20th Anniversary: Convention on the Rights of the Child

By Raising Malawi on 11.20.09

Today is the 20th anniversary of the United Nations General Assembly adopting the Convention on the Rights of the Child. To commemorate the occasion, UNICEF dedicated a special edition of their report, The State of the World's Children, to addressing the state of children's rights.

The report notes we have made great progress around the world in advancing child health and education, and curbing violence against children.

Still, the authors stress it will be particularly challenging to maintain this progress in the coming years. The severe global economic downturn, historically high levels of food prices, and the climate and population shift have the potential to undermine progress and imperil vulnerable children all over the world. According to the report, if the world is not vigilant over the coming years, the negative consequences felt by the world's children could span generations.

Taking Stock: Our Impact

On this anniversary, we've decided to take stock of our impact, and renew our resolve to improve the lives of young and vulnerable Malawians, particularly as the environment for our work becomes more challenging. In the past years, with your help, Raising Malawi has:

• Broken ground on the Raising Malawi Academy for Girls, which will serve over 400 girls throughout the country.
• Ensured 73,000 children and caregivers are receiving daily nutritious meals.
• Seen to it that 50,000 children receive primary and secondary education support, including academic scholarships, school uniforms, and learning materials.

Moving Forward

Heeding the report's warnings, Madonna and the entire Raising Malawi team pledges to forge ahead and continue supporting gender equality, child health, economic sustainability, and a host of other programs in Malawi.

We hope you will join us. Sign up today.