school, was a pilot project for the Murama school. Their success is spreading throughout the country.

The concept of child friendly includes implementing psychosocial support through activities such as sports and peer clubs. Water tanks that provide clean running water were also installed and included teaching children about sanitation. Latrines are separate, when they were previously together. All of these components make the schools more amenable for children to attend school and the girls are more likely to stay when they are more friendly to them as well.

The grand conclusion was an incredible celebration presented by some of the children in the school. They danced traditional dances outside under a tree. The rain came and suddenly we were rushed into a small classroom where two groups of girls danced for us and had us join them. Their graceful rhythm entertained us with great interest and we learned about the symbolic movements and stories they told with their motions.

© U.S. Fund for UNICEF/Rusanganwa

© U.S. Fund for UNICEF/Rusanganwa

This country is beautiful, as are the Rwandans, and we have been incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to meet every single person we encountered on this trip. From the travellers from the States, to the UNICEF staff who led us through the projects, to the drivers who took us all over the country, to our traveling photographer, Laurent, whose pictures will be downloaded soon, and to the wonderful people leading the projects on the ground who should be extremely proud of the success they are achieving. I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you who made our trip so pleasant. We appreciate it immensely and we are thinking of you always and wishing you continued tremendous success!

All the best from all of us, Linda

The last part of our trip focused on education. We first visited the Rubingo primary school located in the Gasabo district outside of Kigali. The ride to the school was surreal as a storm was coming, forcing the clouds to shift to the top of the hill where the school is located. Fog blurred our view of the community but we were able to get a good idea of the character once we arrived at the school.

© U.S. Fund for UNICEF/Rusanganwa

Located in a rural community, this UNICEF-built school has over 1,220 children enrolled - almost equal with boys and girls. One of 50 similar schools country-wide, there are only 18 teachers which results in a large student to teacher ratio. The goal is to reach 1:55, teacher to students, which is still difficult to manage but there is a lot of outside help.

The Parents' Association has been volunteering in the food, nutrition and recreation programs and teachers are being trained by some partner NGOs, creating a model child-friendly environment. The curriculum is set at the National level but an additional component is added to these schools, of which there are 20 schools participating. A mentorship program aides students to consider a path to take once they finish school. This project is too new to have measurable results but it is another indicator of hope and planning for a successful future.

© U.S. Fund for UNICEF/Rusanganwa

© U.S. Fund for UNICEF/Rusanganwa

It is a beautiful school with a dedicated team of educators who will be sure to lead the students to success. I should note that there were some students who came to school just to meet us to sing for us. Their beautiful voices were a warm welcome for us and it was flattering that they would come to school during the break to meet us. That's a pretty good indication of the motivation level!

What an honor was to have the Mayor of Nyanza give us a warm greeting after we entered his District. He was proud to show us the different programs that are underway under his watch as UNICEF is one of only a few partners to support the work conducted in this District. We were extremely flattered to have the opportunity to meet him.

The district is mostly rural with a population of about 250,000. Their first priority is to give hope and aid to the recovery of the people in the District. A new judicial system has been implemented in 2005 which is bringing people to trial who have committed human rights crimes during the genocide. Their second priority is to focus attention on the occurrance of HIV in the area and reduce infant mortality.

"One cow, one family" encourages more agriculture to the community by granting each family a cow. More milk for the family and more fertilizer - a "gift" from the cow - will be beneficial to the progress of better agricultural practices. Eventually the cows are eaten but more of these families consume goat for their protein. Finally, about 60% of the population receives clean water which comes from the local springs. Nutrition education, hygiene, and malaria reduction are also given great attention.

© U.S. Fund for UNICEF/Rusanganwa

There are about 100,000 children in the District and 42% of them are under 18. The goal is to have every child reach grade 6 but, as can be expected, it would be preferable for them to reach grade 11.

We first went to Busoro where people get tested for HIV. Approximately 80% of the women are now coming with their husbands which is a huge advancement from what had been happening in the past. Antenatal care, HIV testing and results are all conducted in one day so when people have to walk for hours to get to the clinic, this kind of attention makes it more attractive for patients to get tested. An antiretroviral program was initiated by UNICEF to treat HIV+ patients as well as a grant to provide funding for health insurance which costs each person 1,000 francs per person per year. This equals less than $2 for a year of health insurance!

