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

In a one-of-a-kind television event this Sunday, July 6, CNN will examine why 26,000 children die every day from preventable causes and what UNICEF is doing to save these young lives. Hosted by CNN's chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, "The Survival Project: One Child at a Time" will air at 8 and 11 pm (ET).

This historic broadcast will highlight four areas where UNICEF demonstrates its remarkable on-the-ground expertise in doing whatever it takes to save a child:

• Child protection in Iraq
• Water and sanitation in Laos
• HIV/AIDS in Peru
• Child survival interventions in Ethiopia

Leading experts in each of these key areas will contribute to a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Gupta.

"The Survival Project: One Child at a Time" is a chance to get a first-hand look at the plight of millions of children around the world, struggling each and every day for survival. We hope you'll tune in.

	© UNICEF/HQ02-0580/Jim Holmes
	LAOS: A boy bathes with water collected at a handpump, in the remote northwestern province of Luang Namtha. The handpump, installed at a health center, is now also being used by the community.

We're all getting excited about the upcoming CNN program, The Survival Project: One Child at a Time, which will really shine a light on the child survival issues we care about so much. The show will include four documentary-type segments that look at UNICEF programs in four different countries: Iraq, Peru, Ethiopia and Laos. Since I don't know that much about Laos—officially known as the Lao People's Democratic Republic—I thought I'd do a little research and pass it along to you.

My research project was made infinitely easier when I learned that Amy Delneuville, a UNICEF Child Protection Officer based in Laos, would be stopping by our offices to give a talk about the country and UNICEF's programs there. Child protection is one of UNICEF's major focuses in Laos, as are water, sanitation, nutrition and education (among others).

Those fun, fashion-forward folks at Bravo TV have come up with a unique celebrity dress auction benefitting UNICEF. Right now, when you buy a dress at Bravo TV's online charity auction, you'll be helping UNICEF's relief efforts in Myanmar.

Imagine owning a dress that was worn by a celebrity on Bravo's "A-List Awards" show, which aired on June 12. The dresses were all designed by contestants on Bravo's hit show "Project Runway."

All proceeds from the auction will go to UNICEF's relief work in Myanmar. So you'll not only get a fashion original, you'll be helping save children's lives as well.

Go to http://bravo.auction.seenon.com to start bidding. But hurry! The auction ends on June 19.

Actress and new mother Salma Hayek will discuss the Pampers "One Pack = One Vaccine" program, a special campaign that supports UNICEF's efforts to protect women and babies in the developing world against maternal and neonatal tetanus.

ABC's 20/20 will present an hour-long broadcast in which Ishmael Beah, author of A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, will discuss his experience as a child soldier in Sierra Leone. UNICEF played a key role in the Beah's rehabilitation, lifting him from the front lines and reintegrating him into civilian life in Sierra Leone as a teenager.

Portions of the broadcast are featured online at http://abcnews.go.com/2020. Click on the link for "Hell on Earth" in the In Touch video player on the right side of the screen for a preview of Ishmael's segment.

20/20 airs at 9:00 pm EST on ABC. Please check your local listings for accurate air times.

When "American Idol," the FOX television network and the Charity Projects Entertainment Fund (CPEF) selected UNICEF to be one of the beneficiaries of the special "Idol Gives Back" broadcast and fundraiser this past April — the incredible potential to raise money and awareness for children living in poverty was obvious. But, nobody could have predicted that the American public would be quite so generous, and UNICEF couldn't be more pleased with the results.

Just last week, CPEF announced that they have been able to award the nominated beneficiaries, including the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, a total of $62 million in grants. In addition, $7 million in matched funds was allocated at the end of April immediately after the “Idol Gives Back” broadcast, and another $6 million remains to be allocated. To date, the grand total raised, including corporate and matched funding, comes to $75.1 million.

CPEF's grant to UNICEF will allow us to provide over 800,000 children with health care services through an initiative we call "Accelerated Child Survival and Development." Additionally, nearly 500,000 students will receive an education along with school supplies.

UNICEF ' s accelerated child survival approach addresses the ongoing issues that affect why kids are dying, and provides lifesaving interventions. The result is a single initiative that aims to save an estimated 3.2 million children’s lives in sub-Saharan Africa over the next 4 years, and permanently improve the futures of countless others.

