South Africa
Newsline
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.
Cricket stars raise awareness about HIV in South Africa
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 13 October 2009 – Famed Sri Lankan cricketers Kumar Sangakkara, Angelo Mathews, Chamara Kapugedera and Lasith Malinga recently visited young people living with HIV at the WITSECHO Adolescent Sprint Holiday Programme near Johannesburg, South Africa.
South African AIDS youth activist Thembi Ngubane dies at 24
CAPE TOWN, South Africa, 12 June 2009 – AIDS activist and Digital Diarist Thembi Ngubane died last Thursday at the age of 24. Thembi was a uniquely positive force and a tireless campaigner for people living with HIV. Her funeral will take place in South Africa tomorrow.
UNICEF teams up with South African Government for first-ever Child Health Week
CAPE TOWN, South Africa, 31 March 2009 – UNICEF teamed up this month with the National Department of Health to launch South Africa’s first-ever Child Health Week, which was held from 23 to 29 March. The seven-day event was designed to promote critical interventions for improving the health of children under the age of five.
Youth leaders in Soweto greet Queen Rania of Jordan
SOWETO, South Africa, 30 March 2009 – UNICEF’s Eminent Advocate for Children, Her Majesty Queen Rania al Abdullah of Jordan, recently spent time with members of the GEM/BEM club at the Phefeni Senior Secondary school in South Africa’s sprawling Soweto township.
Cholera outbreaks raise concern in nine Southern African countries
NEW YORK, USA, 10 March 2009 – With the peak of the rainy season already months past, cholera remains a problem for the governments of nine Southern African countries.
In South Africa, few comforts await children fleeing Zimbabwe
MUSINA, South Africa, 2 March 2009 – Gift Dube (not his real name) was 11 when his father abandoned the family and his mother died. Six years later, he is still on his own in the South African border town of Musina, where thousands of Zimbabweans have joined him as economic crises and a cholera outbreak force a massive migration from their country.
Migrants face humanitarian crisis on South Africa’s border with Zimbabwe
MUSINA, South Africa, 22 January 2009 – A humanitarian crisis is unfolding in the South African border town of Musina. Historically the transit point for migrants seeking work in the country’s larger cities, it has now become the entry point for many desperate Zimbabweans fleeing the economic and social collapse in their country.
UNICEF launches flagship report on maternal and newborn health
NEW YORK, USA, 15 January 2009 – UNICEF’s flagship publication, ‘The State of the World’s Children 2009’ – launched today in South Africa – addresses maternal mortality, one of the most intractable problems for development work.
A conversation with Desmond Tutu
NEW YORK, USA, 18 December 2008 – This week the Government of Norway is hosting the Education For All High-Level Group Meeting in Oslo to discuss progress made and challenges faced in providing quality education for all children. For the first time, the annual meeting is being held in a donor country.
Speak Africa initiative brings together youth activists to fight for the rights of African youth
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 12 December 2008 – On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Speak Africa youth activists from 13 African countries joined the African Union to call for urgent action to protect the rights of young people.
The UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights turns 60
NEW YORK, USA, 10 December 2008 – Six decades ago the United Nations brought the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to life. Today, the rights enshrined in the Declaration are considered, simply, universal values. In 1948, however, the idea of universal rights for all was nothing short of revolutionary.
New PSA asks young people to demand that their leaders ratify Youth Charter
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 10 December 2008 – Thirty-six youth activists from 13 African countries have gathered in Johannesburg to mark today’s 60th anniversary of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The group – joined by UNICEF Regional Ambassador Yvonne Chaka Chaka and UNICEF Advocate for Youth and South African television and radio personality Kabelo “KB” Ngakane – also calls on African leaders to protect the rights of young people by ratifying the African Youth Charter.
Desmond Tutu makes PSA for 60th anniversary of Universal Declaration of Human Rights
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 20 November 2008 – Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu – one of the world's foremost and best known defenders of human rights – has spoken out about the importance of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of its adoption.
