In Uzbekistan, child-friendly preschools are engaging children and improving education
BUKHARA, Uzbekistan, 2 February 2012 – In Bukhara, southern Uzbekistan, music and laughter drifted across Preschool Number 11.
In Yemen, day care centres offer safe haven and education to Somali refugee children
ADEN, Yemen, 30 January 2012 – The voice of Miryam Mohammed, a 10-year-old Somali girl, echoed around the small rooms of her day care centre. She and the other children are singing the Somali national anthem.
In post-quake Haiti, early childhood development aids recovery
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, 19 January 2012 – It might look like simple fun, but the dominos, colouring pencils, construction blocks, hand puppets, puzzle pieces and memory games in Jean Pierre’s school are about more than just a good time.
UNICEF Ambassador Novak Djokovic marks holiday season by supporting children
NEW YORK, USA, 21 December 2011 – World number-one ranked tennis player Novak Djokovic continues to serve up aces for children. The UNICEF National Ambassador to Serbia marked the holiday season by lending his voice and financial support for vulnerable children both in his native Serbia and around the world.
Innovative programme brings pre-school education to the most vulnerable
NEW YORK, USA, 12 December 2011—Mohammad Azizul Islam, 28, is a trader in Chinipara, in the remote Rangpur region of Bangladesh. As a landless man, he has very few opportunities to make a living.
Field diary: Marsupials are model mums in Ghana
TAMALE, Ghana, 7 December 2011 – Kangaroos were the last thing I expected to be discussing with my new colleagues when I arrived in West Africa last month. When I moved from Australia to Tamale to write about UNICEF’s work there, I had braced myself for the unfamiliar – villages of squat mud huts, gritty harmattan winds and the crackled sound of the muezzin’s call to prayer.
UNICEF aims to make nutrition a national priority in Niger
Kollo, Niger, 17 November 2011 – In the Integrated Health Center of Kollo, South Niger, a few women holding their emaciated babies line up in front of the out-patient therapeutic feeding center (CRENAS). Zelika Marou has four children. Today, she brought her 11-month-old daughter, Fati Hama, for her weekly consultation.
Early Childhood Development providing a better start for South African children
CAPETOWN, South Africa, 14 November 2011 - The day begins early for Lindiwe Lindiwe, a 21-year-old mother of two. Before the sun has broken over the horizon, she has already started cooking the porridge for two-year-old Vuyelwa while she also feeds and dresses four-week-old Siya. Once the two girls are dressed and ready, she walks ten minutes up the hill to the Imizamo’yethu Day Care Centre.
In Angola, community health workers help in the fight against malaria
LUANDA PROVINCE, Angola, 14 November 2011 – When two of her daughters came down with a fever, Conceição Antonió, 28, didn’t think of malaria at first, despite the fact that it’s the number-one killer of children in Angola. In fact, children under five years of age comprise 52 per cent of all deaths from malaria nationwide.
UNICEF-IKEA partnership delivers toys to Haitian children, income to women
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, 25 October 2011 – Children run after a small truck winding its way through Centre d’Hebergement Tabarre 23, a crowded camp where hundreds of people live in tents of plastic sheeting and shacks of wood and tin.
UNICEF National Ambassador for Serbia, Novak Djokovic, visits an inclusive kindergarten in Smederevo
SMEDEREVO, Serbia, 27 September 2011- UNICEF National Ambassador for Serbia, Novak Djokovic, recently paid a visit to a unique kindergarten or “Pcelica” in Smederevo, some 50 kilometres south east of the Serbian capital of Belgrade. An excellent example of an inclusive pre-school institution, the kindergarten is attended by the most marginalised and vulnerable groups in the Republic of Serbia, including children with developmental disorders and disabilities and those living in Roma settlements.
Achieving equity through early childhood development
MDANTSANE, South Africa, 23 September 2011 - Just 19-years-old and already a mother of two, Thandeka Sqoko lives in the two-room home of her boyfriend, with his parents and four siblings. Her own mother kicked her out when she became pregnant. Thandeka’s day ends at 11pm, 18 hours after it began. Well before sunrise she gets her two babies ready, prepares breakfast and cleans the house. On her way to school, she drops off her one-month old, Ithandile, and two-year old, Lethokuhle, at a day care centre.
