UNICEF Ambassador Laurie Hernandez meets children in Lajas Blancas, Panama.

UNICEF Ambassador Laurie Hernandez Advocates for the Rights of Children on the Move

Olympic gymnast Laurie Hernandez, the newest UNICEF Ambassador, traveled to Panama for a firsthand look at how UNICEF helps children and families who have just made the dangerous trek through the Darién Gap. 

Laurie Hernandez — Olympic gold medalist in gymnastics, "Dancing With the Stars" champion, student — is a fierce advocate for children's rights.

As UNICEF's newest Ambassador, Hernandez joins a roster of high-profile advocates for children's rights worldwide including Sofia Carson, Selena Gomez, Lucy Liu and Justin H. Min, among others.

Recently, Hernandez traveled with teams from UNICEF USA and UNICEF Panama to the Lajas Blancas host community and Temporary Migration Reception Station (TMRS) in Panama's Darién province for a closer look at UNICEF's programming for children on the move.

Up to 1,500 migrants, including children, arrive daily at the Lajas Blancas TMRS after making their way on foot through the treacherous Darién jungle. Many are fleeing conflict, economic insecurity and other devastating circumstances in search of safety and a better life. 

The Darién jungle is part of the larger Darién Gap, a region connecting North and South America that is one of the world's most dangerous migration routes. People who make the trek come from many countries including Venezuela, Haiti, Ecuador, China and Colombia. The U.N. estimates that 400,000 migrants will cross the Gap between Colombia and Panama in 2023, a surge from approximately 250,000 in 2022. Children under 5 now account for an estimated 20 percent of those making the journey.

UNICEF provides care and support for children crossing the Darién Gap

 

UNICEF USA Ambassador Laurie Hernandez speaks with a migrant family who has just arrived by canoe at the TMRS in Lajas Blancas, Darién province, Panama, May 2023.
UNICEF Ambassador Laurie Hernandez, second from left, speaks with a migrant family who has just arrived by canoe at the Temporary Migration Reception Station in Lajas Blancas, Darién province, Panama, in May 2023. © UNICEF

In Darién, UNICEF has established programming to support children and families on the move, including setting up a safe space for those who have experienced violence and abuse in the Darién jungle, as well as a Child-Friendly Space where children can socialize, enjoy storybooks and activities, and just be children again. These spaces play an important role in delivering psychosocial support and protecting the mental health of children and families on the move — something Hernandez is passionate about.

Safeguarding children's mental health is a priority

 

In Panama in May 2023, UNICEF USA Ambassador Laurie Hernandez visits a safe space for those who have experienced trauma while migrating through the Darién Gap.
UNICEF Ambassador Laurie Hernandez visits a safe space for those who have experienced trauma while migrating through the Darién Gap. In this space, UNICEF provides psychosocial resources and support. © UNICEF

Hernandez has been a mental health advocate for years. It runs in her blood; Hernandez's mother is a social worker and therapist. Her sister is a therapist as well. Hernandez uses her platform as an Olympic athlete and "Dancing With the Stars" champion to dissolve stigma and initiate and create safe spaces for talking about mental health.

"The story of sport is about determination, courage and being brave and doing things while you're afraid," Hernandez told community leaders in Lajas Blancas. "But it's also about community and support. 

"I have had times when I felt stuck or scared or mentally like I couldn't do it anymore, and that's where my community and my support system helped me through it," Hernandez continued. "You're building community here — one that has the power to help children."

In a UNICEF Child-Friendly Space in Panama, UNICEF Ambassador Laurie Hernandez talks with children who have just arrived via the Darién Gap.
UNICEF Ambassador Laurie Hernandez visits with children who have arrived in Panama via the Darién Gap. In this UNICEF-supported Child-Friendly Space, children can play and learn with other children. © UNICEF

In addition to operating the Child-Friendly Space and safe space for women and children, UNICEF is helping to deliver safe water in Darién, along with water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services critical to protecting children and their families from dehydration and illness.

Working together to protect vulnerable children 

 

UNICEF USA Ambassador Laurie Hernandez visits the Lajas Blancas Temporary Migration Reception Station (TMRS) with UNICEF Panamá staff in May 2023.
UNICEF Ambassador Laurie Hernandez visits the Lajas Blancas Temporary Migration Reception Station with UNICEF Panama staff, to learn about UNICEF’s water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programming for migrant children and families. © UNICEF

“The number of children who travel through the Darién Gap is astounding,” said Hernandez. “Witnessing families with babies and small children arrive by boat after this frightening journey is a powerful reminder of the importance of UNICEF’s work on the ground, providing clean water and sanitation, safe spaces and psychosocial support.”

I am honored to be the newest UNICEF Ambassador. On World Refugee Day and beyond, I will advocate for all children to help ensure an equitable future. — Laurie Hernandez

“We are thrilled to welcome Laurie Hernandez to our family of UNICEF USA Ambassadors,” said Shelley Diamond, Chief Marketing Officer of UNICEF USA. “Since her Olympic debut in Rio in 2016, Laurie has proven to be a positive role model for children and adults alike and has become an outspoken advocate for children’s rights. On World Refugee Day, it is particularly powerful for Laurie to give a voice to children on the move and to help ensure all children are healthy, educated, protected and respected.”

UNICEF works worldwide to ensure that every child — no matter where they come from or where they are going — is healthy, educated, protected and respected. Your 100-percent deductible donation will help UNICEF each children with safe water, nutrition, education, health care and protection. Please donate.

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TOP PHOTO: UNICEF Ambassador Laurie Hernandez with children in the community of Lajas Blancas, Panama in May 2023. © UNICEF

HOW TO HELP

There are many ways to make a difference

War, famine, poverty, natural disasters — threats to the world's children keep coming. But UNICEF won't stop working to keep children healthy and safe.

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories — more places than any other children's organization. UNICEF has the world's largest humanitarian warehouse and, when disaster strikes, can get supplies almost anywhere within 72 hours. Constantly innovating, always advocating for a better world for children, UNICEF works to ensure that every child can grow up healthy, educated, protected and respected.

Would you like to help give all children the opportunity to reach their full potential? There are many ways to get involved.

Donate to UNICEF USA to help kids survive and thrive
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