An opportunity to change the world with Kiwanis
Recently, I had the privilege of joining a delegation from the U.S. Fund for UNICEF in Houston, Texas, for a meeting with Kiwanis International regarding our proposal on maternal and neonatal tetanus (MNT) elimination for Kiwanis' next Worldwide Service Project (WSP).
We met with senior members of Kiwanis leadership and were excited to share our vision for what a Kiwanis-UNICEF partnership could look like. After weeks of hard work, the meeting could not have been better. Free flowing discussions were encouraging and enlightening about how the program could evolve. It was exactly the kind of collaborative dialogue that we envisioned when we originally responded to the Kiwanis RFP and we look forward to continued dialogue so that Kiwanis' experience and expertise will enrich the program design.
Our idea of a successful Kiwanis International and UNICEF collaboration is to design a program that would capitalize on the strengths of both organizations and finally eliminate MNT from those countries still suffering.
This is part of Kiwanis' upcoming WSP that, like they did 15 years ago with the campaign to eliminate iodine deficiency disorders worldwide, will save and protect millions of lives and change the world. Right now, UNICEF is one of three organizations that might be fortunate enough to partner with Kiwanis and we are doing our best to create a program that will not only help children around the world but also provide hands on service, advocacy and fundraising opportunities to the Kiwanis Family.
Recently, I had the privilege of joining a delegation from the U.S. Fund for UNICEF in Houston, Texas, for a meeting with Kiwanis International regarding our proposal on maternal and neonatal tetanus (MNT) elimination for Kiwanis' next Worldwide Service Project (WSP).
We met with senior members of Kiwanis leadership and were excited to share our vision for what a Kiwanis-UNICEF partnership could look like. After weeks of hard work, the meeting could not have been better. Free flowing discussions were encouraging and enlightening about how the program could evolve. It was exactly the kind of collaborative dialogue that we envisioned when we originally responded to the Kiwanis RFP and we look forward to continued dialogue so that Kiwanis' experience and expertise will enrich the program design.
Our idea of a successful Kiwanis International and UNICEF collaboration is to design a program that would capitalize on the strengths of both organizations and finally eliminate MNT from those countries still suffering.
This is part of Kiwanis' upcoming WSP that, like they did 15 years ago with the campaign to eliminate iodine deficiency disorders worldwide, will save and protect millions of lives and change the world. Right now, UNICEF is one of three organizations that might be fortunate enough to partner with Kiwanis and we are doing our best to create a program that will not only help children around the world but also provide hands on service, advocacy and fundraising opportunities to the Kiwanis Family.
Caryl Stern is the president and CEO of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF.
Recently, I had the privilege of joining a delegation from the U.S. Fund for UNICEF in Houston, Texas, for a meeting with Kiwanis International regarding our proposal on maternal and neonatal tetanus (MNT) elimination for Kiwanis' next Worldwide Service Project (WSP).
We met with senior members of Kiwanis leadership and were excited to share our vision for what a Kiwanis-UNICEF partnership could look like. After weeks of hard work, the meeting could not have been better. Free flowing discussions were encouraging and enlightening about how the program could evolve. It was exactly the kind of collaborative dialogue that we envisioned when we originally responded to the Kiwanis RFP and we look forward to continued dialogue so that Kiwanis' experience and expertise will enrich the program design.
Our idea of a successful Kiwanis International and UNICEF collaboration is to design a program that would capitalize on the strengths of both organizations and finally eliminate MNT from those countries still suffering.
This is part of Kiwanis' upcoming WSP that, like they did 15 years ago with the campaign to eliminate iodine deficiency disorders worldwide, will save and protect millions of lives and change the world. Right now, UNICEF is one of three organizations that might be fortunate enough to partner with Kiwanis and we are doing our best to create a program that will not only help children around the world but also provide hands on service, advocacy and fundraising opportunities to the Kiwanis Family.
Maternal and neonatal tetanus is a terrible disease that threatens 129 million women and newborn babies, but it can be eliminated with 3 simple vaccinations costing a total of $1.80. We have made some progress by eliminating the disease in 16 countries since 2000 " but there are still 42 countries where MNT remains a problem.
Our exciting meeting in Houston showed me how we can make it happen. Kiwanis, alongside UNICEF, has the opportunity to once again change the world. We at the U.S. Fund for UNICEF look forward to continuing our dialogue and partnering with Kiwanis to continue to find new ways to do whatever it takes to save the lives of children.
For more information about the Kiwanis' Worldwide service project and to show your support for eliminating MNT, visit www.kiwanis.org/wsp.