© U.S. Fund for UNICEF/Rusanganwa

We then went to the community weigh-in clinic which took place under a tree in the neighborhood. Malnutrition is a big problem in the rural areas as it has increased from 4% to 7.5% since 1994. With the implementation of a community health care worker program in the area, locals are trained to teach mothers proper nutrition for the infants. Even though they are poor, they are getting more of what they need nutritionally. Before each session, the women are counseled on better feeding habits leading to improved nutrition. These sessions take place one time per month and they rate the child's growth, based on a monitoring growth chart, is tracked on a health card. UNICEF has provided the scales, the growth charts, health cards, as well as the training over 1,000 mentors who now conduct growth monitoring for children under 5 years old in 362 communities.

© U.S. Fund for UNICEF/Rusanganwa

To supplement the nutrition program, a women's cooperative has been created that provides food for the community. There are 39 of these coops in the District of Nyanza (population 250,000) and 9 of them are in Busoro. In each group there are about 25 women who manage the lots of land granted by the government where they grow food for themselves and then sell the rest. The goal is to enable them to pay for their own health insurance and buy their own mosquito nets. This program has reduced malnutrition from 7% to 2% in about 2 years. While other problems still exist, such as malaria, there is significant progress in the health of this community.

© U.S. Fund for UNICEF/Rusanganwa

It does, indeed, take a village.

Thanks for your comments everyone!
Jenn - I will write about the most impactful moment below but I must say what is most striking is the beauty of the people, their country, and the hope they have for improved lives.
Tracy - There is really no division between what were two divisive groups. This is one country with one people and since 1994, they are moving forward with the power of forgiveness. The rest of the world can learn from their strength.

There are few words that can accurately describe the people that we have met on this trip. Further, I find it challenging to summarize the emotional impact they have had on me. To begin, we went to the TRAC Clinic - Treatment and Research AIDS Center - which provides health services to the public and private sectors. They established a highly successful outreach program for pre-testing counseling, HIV testing and post-testing counseling. Treatment for HIV+ patients are followed with great attention as they are required to return to the clinic every 6 months and if they don't come for their regularly scheduled appointment, they are visited by a home health care worker for follow up.

What is astonishing about their counseling program is the manner in which they describe the HIV virus to patients. A series of cartoons depicts the role of the red blood cell, the white blood cell, antibodies and how the virus weakens the body. Such an educational tool should be used globally so that viruses can be better understood by patients, especially those who have not had an opportunity to learn it in school.

But the more incredible component of this visit was meeting three children who are HIV+ since birth. Each had the courage to stand in front of our group to talk about how they learned of their status and how the clinic has helped them. Two of them were girls, both age 12, and the boy was 13 and all spoke with soft melodic voices. When asked about their aspirations, the boy said he wanted to be in the Ministry of Government and one of the girls said she wanted to be President! Once again the element of hope became crystal clear. These children were so courageous to speak to us about such a stigmatized illness and I will never forget them.

Rwinkwavu Hospital was next located in the Kayonza District in the eastern part of the country close to Tanzania. Initiated in 2005 by Partners in Health, this health facility is funded in partnership by UNICEF and the Clinton Foundation. This is an expansive hospital, managed by an energetic top notch pediatrician, serves as a model for other hospitals around the country to address the pandemics of poverty and disease. Pediatric HIV/AIDS and prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV are the 2 main focal points to address child survival programs and reach the outer community. Due to the rural location of the hospital, this work is complemented by a community health care worker program that gives the hospital additional eyes and ears on the needs of the community while giving them care at the same time. (n.b. I have mentioned community health care previously and we have witnessed several successful integrations of having such a system in these rural areas. It amplifies the reach of health care where some would not otherwise have contact with quality care nor important nutritional information.) The community health care workers are trained by the hospital which empowers the members of the community to participate. In addition, medical care is well received when delivered by trusted peers. The power of trust can go a long way.

Tomorrow we head to the Nyanza District in the southern province to see a community based nutrition program in Busoro. Until next time...

What a spectacular country!! It is truly beautiful here with cool temperatures and sunshine.

We began the day with a briefing at the UNICEF office and had the pleasure of meeting a handful of the 60 staff who work at this country office. Being the only UNICEF office in the country, they have a lot of territory to cover. With a goal of reaching the middle income level by the year 2020, this staff is both steadfast and inspiring. As we travel around the country, it is clear to see that this hope is embraced by the rest of the population as people are hard at work - in the fields, in health and education, as well as tourism and commerce, to name a few. And the success rates demonstrate the results of their hard work - malaria has been reduced considerably due to increased use of bednets in addition to a new drug that treats the illness. In addition, a reduction in HIV/AIDS cases has shown incredible improvement based on the buy-in from the government leading to increased outreach and education.