Exclusive breastfeeding ensures a healthy life for Lesotho’s children
TEYATEYANENG, Lesotho, 22 August 2011 – Malefu Kobisi, 28, is a proud mother of a bouncing seven-month-old baby girl, Qenehelo. For the first six months of Qenehelo life, her mother religiously fed her child with only breast milk - a practice known as exclusive breast feeding.
Field diary: The road to Dadaab
DADAAB, Kenya, 25 July 2011 – Driving the nearly 100 kilometre sand road from the Somali border to the refugee camps in Dadaab, Kenya, is like an otherworldly odyssey across an arid landscape seemingly devoid of life.
In South Africa, a neonatal care initiative builds health and saves lives
LIMPOPO, South Africa, 23 June 2011 – It’s a sad fact that 83 per cent of children in Limpopo province live in poverty. So you’d assume that Malamulele District Hospital probably performs poorly – especially since most of South Africa’s infant mortality rates are linked to district hospitals.
UNICEF-supported programme tackles malnutrition on tea estates in Sri Lanka
NUWARA ELIYA, Sri Lanka, 31 May 2011 - A new day beckons in central Sri Lanka’s tea estates. Mother-of-five and picker of tea, Marystella, is up at 5.30 am to prepare the family’s breakfast in their spartan, tiny house.
In Zambia, an HIV testing and treatment programme protects children's lives
NEW YORK, USA, 6 May 2011- Mother’s Day is celebrated on different dates in countries around the world, most commonly the second Sunday in May. But wherever and whenever it is observed, the day pays tribute to a universal form of devotion: a mother’s love and sacrifice for her children. Here is one example of that devotion in action.
European Union parliamentarians see improving maternal and child health in Uzbekistan
SYRDARYA PROVINCE, Uzbekistan, 3 May 2011 – Sixteen members of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the European Union (EU) visited Uzbekistan last week, where they heard feedback from beneficiaries of the Mother and Child Health (MCH) project.
Birth registration efforts aim to protect rights of newborns on the Tunisia-Libya border
RAS JDIR, Tunisia, 19 April 2011 – For Sabeela, 28, fleeing the fighting in Libya was particularly hazardous. Heavily pregnant, the Nigerian remained anxious about giving birth while on the seven-hour bus journey from Tripoli to Ras Jdir in southern Tunisia.
Students in Japan's Miyagi Prefecture return to school a month after the quake
TOKYO, Japan, 12 April 2011 – For four weeks, the Second Onagawa Primary School building in Miyagi Prefecture was empty, but now students are back in its classrooms and filling its corridors with their laughter. Nearly 800 children returned to the school today, a month after the disastrous earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan on 11 March.
Despite security risks, health volunteers vaccinate children against polio in Afghanistan
JALALABAD, Afghanistan, 8 April 2011 – During afternoon prayers, religious leader Abdul Wakil Mowlavzada speaks passionately to the men who have gathered at one of Jalalabad’s largest mosques. They listen intently as he talks about the importance of polio eradication.
Young midwives bring new life to remote villages in India
MADHYA PRADESH, India, 31 March 2011 – Sanju Kaim got an unexpected bonus on her first day as an auxiliary nurse midwife in Jhagar in the central state of Madhya Pradesh. Alone in the village’s small health centre, she delivered not one baby girl, but twins.
Early childhood interventions key to achieving global equity, experts say
NEW YORK, USA, 14 October 2010 – Experts consider the period between birth and three years of age the most vital time for a child’s brain development and the time of greatest vulnerability to survival, nutritional and hygiene risks. But supporting children during these critical years is rarely a priority in national policies, programmes and budgets.
With free birth registration, Angola promotes a child's right to legal identity
CUNENE PROVINCE, Angola, 10 August 2010 – In a province of southern Angola where poverty is prevalent and literacy is low, mothers are learning the unexpected importance of a simple document – the birth certificate.