For more than 60 years, UNICEF has been the world’s leading children’s organization, saving more young lives than any other humanitarian organization. Each year, nearly 5 million children in sub-Saharan Africa fall victim to the cycle of poverty, which threatens their chances of survival. The key to breaking this cycle is to reach every child with high-impact, low-cost solutions that tackle the multiple causes of poverty in children’s lives, such as inadequate healthcare and education.

Thanks to the two-night star-studded "Idol Gives Back" event — masterminded by Simon Fuller, creator and executive producer of "American Idol" — millions more vulnerable African children living in extreme poverty will lead healthier lives with better education.

Tune in to Jimmy Kimmel Live tonight on ABC to see UNICEF Ambassador Clay Aiken and footage from his recent trip to Afghanistan!

UNICEF Ambassador Mia Farrow will sit down with the ladies of ABC’s The View tomorrow morning at 11:00 am EST. She'll be discussing the humanitarian situation Darfur and how the crisis there has spilled over to Sudan’s neighbors, Chad and Central African Republic. As is always on The View, the discussion is sure to be lively!

Having made multiple visits to the region, Mia has become an outspoken advocate on the issue of Darfur. She has written opinion pieces in newspapers nationwide and has visited many college campuses to rally for support. Just last week, Mia gave testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee about what she witnessed during her visits.

Learn more about the situation in Darfur by reading Mia's blog entries from her recent trip and consider donating now to support UNICEF's emergency relief efforts in Sudan.

Today is Day 8 of the campaign for Afghanistan and we've already far surpassed the goal. Clay Aiken asked us to share his thanks with you.

Also, Clay is scheduled to appear tonight on Entertainment Tonight. Tune in to hear Clay's thoughts on his trip with UNICEF.

Please subscribe to our channel on Yahoo! Videos to see future videos from the field and from our UNICEF Ambassadors.

Yesterday Fieldnotes reader Sheila asked if we could give advance notice when UNICEF is going to be featured on TV. We do our best, but sometimes we’re also taken by surprise!

Last night during American Idol there was a great clip of Simon Cowell in Kenya, featuring UNICEF’s school in a box education kit. UNICEF’s school in the box is an innovative way to ensure that kids receive an education no matter what circumstances they face. The kit is essentially a portable school that can teach 80 kids, for only $183. Simon Cowell, who has a reputation for being overly harsh, revealed a softer side while he was with those children in Kenya talking about education.

Simon and Ryan’s trip to Africa is part of the Idol Gives Back effort. On April 24 and 25, American Idol will help raise funds to avert poverty in the U.S. and Africa.

My favorite part last night’s show was after the clip. Ryan asked Simon if he would sing if Idol Gives Back raises $20 million – Simon said no, Ryan said, how about $22 million? Still a firm “no” from Simon. I agree with Simon, let’s set our sights higher. My challenge is, will Simon sing for $50 million? I think $50 million is totally achievable, and if we come together and make a difference.

Here’s how it works: for each vote sent on April 24th, a donation will be made to fight poverty, and on April 25th viewers can phone in their donations directly. American Idol has 35 million viewers, and to reach $50 million, that’s just $1.42 per viewer. That’s half the price of a gallon of gas these days!

Let’s come together to help children in need, and finally hear what Simon’s pipes are like! Actually, let’s take the heat off of Simon and ask the all of the judges sing together for $50 million, it can be their turn to be on stage. More importantly, this is our chance to do our part to see that children can have a brighter future, for just $1.42.

If you want to hear Simon, Randy and Paula sing for $50 million, please e-mail idolgivesback@fox.com. Post a comment here to let us know what you thought about last night's show.

Tune into “World News with Charles Gibson” on ABC tonight to get an unfiltered glimpse of being done to reduce child mortality in some of Africa’s most impoverished countries.

Bill Weir is reporting from Zambia--where health indicators are at critical levels, with under-five mortality estimated at 182 deaths per 1,000 live births.