One of the most interesting projects to me was the Children's Summit. This project is aimed to encourage children to speak out about their views of the current state of the country, as they see their daily lives, and share their hopes for the future with their classmates. Initiated in 2004, children in each district, age 10-16, were selected to discuss questions that related to post-genocide issues. The children were narrowed to a smaller group and their conversations were taken to the national level, with an added group of the most vulnerable children of the country. In total, a group of 250 youth spoke at the summit that was televised country-wide to let the country know how kids felt and what they needed for their future. Now an annual event, this summit empowers the teens with leadership skills and ownership of making a change for themselves.

© U.S. Fund for UNICEF/Rusanganwa

© U.S. Fund for UNICEF/Rusanganwa

We then went to FIDESCO, a local non-governmental organization north of Kigali which is aimed at taking kids off the streets. With the goal of integrating the kids back into their families and communities of origin, this "drop in center" protects the kids from violence and abuse. They are also provided with food, shelter, health services and vocational training. We went to another site where the kids were practicing the skills they learned from a mechanics class. Successful stories from the program include one young man who is now a mentor to the boys and another who has his own business as a mechanic and supports his siblings.

© U.S. Fund for UNICEF/Rusanganwa

© U.S. Fund for UNICEF/Rusanganwa

Kabuga Youth Center was next. Reinitiated by the Rwandan First Lady Office, the center provides a space for young people to learn about HIV/AIDS and reproductive health in a confidential environment as well as to engage them in support programs and recreational activities. Clubs at the center, such as singing, dancing, and soccer, provide both recreation as well as support for the kids. The group we met was the second of girls, ages 16-20. When asked what they liked most about the center, one replied "I believe the most important thing is to learn how to sustain ourselves." Another replied, "I like being social." With positive attitudes like these, complemented by a tremendous success rate in outreach - 400 teens are getting tested for HIV per month, demonstrating a reduction in cases from 7.6% down to 3.4% - the youth of Rwanda have many hopes and dreams they plan to fulfill. And they aren't giving up anytime soon.

© U.S. Fund for UNICEF/Rusanganwa

© U.S. Fund for UNICEF/Rusanganwa

Until next time. Bon soir!

© U.S. Fund for UNICEF/Naugle

After a warm welcome from Rita and Flavia, our UNICEF-Rwanda colleagues, we were driven into the hills of Kigali to Hotel des Millle Collines. Known to many in the world as Hotel Rwanda, we knew our quarters for the week were going to have as much to say about the country and its culture as our UNICEF hosts.

	© U.S. Fund for UNICEF/Naugle

A good night's rest prepared us for a Sunday morning visit to the Kigali Memorial Center. In order to fully capture how UNICEF continues its aid to Rwanda, we opted to visit the Center which focuses on the Rwandan genocide - before, during and after - as well as genocides in other countries such as Germany, Poland, Bosnia and Cambodia. Outside lay the graves of over 250,000 people who had died and more are still being created as remains continue to be found. We lay floral wreaths as we pay our respects.

© U.S. Fund for UNICEF/Naugle

We then toured the city and learned that each of the thousand hills has a name - Gisozi, Remera, Kibagabaga, to name a few. As we drove through these hills, we passed fields of tomato, broccoli, cabbage, corn, avacado, papaya, beans and peas. Much of the business in Rwanda is subsistence farming while some crops are exported such as coffee and tea. Bananas are also produced here with a whopping 70 percent going towards the production of banana beer, a wine-like beverage we have yet to taste. They also harvest cattle, goat, sheep and cow for meat and milk products while they import sugar and rice. The land is very arable with sufficient rainfall but land is best near the volcanic regions. Potatoes are the cash crop in those areas.

Since the time of the genocide, the country has been healing both economically and emotionally. Trials continue to punish those who confess or are turned in for performing unforgivable acts of violence 13 years ago. Dr. Jane Muita, UNICEF's HIV/AIDS specialist, tells us that there are many indicators measuring success in the healing process in a culture that is embracing forgiveness. Among them include school advancement and an increase in marriages. These successes demonstrate hope and a vision for the future. But the most important measure, she notes, is that this country of beautiful people is full of smiles. That is an indicator that cannot be challenged.

We look forward to an overview of UNICEF in Rwanda tomorrow as well as some visits to some health care sites. Please come back and visit again!