Organization Spotlight : UNICEF

Love, Care and Consciousness are built into our DNA at DrTung’s.  It’s a concept we weave into every part of our business model — from our products, to our consumers, to our team, to our planet and to all sentient beings.  There are many, many organizations working diligently to make this planet a better place.  Some of these organizations have touched our hearts in very deep ways.  To share the amazing work from a few of our favorite groups, we’re spotlighting one incredible organization each month throughout the year.

The third organization in our series is…

UNICEF

United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund

UNICEF was founded 75 years ago and is one of the world’s largest development agencies dedicated to working exclusively with children.  Established in the aftermath of World War II, UNICEF has been working tirelessly to help children in need, children whose lives and future are at risk, whoever they are, wherever they live.   

“Reimagining the future for every child since 1946.”

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, to defend their rights and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

Core components of UNICEF’s global operations include:

• CHILD PROTECTION — saving and protecting children in conflict, preventing violence against children, ending child trafficking and protecting children from the impacts of climate change
• CHILD SURVIVAL  — immunization and disease outbreak response (Ebola, HIV/AIDS, etc), nutrition and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programs
• EDUCATION — supporting schools and improving access to learning
• EMERGENCY RELIEF — protecting the rights of child refugees and migrants, addressing food crises, meeting the urgent needs of children and families affected by earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, tsunamis and other natural disasters
• GENDER EQUALITY, EMPOWERMENT and INCLUSION —  including advocating for children with disabilities
• INNOVATION — accelerating efforts to develop, deploy and scale innovative solutions in humanitarian work

Emergency response and readiness

UNICEF is on the ground before, during and after humanitarian emergencies.  Their global supply chain and local presence mean they can get help where it’s needed — fast.  Shipping lifesaving supplies almost anywhere in the world within 72 hours. 

In 2020 alone UNICEF:
  Responded to 455 humanitarian emergencies in 152 countries (beyond COVID-19). 
   Reached 39 million+ people with safe water in humanitarian situations.
  Treated 4 million children for severe acute malnutrition in humanitarian situations. 

UNICEF and United Nations

UNICEF is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to advocate for the protection of children's rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential.  Read full mission statement here. 

UNICEF and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)

The United Nations adopted the SDG in 2015 to end poverty, reduce inequality and build more peaceful, prosperous societies by 2030.  SDG are a call to action to create a world where no one is left behind.¹   The SDG cannot be achieved without the realization of child rights and UNICEF’s directive is part of this larger mission — working with governments, partners and other UN agencies to help countries ensure the goals deliver results for every child, now and for generations to come.

Using data to achieve the SDG for children 

Data plays an increasingly important role in humanitarian work and UNICEF’s Data & Analytics team is the global go-to for data — it’s the world’s leading source of data on children and is used by over 3 million people globally.  UNICEF believes that smart demand, supply and use of data drives better results for children. When the right data are in the right hands at the right time, decisions can be better informed, more equitable and more likely to protect children’s rights.³    

The Takeaway

Again, we’ve barely scratched the surface of the incredible work of these various organizations. UNICEF advocates for children’s rights all over the world — you can read more about them on their site or follow them on Social Media.  If their work resonates with you, we encourage you to share their story with your friends and family and donate if you can.  

As always, do what resonates with you.  One thing we can all do is to take a few moments each day to take care of ourselves and cultivate positive energy.  When you feel positive, you share that feeling with those around you — it’s contagious (in a good way).  Each of us adding positivity to ourselves and spreading it to those around us adds to the collective Love, Care and Consciousness of humankind.  Together we can make a difference to each other, to our environment and to all sentient beings. 

“Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear.”  — Nelson Mandela, Former President of South Africa