UNICEF FieldNotes » field visit

Conrad N. Hilton Foundation Supports Safe Water in Ghana

Madeleine Logan, UNICEF — Tue, 14 May 2013 14:30:51 +0000

When the people of Atosale, Ghana were told that a second borehole would be built in their community, they screamed and clapped, smiled and bounced their children up and down on their laps. I recently witnessed this joy when I accompanied a delegation from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation to Ghana, where they met with UNICEF staff and saw firsthand the impact that the Foundation’s support for UNICEF’s water programming has had on children’s lives.

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Field Visit: Working with Zonta in Rwanda

Kristi Burnham, UNICEF USA — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 15:29:12 +0000

Last week, I had the privilege of visiting one of the most beautiful countries on earth, Rwanda. I was there with delegates from the U.S. Fund for UNICEF’s longstanding partner, Zonta International—a global organization working to advance the status of women worldwide. Zonta has chosen to invest in the futures of women and children in Rwanda by supporting UNICEF’s work to prevent mother to child transmission of HIV and prevent gender-based violence. Together, Zonta International, UNICEF and its many partners are working toward—and are on track to reaching—a generation in Rwanda born free from HIV by 2015.

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Mia Farrow Reports from Lebanon

Alisa Aydin, UNICEF USA — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 15:33:31 +0000

UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Mia Farrow is in Lebanon to meet refugees from the conflict in Syria, as the needs and numbers of those fleeing continue to rise. She is blogging from the field, and you can follow her posts at http://unicef.tumblr.com/. She will also be participating in a Twitter chat tomorrow. During her visit, Ms. Farrow will travel to two locations close to the Syrian border, and will speak with both refugees and host families. In addition, she will visit UNICEF-supported child-friendly spaces, where children who have witnessed the horrors of the conflict receive psychosocial support and counseling.

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Field Visit: On the Road With NBA Stars in Kenya

Caryl M. Stern, UNICEF USA President and CEO — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 21:23:22 +0000

From the photos that accompany this blog post, you’ll see that I’ve been traveling with a group of really tall men. Last week, NBA greats Dikembe Mutombo, Luc Mbah a Moute, and Nick Collison were on the road with the U.S. Fund for UNICEF on a field visit to UNICEF projects in northern Kenya. They visited refugee camps at Kakuma, medical facilities in Makutano, and children’s shelters in Lodwar. But what I’ve learned about these men is that it isn’t their extraordinary height that makes them remarkable, or the fact that each can palm an infant as easily as they can palm a basketball—it’s their super-sized hearts.

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Field Visit: Tyson Chandler of the NY Knicks Visits Tanzania

Chris Weiller, UNICEF USA — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 15:45:15 +0000

It’s amazing how well young people can communicate without relying on language. Children can overcome a language barrier with a warm smile, a cool handshake or a slick dance move. At least that was the case with the kids we meet on a recent field visit we took to Tanzania with NBA and Olympic basketball star Tyson Chandler. The very tall (7’1”) center for the New York Knicks was fresh off his gold-medal winning performance with the U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball team in London. But instead of heading back to the U.S. for the many celebrations and parties set to get underway for the triumphant team, Tyson opted to travel to Africa and personally experience the work UNICEF is doing to fight for the survival and development of every child in need.

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Field Visit: Providing health care and education for children in Malawi

Linda Naugle, UNICEF USA — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 16:22:22 +0000

Warmly hosted by the UNICEF Malawi staff, recently a group of U.S. Fund for UNICEF staff and supporters visited the country to see the great breadth of UNICEF’s work and meet the children who are benefitting. One of the most striking moments was when we visited the schools that UNICEF has helped to develop. By establishing child-friendly schools in the most rural areas of the country, UNICEF is able to demonstrate a commitment to have all kids attend school. The K.I.N.D. Project—Kids In Need of Desks—that was initiated by Lawrence O’Donnell of MSNBC has proven to be extremely successful.

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A second chance at education in Ecuador

Jeremy Cole, UNICEF USA — Wed, 09 May 2012 19:24:46 +0000

The auditorium of the high school in the heart of Quito, Ecuador, was sparse. Beyond a regal painting of Simon Bolivar displayed prominently on stage and a few posters, the room was unadorned, belying the incredible scene we were about to witness. We were there on a visit to learn more about UNICEF-supported programs in Ecuador. The eight of us sat in a row at the front of the room, facing dozens of students—mostly 18 years and older—who had previously dropped out of school and were now returning to finish their education. They were participating in a UNICEF-supported Fast Track Initiative, where they were able to complete three years of school in only one rigorous year, helping them catch up to their peers.

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Why I give: UNICEF’s work in Honduras

UNICEF USA — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 18:40:12 +0000

Being able to witness UNICEF’s work in Honduras was very meaningful to me. I got involved and went on this trip because of my son-in-law, Matt, who encouraged our family to support UNICEF. Matt passed away recently, and our support for UNICEF is a memorial to him. I think he would be deeply proud of what is happening in Honduras.

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Caryl Stern: VIP spotlight on the world’s most important people – children

Caryl M. Stern, UNICEF USA President and CEO — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 13:03:48 +0000

Tonight, on my flight, we carry emergency health kits, each of which will provide lifesaving supplies to over 1000 people. We will unload in Nairobi and eventually, the supplies will be delivered to UNICEF supported programs in Somalia, which has been devastated by famine.

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Caryl Stern: On the eve of an important journey

Caryl M. Stern, UNICEF USA President and CEO — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 12:06:18 +0000

Famine was declared in the East Africa in July, creating an acute child survival crisis for those caught in the drought-affected regions. My inbox was host to unimaginable updates from colleagues based in Nairobi, Mogadishu and Addis Ababa. Veteran UNICEF staff members who had experiened decades of manmade and natural disasters were reduced to tears when recounting the children and conditions they were witnessing.

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