March 2011

By Alison Hiscocks, UNICEF Australia skilled volunteer
I don’t like jogging. I know it’s good for me but somehow, when it comes to the crunch (excuse the fitness pun), any excuse will do. A fail safe way to get me going is to tell someone my intention. Accountability makes it harder to lapse on my commitment. Accountability leads to action. This is true for everyone.
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By Sarah Drury, UNICEF Australia Skilled Volunteer
Overshadowed by Japan's terrible earthquake and tsuanami, it was easy to miss another event on the weekend: a riot by detainees at the Christmas Island detention centre, suppressed by tear gas and so-called “bean-bag bullets.” Read more...

By Martha Tattersall, UNICEF Australia Communications Manager
Ly Thanh Hoa was young when she left Sa Pa, the enclave of northern Vietnam home to the Hmong ethnic group. Dressed in a colourful traditional dress, she now faces her year one class to teach maths. Read more...

By Sarah Drury, UNICEF Australia Skilled Volunteer

My grandmother sits glued to the ABC coverage of the Queensland floods.
“It's just terrible, terrible,” she says. “I must make a donation.”

As she reaches for her chequebook, I ask her if she would also give money to help earthquake victims in Haiti or flood victims in Pakistan.
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By Emma Boughton, UNICEF Australia skilled volunteer
As Christchurch continues to clear away rubble from the devastating earthquake last week and the northern countries of Africa continue to descend into political turmoil, we must not forget the psychological impacts these conflicts and natural disasters bring, especially for children. Read more...