February 15: Lucy Liu visits UNICEF projects in Moscow
UNICEF Ambassador and actress Lucy Liu visited a UNICEF project in the Russian capital on February 15 and recorded a video appeal to Russian donors. She was able to meet with children at the rehabilitation art center Maria’s Children, which UNICEF has been supporting for several years. The facility uses arts therapy to assist the social, psychological and intellectual rehabilitation of orphans and children with special needs. She also had the pleasure of spending the day there and getting to know them all by working on an art collage with them. “Maria’s Children is like a little diamond in the middle of the city,” says Lucy, “where children from orphanages can come and just be themselves. Even though I don't speak Russian and they didn’t speak English, we still had such a great connection with one another. They were open to me, and I love that about children. I know that they are in good hands because UNICEF is taking care of them and that reassures me that they won't be taught the discrimination and the hatred that a lot of other people learn once they get older.” UNICEF recently started a joint project with Maria’s Children to work with severely disabled children at an orphanage in Sergiev Posad, a small historic town in Moscow Region. It will include clowning activities and building specially adopted playgrounds. The project will be funded by individual donations from Russia. While recording an appeal to potential Russian individual donors, Lucy said: “For many years I have been sending money to charities without knowing how the money was spent. After I became a UNICEF Ambassador, I had the unique opportunity to personally experience where my donations to UNICEF go and how the donations of millions of people from around the world are spent. I can say now, from first hand experience, that every penny that is donated goes to children that are in need all over the world.” One of the main challenges for UNICEF in Russia remains children with disabilities and their families. There are currently more than 600,000 children with special needs and the existing system of institutions falls short of needs. Lucy is best known for her roles in Charlie’s Angels and Kill Bill, and the television series Ally McBeal. She is currently starring in the ABC series Cashmere Mafia, about four successful New York career women in their 30s who have been friends since business school. Lucy has been a celebrity ambassador for UNICEF since 2004, and in that time she has visited Lesotho, which has one of the highest HIV prevalence rates in the world; regions of Pakistan that suffered from earthquake in 2005; and the Democratic Republic of Congo, where many children are affected by ongoing violence. Lucy also took part in various fundraising activities, including auctioning her own original art works at an exhibition held in New York City in 2006. ____________________________________________________________________________ About UNICEF: UNICEF is on the ground in over 150 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. _______________________________ For additional information please contact: Elena Kharitonova - ekharitonova@unicef.org UNICEF: +7 495 937 2195, +7 916 238 01 54, Andrei Muchnik -mailto:-amuchnik@unicef.org UNICEF: +7 495 937 4812
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UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Lucy Liu talks about her visit to ‘Maria’s Children’ art studio in Moscow.