Digital Diarist Qulinta Nepaul, 18, visits a festival to support South African youth
NEW YORK, USA, 23 September 2008 – In between high school and university, Qulinta Nepaul, 18, took a year off “to try to find out what I wanted to do.” The young South African, a UNICEF Radio and Voices of Youth Digital Diarist, ended up at the Phoenix Child and Family Welfare Society.
Maternal health project in Kwa Zulu Natal brings hope to pregnant women living with HIV
KWA ZULU NATAL, South Africa, 19 September 2008 – The province of Kwa Zulu Natal has become synonymous with South Africa’s AIDS epidemic. The infection rates here are some of the highest in the country, and the province’s pregnant women are at risk. Over a third of pregnant women are infected, making them and their unborn babies the most vulnerable.
Manchester United footballers partner with UNICEF during visit to South Africa
CAPE TOWN, South Africa, 22 July 2008 – UNICEF UK Ambassador and Manchester United star Ryan Giggs took time out from the football club’s pre-season tour of South Africa this past Sunday to learn about the impact of HIV/AIDS and violence on the country’s children and young people.
UNICEF and South Africa work together to help families displaced by violence
PRETORIA, South Africa, 5 June 2008 – Nine thousand victims of the recent xenophobic violence in Gauteng province are being registered and relocated to temporary places of shelter. UNICEF and its partners are busy shaping a new plan of action to help the Government of South Africa respond to the growing need for emergency relief and protection services.
UNICEF, Mandela Foundation and Hamburg Society consolidate ‘Schools for Africa’
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 16 May 2008 – UNICEF, the Nelson Mandela Foundation and the Hamburg Society today signed a memorandum of understanding at the foundation’s headquarters in Johannesburg to consolidate their partnership promoting the six-nation ‘Schools for Africa’ campaign.
Countdown to 2015: MPs join call to boost maternal and child survival
CAPE TOWN, South Africa, 18 April 2008 – ‘Countdown to 2015’, a report on maternal, newborn and child survival, was released at the 118th annual Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) assembly in Cape Town this week, followed by a three-day conference where over 500 participating global health experts and Members of Parliament were urged to accelerate efforts to reach Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5 on child and maternal survival.
Parliamentarians lead change for mothers and children
CAPE TOWN, South Africa, 18 April 2008 – Parliamentarians from all over the world showed their support this week as more than 200 Members of Parliament gathered in Cape Town for the 118th assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and a joint UNICEF-IPU panel on maternal, newborn and child health.
International women’s cricket players visit a Cape Town primary school
MBEKWENI TOWNSHIP, South Africa, 22 Feb, 2008 – Sisipho, a nine-year-old student at Mbekweni Primary school, elicits glowing words of admiration from her teachers when they watch her play sports. Recently, she put a big smile on the faces not only of her teachers, but of nine women’s cricket players.
South African designer Gavin Rajah creates one-of-a-kind doll to benefit UNICEF
PRETORIA, South Africa, 30 November 2007 – South African couturier and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Gavin Rajah has created a high-fashion doll to raise funds in support of UNICEF’s ongoing work.
UNICEF Executive Director meets with children orphaned by AIDS in South Africa
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 8 October 2007 — The smiles at the Davey household (not their real name) were bright as the children eagerly welcomed UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman during her four-day mission to South Africa. The youth-headed Davey family is composed of four siblings and their young cousin, ranging in age from 21 to 8. The children have lost both their parents to AIDS.
Nelson Mandela and Executive Director Ann M. Veneman unite for children
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 5 October 2007 – UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman met with Nelson Mandela today to discuss the importance of partnerships to address children's issues, particularly HIV and AIDS.
ICC Twenty20 championship finals boost global AIDS campaign
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 24 September 2007 – The first-ever ICC Twenty20 competition came to a climax today, transforming the image of cricket and raising awareness about how children are affected by HIV and AIDS.
Cricket chief Malcolm Speed promotes ‘the power of sport’ to fight HIV/AIDS
CAPE TOWN, South Africa, 18 September 2007 – International Cricket Council (ICC) chief Malcolm Speed went to bat against HIV and AIDS at the weekend and challenged South African children to take up cricket.