A campaign to promote exclusive breastfeeding makes strides in rural Niger
GIDAN NAWA, Niger, 6 August 2010 – A quiet revolution is taking place in this dusty village in Niger. Everywhere you look – in the courtyards of family compounds, under the big tree at the village gathering place, even at the well as they gather water – women are breastfeeding their children.
In rural Ethiopia, health extension workers bring care to new mothers
WONDO GENET, Ethiopia, 5 August 2010 – Beaming with pride, new mother Martha Getachew arrives at the Wosha and Soyama village health clinic in central Ethiopia. She is greeted fondly by community health workers, known here as ‘health extension workers.’
Child-to-child learning in rural South Africa safeguards the right to play
KWAZULU-NATAL PROVINCE, South Africa, 16 November 2009 – He is only nine years old, but Mandla (not his real name) is already a mentor. Every day after school, he meets with younger, more vulnerable children in his rural village and teaches them through traditional songs, stories and games.
Teaching mothers healthy habits in India
GUJARAT, India, 4 September 2009 – “I wish the ‘Mamta Divas’ were there when I had my first child. She is 13 years old and looks eight or nine. My son is a different story,” says Mennaben Gavit, proudly holding her healthy one-year-old boy on her lap.
New UNICEF kit meets developmental needs of young children in emergencies
NEW YORK, USA, 15 July 2009 – Building on the success of its School in a Box kits for education in situations of conflict or natural disaster, UNICEF today launched a new product designed for children under the age of six living in emergency or post-crisis environments.
Early childhood development report showcases Jordan's success
AMMAN, Jordan, 20 March 2009 – UNICEF this week presented the findings of a new report showcasing Jordan's successes in early childhood development (ECD). 'The Jordanian National Plan of Action for Children' was launched on 16 March in the presence of the Minister of Education, as well as teachers, specialists and parents involved in giving children a good start to life.
IKEA-supported training helps ‘hero’ at early-childhood centre in Assam, India
ASSAM, India, 2 March 2009 – Just off the main road of Athabari village, Tarulata Saikia sits in a small room decorated with brightly coloured posters of the Assamese alphabet. Ms. Saikia, 48, is a petite, soft-spoken worker at an ‘Anganwadi’ community child development centre. She has a remarkable story to tell.
Early childhood centres help children affected by HIV in Malawi
LILONGWE, Malawi, 8 October 2008 – The nondescript building could pass for any other, except on Saturday mornings, when it is transformed into a beehive of activity by children. They sing ‘Let Us Be Glad and Dance’, their voices reaching a delightful crescendo, their joy a world away from the sorrow that defines many of their lives.
As child deaths continue to decline, UNICEF calls for increased efforts
NEW YORK, USA, 12 September 2008 – Fewer children under the age of five are dying today than in past years, according to the latest data from UNICEF. Globally, the number of young children who died in 2007 dropped to 9.2 million, compared to 12.7 million deaths in 1990.
Reaching out to indigenous pre-schoolers in remote regions of Malaysia
KAMPUNG PETA, Malaysia, 2 July 2008 – The ancient jungle of Endau-Rompin National Park, deep in Peninsular Malaysia, is home to rare species of birds, butterflies and rhinoceros, as well as a diverse range of plant life. It is also the traditional home of the Orang Asli, or ‘original people’, the indigenous inhabitants of Malaysia.
Princess Märtha Louise of Norway supports early childhood development in Madagascar
ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar, 30 May 2008 – Her Highness Princess Märtha Louise of Norway launched a children’s book competition here earlier this month, as part of an effort to promote early childhood development in Madagascar.
Trainee midwives bring expert care to rural women in Pakistan
NANKANA SAHIB, Punjab Province, Pakistan, 12 March 2008 – A high mortality rate for newborns plagues Punjab Province in Pakistan. But steps are being taken to prevent these deaths by training skilled midwives who can attend births and can give much needed advice to new parents.
