The earthquake in Haiti on January 12, 2010 left more than 220,000 dead, 300,000 injured and 1.5 million homeless. Countless families were broken up and 750,000 children were directly affected. UNICEF staffers were there as well, suffering through the situation. Below is the story of Gabrielle Lafortune, a driver at UNICEF Haiti. During… Read more →←
Topic: Big picture
“It’s calm now, but be ready to leave at any time,” come the instructions over the car radio. We’re driving east, through heavy snow, towards the mining settlement of Zolote 3, on the frontline of east Ukraine’s nearly 6-year old conflict. The so-called ‘frozen conflict’ in Europe’s backyard is still active and for the… Read more →←
As the New Year begins, it is time to bring new urgency to safeguarding the rights and protecting the lives of children affected by armed conflict. Around this time last year, I reflected on the failure of the international community to protect children living through war. Today, I am writing at the end of another devastating year –… Read more →←
I grew up in the suburbs of Ghana’s capital, Accra. Every four years, as elections approached, the nation was constantly reminded, through TV ads and tailored songs, to reject violence. In the months preceding the elections, our TV screens would be saturated with images of people in other countries who have been injured or displaced… Read more →←
In Niger, it is not uncommon to hear that if a menstruating woman touches sowing seeds, the harvest will not be abundant; that a woman must not braid her sister during menstruation, otherwise she will induce hair loss; that menstruation is a woman’s business and a man must not talk about it — the numerous rumors about menstrual… Read more →←
When you sip your next green tea, you might stop for a minute to take in the aroma of the leaves, revel in the steamy warmth, perhaps appreciate the energising taste. Chances are you won’t be thinking about a small family in the hills of Rwanda. They are indeed related but not the way you might think. This is a story of parenting and… Read more →←
On the International Day of the Girl, we sat down with Lucy Wanjiku, HIV activist and mother, to hear about her experience as a young woman living with HIV in Kenya. She shared her hopes, dreams and fears for the future of girls in sub-Saharan Africa. What challenges did you face as a teenage girl in Kenya? What are you doing to address… Read more →←
Married at the age of 14, Mariam Keita dropped out of school and later became a young mother to two girls. Determined not to become another statistic, she set out to complete her education and prove young women in Guinea can be vital contributors to the country’s economic development. Women and girls must participate in the development… Read more →←
UNICEF’s Back to School programme in Venezuela improves the living conditions of students, but none of this would be possible without the support of teachers. Two stories connected by love of the profession. Lilibeth Aular and Laura Albarrán both awake with the first rays of dawn, shortly before 6 am. One lives in Baruta, near… Read more →←
Several months ago, I had an emergency Caesarean. It was close to midnight. I was lying down at the hospital, half conscious from the contractions. My midwife had been listening regularly to the heartbeat of the baby in my belly, but this time she was not happy with what she heard. Within minutes, I was rushed to the operating theatre.… Read more →←