Sri Lankan cricket stars join fight against HIV in South Africa
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 14 September 2007 – Sri Lankan cricketers Kumar Sangakkara, Jehan Mubarak and Upul Tharanga have been taking time off from their duties on the pitch in the ICC World Twenty20 championships to campaign for children’s rights in the global fight against HIV and AIDS.
ICC Twenty 20 cricket contest goes to bat against AIDS
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 12 September 2007 – The worlds of cricket and AIDS prevention united for children yesterday at the start of the ICC World Twenty 20 tournament.
New Zealand cricketers visit ‘Little Champs’ in Johannesburg township
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 6 September 2007 – It was all song and dance as sporting heroes from the cricketing world arrived at the Little Champs Sports Academy in Alexandra township.
Cricket stars back global AIDS campaign
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 5 September 2007 – The world’s top cricket stars will support the Unite for Children, Unite against AIDS campaign at the ICC World Twenty 20 tournament in South Africa from 11-24 September.
Nelson Mandela Institute seeks new solutions to education and development challenges
EAST LONDON, South Africa, 6 August 2007 – Like this country itself, the launch of the Nelson Mandela Institute for Education and Rural Development on 3 August was full of contrasts and surprises.
In South Africa, FC Barcelona and friendly rivals score new goals for children
PRETORIA, South Africa , 22 June 2007 – There was Spanish flamenco dancing, African drumming and the unique trumpeting of the South African ‘vuvuzela’ or air horn – called football’s beautiful noise here.
At South Africa’s third national AIDS conference, all eyes on rising child mortality
DURBAN KWA ZULU NATAL, South Africa, 8 June 2007 – An unprecedented increase in child mortality in South Africa, one of wealthiest countries on the continent, spurred debate this week at the third national AIDS conference in Durban, Kwa Zulu Natal.
South African cricket team visits community health centre in Guyana
GEORGETOWN, Guyana, 2 April 2007 – "Every wicket counts in cricket and it's the same with the fight against HIV and AIDS. Everybody's contribution makes a difference," said UNAIDS Country Coordinator for Guyana and Suriname, Dr. Ruben del Prado. He spoke during a visit by members of the South African cricket team to the Dorothy Bailey Health Centre in Georgetown.
Lights, camera, action! South Africa hosts 5th World Summit on Media for Children
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 27 March 2007 – It was lights, camera and loads of action as the 5th World Summit on Media for Children opened here on Saturday evening. People of all ages and nationalities descended upon the Sandton Convention Centre for an evening of music, dance, festivities and, of course, food.
UN Special Envoy cites key humanitarian issues on final mission to southern Africa
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 13 December 2006 – The future of southern Africa depends on how governments cope with the orphan crisis and the effects of HIV/AIDS in the region, said the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Humanitarian Needs in southern Africa, James Morris.
Former US President Clinton and Muppet Kami share video message about HIV/AIDS
NEW YORK, USA, 24 November 2006 – In the run-up to World AIDS Day, 1 December, former US president Bill Clinton has joined Kami the Muppet to deliver a message about HIV and AIDS.
Hip-hop star Zola named UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador at African Development Forum
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, 17 November 2006 – Hip-hop star Zola – who has made his name as a rapper and actor from Soweto, South Africa – was named as a regional Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF today.
South African cricketers instil hope in the lives of Indian children affected by HIV
AHMEDABAD, India, 27 October 2006 – South African cricket players Shaun Pollock, AB De Villiers, Andrew Hall and Jonty Rohdes recently visited India – not to play cricket games, but to spend time with children affected by HIV.
New HIV testing method allows early diagnosis for infants in South Africa
MSELENI, South Africa, 9 August 2006 – A new method of testing for paediatric AIDS is saving the lives of babies and has led to more than four times the number of infants being treated with anti-retroviral medications (ARVs) here in northern Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa.
On tour to raise AIDS awareness, Manchester United players meet Nelson Mandela
LONDON, England, 20 July 2006 – Manchester United team manager and UNICEF UK Ambassador Sir Alex Ferguson and his squad met with former South African President Nelson Mandela at the offices of the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Johannesburg yesterday.