Dr. T. Berry Brazelton discusses ‘Touchpoints’ in early childhood
NEW YORK, USA, 5 February 2008 – Changing the way early childhood and parenting are viewed could be instrumental in helping to reach vulnerable children and strengthen the communities that support their development.
UNICEF helps local government build pre-schools in Cambodia
SVAY RIENG PROVINCE, Cambodia, 11 May 2007 – Every weekday morning, Nita, 5, joins her friends at the Banteay Kraing Village community pre-school. Small sandals and shoes are neatly lined up in a row outside the wooden shelter that houses the school.
Overcoming obstacles to child survival and gender equality in Kosovo
PRISTINA, Kosovo, 1 May 2007 – Despite the progress made during the post-conflict period since 1999, the UN Administered Province of Kosovo remains one of the poorest territories with one of the most vulnerable economies in Europe.
In Mozambique, protecting children and mothers from malaria
XAI XAI, Mozambique, 24 April 2007 – Zaida Alvero tenderly strokes the forehead of her frail five-month-old baby, Julieta, who lies almost lifeless on a hospital bed in intensive care with a tube inserted in her nose to help her breathe.
Rebuilding a safety net for new mothers in Indonesia
TANJONG VILLAGE, Indonesia, 20 April 2007 – On the outskirts of Banda Aceh, midwife Radliana is making a house call. She climbs the steps to a white house with a bright green door and knocks. “Salaam Alaikum,” she calls.
Giving an early boost to the next generation of Malaysia’s ‘original people’
GERIK, Malaysia, 28 March 2007 – Simah Asir holds a job that many of her neighbours feel is unnecessary. She is a preschool teacher in a small village two hours by jeep from the nearest sizeable town, at the end of a rugged road snaking through rubber and palm oil plantations.
UNICEF helps train midwives to improve maternal and newborn care in Indonesia
KUPANG, Indonesia, 26 March 2007 – Just an hour’s flight from the tourism hub of Bali lies a string of islands known as East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). White sandy beaches, picturesque sunsets and warm, friendly people have made the tiny archipelago look like an idyllic spot.
UNICEF and Sesame Street helping to promote education and tolerance in Kosovo
LUKAVC I THATE/SUVI LUKAVAC, UN Administered Province of Kosovo, 26 March 2007 – In the remote village of Lukavc i Thate/Suvi Lukavac in western Kosovo, 27 children in a community-based early childhood centre are opening gifts brought to them by visiting UNICEF staff members.
‘One-stop’ clinic helps new mothers keep their children healthy in Gambia
FAJIKUNDA, Gambia, 11 January 2007 – In September, Sarata Hydara gave birth to a healthy baby boy at the health clinic here in Fajikunda. In the first two weeks he grew nearly half a kilogram, which she learned when nurses weighed him.
Integrated centres provide healthy development for children in Iran
CHABAHAR, Iran, 10 January 2007 – Hessam, a nine-month-old baby, gurgles in appreciation of the soup that his mother is feeding him. So does Nazanin, 3, and other young children in the room.
Cartoon takes Kyrgyz children on a ‘Magic Journey’ and teaches life lessons
BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, 3 January 2007 – For Kaniet, 4, and his mother, it is a very special day. At a children’s recreation centre in Bishkek, they are watching the first animated series to be produced in Kyrgyzstan in 20 years.
Pre-school classes boost girls’ enrolment in northern Nigeria
KAZAURE, Nigeria, 24 November 2006 – Enrolment of girls in early childhood development (ECD) classes is booming in areas of northern Nigeria, where local government authorities, assisted by UNICEF, are using multiple strategies to get more girls into pre-school.
Educating young children left behind in China’s poor and remote communities
ANSHAN, China, 9 November 2006 – Zheng Qing lives in a remote village in the Cangxi county of China’s Sichuan Province. Her mother left home and her father works as a migrant labourer, so she has been raised by her grandmother. Until she started kindergarten two years ago, she was introverted and unwilling to play with other children.
‘Global Monitoring Report’ links early childhood care with lifelong benefits
NEW YORK, USA, 26 October 2006 - Early childhood care and education make a real and lasting difference in children’s lives, says this year’s ‘Education for All Global Monitoring Report’, released by UNESCO and launched today at UNICEF headquarters in New York.
