U.S. Fund National Board member applauds UNICEF programs in Ethiopia

Vincent John Hemmer, Every Child

Why I serve

U.S. Fund for UNICEF National Board member Vincent John Hemmer in Ethiopia, October 2009. 

Rows of cots filled the therapeutic feeding center, and on each cot lay a baby or little child. It was difficult to guess their ages, because so many of them were so undernourished. These children were in truly desperate straits, and this place was their only hope. Parents were camped out next to the cots, and the worry on their faces was palpable. As a father, I cannot imagine how absolutely terrifying it would be to sit there helplessly, wondering whether your child would survive another day.

Fortunately, many of these little girls and boys would soon be doing much better. The UNICEF-supported facility was providing them with lifesaving therapeutic foods packed with protein and vitamins that would nourish them back to health. Well-trained staff members also weighed children, did nutritional screenings, and monitored their progress.

It was deeply rewarding to see what a huge difference UNICEF is making. What really struck me was the realization that without UNICEF some kids at this feeding center simply wouldn’t make it — that’s how fundamental this work is.

Providing the basics

We also visited several schools and, at one, met a beautiful little girl who was probably seven years old — the same age as my daughter. You could tell she did not have much. She wore very old clothes and was barefoot. But because of UNICEF, she had been able to go to school and had been able to receive basic health care. She had a luminous smile that could light the world up — a young child with a great joy for life. Meeting her reinforced for me that each and every kid deserves the basics for a healthy childhood.

And despite great challenges, UNICEF is helping many kids in Ethiopia get just that. At a modest two-room clinic in a remote area, a long line of moms and children wound outside the door. It seemed like the entire community had shown up. Two UNICEF-trained health workers were providing primary care for about everything you could imagine. We saw them testing children for malaria. Several tests came back positive, but thanks to UNICEF, there was medicine available, and these kids could start treatment immediately.

I came away from this trip with a profound admiration for UNICEF’s staff — they are smart, resourceful, and committed. They are an inspiring group of people and the kind of people you want to support. We also witnessed how UNICEF’s relationships with the government and communities have enabled it to be more effective and have helped build local capability and create sustainable solutions to health, education, and other child survival issues. 

I’m a UNICEF supporter because when I think about what really matters, I cannot come up with anything more important than giving children the chance to survive and have food, clean water, education, and protection. All kids deserve this, yet millions are still denied it. As I witnessed firsthand in Ethiopia, UNICEF is standing up for these kids in every way.

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