The Wiggles donate a song to UNICEF for first Global Handwashing Day
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| © The Wiggles/2008 |
| Australian children’s entertainers, The Wiggles, have donated a song to UNICEF for the first-ever Global Handwashing Day. The Wiggles are Anthony (Blue), Jeff (Purple), Sam (Yellow) and Murray (Red). |
NEW YORK, USA, 9 October 2008 – The popular Australian children’s musical entertainers, The Wiggles, have produced and donated a song to UNICEF to mark the first-ever Global Handwashing Day, to be observed on 15 October.
This simple and catchy tune seeks to motivate millions of children around the world, to transform the simple act of handwashing with soap from an abstract and seldom practiced behaviour into an automatic and enjoyable habit.
Every day, approximately 5,000 children die as a result of waterborne diseases. Washing hands with soap before eating and after using the toilet can help reduce the incidence of diarrhoeal diseases by almost 50 per cent.
UNICEF Australia Goodwill Ambassadors
The Wiggles appointment as UNICEF Australia Goodwill Ambassadors reflects their commitment to the world’s children.
Since being named as Ambassadors in February, the group has embarked on a number of fundraising initiatives – including concerts to help raise awareness and support for vital UNICEF water and sanitation projects.
“UNICEF gives all children, regardless of race or religion, the best start in life. For that reason, we feel deeply honoured to be asked to take on the role of Goodwill Ambassadors and work with UNICEF to help improve the lives of children around the world,” said Murray Cook, the ‘Red Wiggle’.
Success and partnership
The Wiggles, often called ‘the world's biggest pre-school band’, have achieved worldwide success with their children's albums, videos, television series and concert appearances. By 2008, The Wiggles had earned 17 gold, 12 platinum, 3 double-platinum and 10 multi-platinum awards.
Global Handwashing Day is an initiative of the Public-Private Partnership for Handwashing, which is spearheaded by UNICEF, USAID, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Bank Water and Sanitation Programme, Unilever and Procter & Gamble.
Resources-
http://www.unicef.org/wash/australia_45881.html
https://www.facebook.com/UNICEFAustralia?ref=ts
At a glance: Haiti
Haitian students spread the message of hand-washing, a critical measure in the fight against disease
FRECHOU, Haiti, 16 October 2012 – Derilus’s mother nearly died of cholera last year in this small mountain village just outside Port-au-Prince.| In cholera-affected Haiti, awareness about the benefits of hand-washing is saving lives. UNICEF correspondent Thomas Nybo reports. Watch in RealPlayer |
“Having such germs is very bad,” he tells a visitor to his school.
New school becomes clean, new start
Derilus’s school was destroyed by the devastating earthquake of 2010. In its place, UNICEF has built a new school, along with new latrines and a hand-washing station with soap.
Students have been taught that hand-washing with soap is the most effective way to reduce falling ill with diarrhoea. It is also a critical hygiene measure in the fight against cholera, which has affected all of Haiti.
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| © UNICEF Video |
| Children attend a Global Hand Washing Day event in Haiti. For the next month and a half, demonstrations are taking place in camps, neighbourhoods, children’s residential centres, and health facilities. |
To celebrate Global Hand Washing Day, Derilus’s school hosted an event that featured top government officials and UNICEF staff, including country representative Edouard Beigbeder.
“This school now has excellent sanitary facilities, so today the students have the ability to wash their hands with soap, and will benefit from hygiene-promotion activities, so they can better prevent contagious diseases like cholera,” said Mr. Beigbeder.
For Haiti, Global Hand Washing Day is more than just one day. Over the next 45 days, activities like the event at Derilus’s school are taking place all over the country.
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| © UNICEF Video |
| Derilus, 14, has learned how simple hand-washing with soap can protect him and his family against cholera and other diseases. |
Hand-washing demonstrations are taking place in camps, neighbourhoods, children’s residential centres, and health facilities.
The lessons are often carried home and passed along to parents.
“As soon as I go home, I tell my parents to wash their hands before doing anything, especially before eating,” says Derilus. “If you want to avoid cholera, wash your hands with soap.”
Resources:
For my blog assignment this week-Part 1, the countries I chose to contact pertaining to earlychilhood are Australia and Haiti. For both of the countries, I went through UNICEF. I sent emails to both countries through their UNICEF email addresses. I also became a member of each countries websites and "Likes" their Facebook pages. At this time, I have not heard a response back from either country, but will continue to follow-up in the next few days.
Part 2 of the Blog Assignment carries over with my Part 1 assignment- I am in the process of immersing myself in the UNICEF websites specifically for Australia and Haiti. I have started reading their Facebook pages and making comments on subjects that I find interesting such as the ones I posted above- Handwashing-such a simple thing to do and can save thousands of lives. Recently at my school, we launced a campaign about washing hands. It's interesting to read about and watch videos on how countries such as Australia and Haiti cover this important topic as well.
I am very interested in understanding more about early childhood issues in Australia for personal reasons too. I have an online business called www.tutugarden.com Many of my customers come from Australia. Also, the Wiggles- a musical group that entertains young children is one of my children's favorite groups. We have seen them many times here in Arizona. It was fascinating to read the UNICEF article about how they donated a song called "Handwashing" to UNICEF and have also been ambassadors for this incredible organization- YAY Wiggles!!!!
my blog address is: http://www.blogger.com
my blog address is: http://www.blogger.com
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