‘Roving Caregivers’ promote early childhood development at home in Jamaica
CLARENDON, Jamaica, 26 October 2006 – Marva Ricketts is a biological mother of three, but she is a familiar face to 30 young children across five communities in the parish of Clarendon. Twice a month, she visits the children's homes to play with them and speak with their parents.
Mothers’ music and lyrics help save children’s lives in Ghana
AKUKA, Ghana, 23 October 2006 – In Akuka, a small farming community in the Upper East Region of Ghana, music produced by a mothers’ club is making a tremendous difference in saving children’s lives from common childhood diseases.
‘Chile Grows with You’ policy promotes early childhood development
NEW YORK, USA, 19 October 2006 – The Government of Chile has launched a social policy initiative promoting full support for the country’s children from birth.
Early learning programme reaches Manila’s deprived children
MANILA, 3 October 2006 – With concentrated expressions, the young children follow their teacher’s lead, faithfully reciting the words to a poem about ‘basura,’ or garbage. The lesson is designed to teach them at the earliest possible age that the problem of sanitary waste disposal has become a scourge in their community.
In Dominica, a young ‘Roving Caregiver’ helps give children a strong start in life
ST. DAVID, Dominica, 24 May 2006 – Christian Darroux, 19, has chosen a profession unusual among men in Dominica and most other countries: He works with young children and their families as a caregiver.
Mothers in Philippines break Guinness World Record for breastfeeding
MANILA, Philippines, 16 May 2006 – Almost 4,000 mothers in the Philippines – along with their babies – have helped set a new world record for simultaneous breast-feeding. It easily beat the previous Guinness World Record set by 1,135 women in Berkeley, California.
Free birth services in Burundi to help cut maternal and child deaths
BUJUMBURA, Burundi, 11 May 2006 – In a recovery room at Burundi’s biggest hospital, the Prince Regent Charles, 18-year-old Jocelyne Ndayizeye’s face is a study in pain and triumph. Her son has been delivered by caesarian section and she has survived one of the country’s deadliest obstacle courses – giving birth to a child. In Burundi, mothers are congratulated for ‘crossing the abyss’.
Monthly immunization days save lives and build babies’ health
CHIENG KHOA, Viet Nam, 1 February 2006 – It’s the monthly immunization day in Chieng Khoa, a small village in the mountains of north-western Vietnam. Although it’s still early in the morning, numerous mothers clutching babies wait patiently in a queue in front of the health centre.
Saving lives in Nepal through vitamin A distribution
KATHMANDU, Nepal, 29 November 2005 – Moti Bhandari looks into the mirror and adds the finishing touches to her make-up: a big red mark with the logo of a vitamin A campaign on her forehead. She then slings her green cloth bag with the same logo across her shoulders, calls out to her 9-year-old daughter Sarita to mind the store, and heads for the vitamin A distribution centre with her 2-year-old son in tow.
For pregnant women in Niger, prenatal check-ups come with grain
TCHADOUA, Niger, 15 September 2005 – Nineteen-year-old Sara was one of a thousand pregnant women who gathered recently at the health centre at Tchadoua in Niger’s Maradi region, for free prenatal check-ups and also to collect a set of benefits: food and an insecticide-treated bednet, to help prevent malaria.
3rd International Conference on Early Childhood Development: Giving children in Africa the best start in life
ACCRA, Ghana, 1 June 2005 – Getting basic services to all African children should be a top priority for national development plans, according to delegates at the 3rd African International Conference on Early Childhood Development.
Myanmar’s auxiliary midwives: Helping children get the best start in life
YANGON, Myanmar, 14 April 2005 – The rural village of Kan Tha Phu, located on an island off Myanmar’s western Ayeyarwaddy coast, is many days travel and seemingly scores of years removed from the hustle and bustle of the capital city of Yangon. Most of Kan Tha Phu’s families are members of the Kayin ethnic group, as is auxiliary midwife Daw Khin San Myint.
