UNICEF Launches Initiative to Provide Assistance to Children With Disabilities ...( $1 Million Grant From the Ford Fo...),Health

$1 Million Grant From the Ford Foundation to Leverage U.S. Fund for

UNICEF's Goal of One-To-One Match From Donors

NEW YORK, April 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Fund for UNICEF announced today the launch of a fundraising campaign to raise $1 million to bring quality healthcare and education services to all children living with disabilities throughout Vietnam, including many that may be affected by exposure to dioxin left over from the spraying of Agent Orange during the war.

All donations to UNICEF's program will be matched dollar for dollar by a $1 million grant from the Ford Foundation, which has been funding work that addresses the environmental and health legacy of Agent Orange/dioxin since 2000.

The funds raised will help UNICEF coordinate a community-based pilot intervention program in the south-central city of Da Nang, providing healthcare, nutrition, clean water and sanitation, as well as training to social workers, teachers and welfare workers.

Actress Tea Leoni, who is a U.S. Fund board member and who recently visited Da Nang, said: "As a mother, after seeing the pain of children and their families, I implore others to join this important campaign so that no child lives without the care and assistance so desperately needed."

"We are thrilled to have developed a partnership with The Ford Foundation to make an impact in the lives of the estimated 1.2 million children with disabilities in Vietnam," said Caryl Stern, President and CEO of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. "We are committed to building an environment where top quality services are available to every child in the country."

UNICEF has a long history of cooperation with the Government in Vietnam and has been implementing successful programs in the country since 1975.

The exact number of children with disabilities in Vietnam is unknown, as many parents have never sought treatment for their children, enrolled them in school or in
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