Zambia is one of 25 sub-Saharan countries where UNICEF has rolled out its Accelerated Child Survival and Development (ACSD) initiative. ACSD is an integrated program that works with national governments to deliver low-cost, high-impact interventions that dramatically improve child survival over a short period of time.

An excerpt of Weir’s report will air on the “World News” webcast at 3 p.m. (EST) today at http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/.

This evening at 9:00 PM (EST) UNICEF Ambassador Mia Farrow will appear on Fox News Channel's Hannity and Colmes. Host Alan Colmes interviews Ms. Farrow on the Darfur crisis. Please check your local listings for additional information.

Learn more about the situation in Darfur by reading Mia's blog entries from her recent trip. Donate now to help support UNICEF's emergency relief efforts in Sudan.

ABC News anchor Chris Cuomo is reporting from Iraq this week. As part of his overseas assignment he has prepared a report on education, which will air tomorrow on Good Morning America. Cuomo visited UNICEF-supported education projects in Iraq and interviewed UNICEF staffers in Amman, Jordan.

Good Morning America is broadcast from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. EST. Please check your local listings for additional information!

The Today Show's Ann Curry sadly reported yesterday that "conflict in the Darfur region of western Sudan . . . has intensified in recent weeks after a lull that followed a partial peace agreement signed in May."

In a blog post on NBC's The Daily Nightly, Curry wrote: "A new crisis is begging to be stopped."

"Attacks by Arab militia have spread to neighboring Chad, where Darfurians were seeking refuge" reports NBC. NBC created this Picture Story to show what's happening in Chad.

More than 3.4 million people have been affected by ethnic and political conflict in Darfur. UNICEF is providing desperately needed food, shelter and medicine for children and families living in overcrowded, makeshift refugee camps. To read more about UNICEF's work, click here.

Follow Ann Curry's blog and Today Show reports for more on this crisis.

In last night's episode of NBC's Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, fictional TV execs joked about a boring new pilot they thought would never make it in the mainstream. The topic of this fictional pilot? UNICEF. The execs laughed and said that only mimes could make the program about UNICEF's work more interesting.

Frankly, we're flattered, but just a little bit confused. Can the executives at the fictional NBS or their real-life counterparts at NBC actually think UNICEF's lifesaving work isn't ready for prime time?

C'mon! UNICEF is the world wide expert in child survival. Our experts are on the ground saving the lives of the world's children in more than 150 nations and territories. We're sitting down at tables with warlords and political leaders to keep the focus on kids, driving through deserts and jungles to deliver immunizations and clean water and healthy food, plus so much more.

NBC/NBS, a show about UNICEF seems like a good idea to us. We're ready for our close-up.

(Mime image via KimMania)

"Hell on Earth: Life inside a refugee camp in Chad" airs on Saturday and Sunday, 8:30 AM EST on CNN. Dr. Gupta will share his experiences in the refugee camps bordering Darfur in Chad and the measures UNICEF has undertaken to support affected children. He's been blogging about his experiences as well on the 360° blog.

Did you catch it last night, the shot of the UNICEF truck stuck in the middle of a river that had been a highway? Here's what our colleague Kini texted about it:

"You'll see Dr. Gupta doing a stand up from the top of a drowning UNICEF vehicle. Know that I'm in the back seat of that vehicle, up to my neck in water..."

Delivering relief supplies is not easy, but UNICEF makes it happen. I'm hoping to see more of UNICEF in action tonight.

Anderson Cooper gave some harsh stats on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but there was one I didn't hear him say that stands out for me:

The DRC ranks 8 out of 194 countries and territories in under-5 mortality.

You can read about what UNICEF is doing to change that at unicefusa.org/drc.

Anderson Cooper 360° is broadcasting from Africa all this week, covering two of the continent’s worst humanitarian crises—the well-publicized situation in Darfur, and the less well-known legacy of years of conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN’s chief medical correspondent, is visiting UNICEF programs on the border of Chad and Darfur and in the Democratic Republic of Congo to report on relief efforts for children. To read Dr. Gupta's blog post about his experience in Darfur on Sunday, click here. One of our colleagues is with him, and we're hoping to share some notes from her in the coming days.

Tune in tonight at 10:00 pm EST.