CCF's Global Call to Action Against Poverty Worldwide
Ellie Whinnery
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CCF is joining other humanitarian organizations across the globe in October activities scheduled to call attention to extreme poverty, the effect it has on much of the world's children and the need to eradicate it.
Half of the world's poorest people are children; more babies are born into poverty today than ever before. Despite major advances in medicine, science and technology, one out of four babies is born into extreme poverty and adverse conditions. UNICEF states that every year more than 10 million children die of hunger and preventable diseases and that 800 million people go to bed hungry everyday.
The United Nations' Millennium Development Campaign, launched at the UN 2000 Millennium Summit, cites Eradicating Extreme Poverty and Hunger as its number one goal. A show of worldwide support for this effort will be held on October 15, 16 and 17. CCF joined other humanitarian organizations across the globe in marking these days with activities scheduled for the Stand Up Against Poverty Day and the Global Call to Action Against Poverty on October 17.
CCF's worldwide activities for the month of October include:
On October 15-16, CCF joined in the Stand Up Against Poverty Day events, attempting to set the Guinness World Record for the largest number of people to "Stand Up
.Against Poverty" worldwide. CCF - Sri Lanka will serve as the lead agency to mobilize at least 100,000 CCF families and communities in conjunction with SUNFOR (Sri Lanka-United Nations Friendship Organization). In addition 250 other organizations under CCF's banner will add another 100,000 people to the Stand Up event.
CCF - Dominica held a March Against Poverty in Bataca with CCF affiliated families. Addresses were made by the Community Development Minister, the Carib Indian Chief, CCF Country Director Joseph Francis and a Parliamentary Representative from Salybia. The observations also focused on the presentations of CCF-assisted children and youth who talked about poverty in song, plays and speeches.
CCF - St. Vincent -CCF program recipients in the capital of Kingston manned a booth with Stand Up Against Poverty banners to hand out flyers, newsletters, stories and photos plus CCF's three-part poverty series. In addition, CCF held a march and rally with CCF families and shared testimonials from children and parents. The children's program included distributing food baskets to the elderly in their communities. The CCF South Windward Project held events including Alleviating Poverty through Sporting Empowerment with basketball and netball; "Propelling Our Way Out of Poverty" via cottage industry/small business enterprises with guest speakers; a rally for Education Empowerment to Eradicate Poverty; and a debate among children on poverty issues. The CCF Central Leeward project held a march and rally with parents and children. Children presented dramas on the effects of poverty.
CCF - Sierra Leone worked through their area offices in Kabala, Bombali, and Makeni to hold community activities to discuss and learn more about poverty and its effects on children. Area CCF managers trained staff on child protection and poverty reduction. On October 16 and 17, district campaigns for Eradication of Poverty ended with parades to sensitize communities on current actions against poverty.
On October 17, CCF - Zambia held a debate for children and youth entitled Youth and Children as Major Players in Poverty Eradication: Their Priorities are Best. Children and youth from all CCF project areas with district heads, political leaders, NGO leaders, community leaders and the media held debates on poverty eradication issues and resolutions which will be turned over to the Youth Parliament for further debate and deliberation.
For the year as part of its pledge to eradicate extreme poverty, CCF - Angola is focusing on promoting access and improving the quality of education for 15,000 children; establishing two kindergartens in communities for 300 children; establishing three health programs for 15,000 children; providing training to CCF community parents groups with support from French Cooperation to understand their role in community development and sustainability projects; initiating a family planning integration project for families and youth in targeted areas; and implementing life-skills training for 450 women directly affected by conflict.
CCF - Brazil will hold regional meetings with affiliated institutions involving 300 leadership teams working on Action Against Poverty. Discussions will focus on the root causes and possible solutions for poverty eradication and concerns related to low school attendance, lack of public health services and urban and rural infrastructure issues. Information will be shared with affiliated institutions and individuals to provide effective tools for engaging social control of public policies.
CCF, which has more than 68 years of experience in identifying and addressing the root causes of poverty, understands that poverty is a complex problem. Within the context of alleviating child poverty, vulnerability and deprivation, CCF creates programs in a variety of different areas that provide practical assistance to impoverished communities while planting the seeds of self-sufficiency.
Working with 10.5 million children and family members in 33 countries worldwide, CCF's integrated development model is made up of interventions in six primary sectors: Early Childhood Development, Education, Health and Sanitation, Nutrition, Family Income Generation and Emergency assistance.
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