After gaining independence in 1975, Angola spent the next 27 years in civil war. The country has only been at peace since 2002. We visited the country last month to see how UNICEF is contributing to the country’s 8 years of transition from war to development.
Melissa Madzel is the Corporate Philanthropy Manager for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF.
One of the greatest pleasures of working with UNICEF is being able to see that kids are the same, throughout the world. In 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 and a nearby foster home in the outskirts of Luanda, the capital city of Angola.
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| © UNICEF Angola/Hvass |
| Melissa Madzel shares the picture she’s taken of a young girl at Lar Kuzola. |
UNICEF believes in institutionalization for children as 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 – either foster families or providing services and support to reintegrate them into their families of origin. 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 in a range of heartbreaking circumstances. Some of them have lost their parents to illness, while others have mental or physical disabilities that led to their abandonment, and yet others were accused of witchcraft for any number of reasons.
Yesterday, April 4, was International Mine Awareness Day. Programs and events were held around the world to educate people about the dangerous legacy of landmines, which affect more than 84 countries.
Children at play are particularly vulnerable to mines and cluster munitions since they come in interesting shapes and colors that attract children’s curiosity.
This week’s Monday photo shows a young survivor from Angola.
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| © Sean Sutton/Mines Advisory Group |
| “A landmine victim in Angola |
This is a serious problem with devastating consequences. Visit www.mineaction.org to educate yourself and help raise awareness.
If you live near New York City, today you can join U.N. Under-Secretary-General Alain Le Roy for the opening of an art exhibition to mark the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action.
Monday, April 5 2010, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m; North East Gallery, United Nations Visitors Lobby
This is a free event that’s open to the public.
You can also help advance the call to ban cluster munitions. Help support our vision of a world free from the threat of landmines and explosive remnants of war.
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The fight for child survival may seem daunting, but every once in a while we get news that reminds us our goal of zero preventable child deaths is, indeed, a real possibility.
The founding partners of the Measles Initiative have announced that measles deaths worldwide have dropped by 74 percent since 2000. That’s a drop from some 750,000 deaths to 197,000.
The Measles Initiative is a partnership led by the American Red Cross, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the United Nations Foundation, UNICEF and the World Health Organization. Its aim is to reduce measles deaths all over the world. The Initiative was launched in 2001 and has since then supported the vaccination of more than 600 million children in 60 countries. UNICEF is the global leader in vaccine supply, immunizing more than half of the world’s children.
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Nov11
Guinea-Bissau: The fight against cholera continuesOne day last month, twelve-year-old Saliu came to his father, complaining of terrible stomach pains. Saliu’s health quickly deteriorated, and his father rushed him to a hospital in Bissau, the capital of Guinea-Bissau, where he was diagnosed with cholera. Saliu is among many thousands who have fallen ill since cholera broke out in Guinea-Bissau in May. We wrote about it in early September. But, according to Reuters, the disease has still been spreading at a rate of more than 1,000 infections per month. Worst hit are the capital and regions in the west and south.
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