South Africa launches AIDS campaign at conference on vulnerable children
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 18 July 2006 – The UNITE FOR CHILDREN UNITE AGAINST AIDS campaign was launched in South Africa last week during a national conference on orphans and vulnerable children.
Harm children no more: Why Africa must rediscover Soweto
SOWETO, South Africa, 15 June 2006 – I was born and raised in Soweto. My mother still lives here, a place whose heart and soul courses through my veins. Once the Soweto bug catches you, it never leaves.
‘Thembi’s AIDS Diary’: A year in the life of a South African teenager
NEW YORK, USA, 18 April 2006 – For the past year, Thembi Ngubane, a 19-year-old from the township of Khayelitsa, South Africa, has been recording a diary of her struggle to live with AIDS.
New initiative aims to accelerate HIV prevention throughout Africa
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 12 April 2006 – In simultaneous launches at four corners of the continent, leaders of the African Union and the United Nations system have made a public declaration to accelerate HIV prevention in all of Africa.
UNICEF’s newest Goodwill Ambassador, tennis star Roger Federer, hits an ace for children
NEW YORK, USA, 3 April 2006 – World tennis champion Roger Federer has been appointed UNICEF’s newest international Goodwill Ambassador. UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman welcomed the 24-year-old player today at UNICEF’s headquarters in New York.
‘Techno Girls’ expand their horizons with career mentorship in South Africa
PRETORIA, South Africa, 29 March 2006 – Zoliswa Yoyo is spending her school vacation at the office – and she couldn’t be happier about it. The 16-year-old student from Ndyebo Senior Secondary School is one of 35 girls gaining firsthand workplace experience courtesy of the Techno Girls Career Mentorship Programme.
Children strengthen communities in South Africa through the Girls’ Education Movement
GA THOKA, Limpopo Province, South Africa, 20 December 2005 – Many families in this grey, dusty village live without access to basic services like water and sanitation. There is no electricity and health facilities are almost non-existent. Yet Ga Thoka is on the brink of transformation thanks to some of its younger citizens.
UNICEF Executive Director and UN leaders call for action in southern Africa
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 25 May 2005 -- Three United Nations leaders called for the world to focus on the chronic problems and humanitarian needs of millions of people in southern Africa, especially children.
UNICEF Executive Director visits Soweto hospital
SOWETO, South Africa, 22 May 2004 - UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman began her first field visit as head of the UN children’s agency with a tour of the largest hospital in sub-Saharan Africa.
Nelson Mandela bids farewell to Carol Bellamy
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 17 March 2005 - Nobel Peace Laureate and former South African President Nelson Mandela today bid farewell to Carol Bellamy, who will leave UNICEF at the end of April after a 10-year term as Executive Director of the world’s largest agency for children.
Learning lessons about life in Soweto
SOWETO, South Africa,1 June 2004—When it comes to learning, there is no stopping 11-year-old Nonhlanhla Vilakazi.
Soul Buddyz—influencing young people across South Africa and beyond
SOWETO, South Africa, 25 May 2004—It’s entertainment and it’s educational. Children love it and so do their parents. What’s more, it’s helping to protect a new generation of South Africans from HIV/AIDS.
"1000 Wishes for the Children of the World": Celebrating children’s voices through art
JOHANNESBURG, 14 June 2004—“1000 Wishes for the Children of the World,” which highlights the views and wishes of children across the world through a giant painting, arrived in Johannesburg, South Africa on 29 May.
UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Laurence Fishburne reaches out to children affected by HIV/AIDS in South Africa
SOUTH AFRICA, 21 June 2004 – There are many sides to South Africa. On the one hand, there is South Africa’s superb infrastructure, beautiful scenery and democratic, multi-cultural society. On the other hand, there is the South Africa that is poor and unemployed, suffering the colossal impact of HIV/AIDS and the scourge of violence and abuse directed at women and children. Laurence Fishburne, Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF, managed to experience both sides of South Africa during their recent whistle-stop tour.
