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May 23, 2012
Schools as Zones of Peace program keeps conflict out of the classroom in Nepal
Participants from five countries and various ministries and international NGOs recently gathered in Nepal for a three-day seminar to learn about Nepal’s ‘Schools as Zones of Peace’ (SZOP) program. Because of this program, 4,000 schools are being regularly kept open in Nepal, benefitting more than 1 million Nepali children. The seminar’s participating countries all had hundreds of thousands of children out of school because of conflict, and in Nepal learned how schools and communities together can create peaceful and transformative classrooms.
May 22, 2012
In Ghana, a new program helps the poorest families provide for their children
In 2008, Ghana launched its Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) program to support the country’s poorest families. Over 65,000 households have benefitted from the program, many of which are caring for elderly and disabled relatives, orphans and vulnerable children. But families still struggle, as a shortage of personnel, inefficient systems and delays in funding have held up the program. UNICEF is working with the government to improve the system, including creating a new database which will keep track of a family’s changing needs.
May 22, 2012
Instability in Mali increases health risks for children and mothers
UNICEF officials are warning that the crisis in the North of Mali has dramatically increased the risks from diseases such as cholera, measles and polio and could increase maternal and infant deaths. Cholera prevention measures will be needed for some 500,000 people in Mali. These include increasing the chlorine level in water networks, educating communities, and delivering water, health, sanitation and hygiene kits. UNICEF is also planning a public education campaign on cholera.
