Member Spotlight

This month, ChildFund Alliance says goodbye to one of our longest serving CEOs, Michael Kiely. Mick joined ChildFund Ireland 14 years ago, and has been a strong advocate for the Alliance. We will miss him greatly!

Mick recently spoke with some of the Alliance Secretariat staff and shared reflections on his years of international service, including his time at ChildFund Ireland, and involvement with ChildFund Alliance.

On 25 April 2015, a powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 struck Nepal, with its epicenter 50 miles (80 km) north-west of the capital Kathmandu. A strong aftershock (magnitude 7.3) followed on 12 May, with its epicenter 47 miles north-east of Kathmandu.

Almost 9,000 people were killed, and 22,300 were injured. Of the 2.8 million people who were affected, 1.1 million (40%) were children.

The mass migration underway around the world puts children in harm’s way

We’ve been talking about a specific global controversy for what seems like ages — on TV, the radio, the web, social media and around the water cooler, but it’s an age-old problem. And, putting up barriers won’t solve the systemic issue causing people to risk their lives to migrate from their homeland through unconventional, dangerous channels.

What’s missing from much of the reports is a conversation about the number of vulnerable children caught up in the shuffle — children escaping poverty, crime and violence in search of more opportunities. The scariest part? They’re alone.

As a member of the Global Coalition to End Child Poverty, ChildFund is participating in the Putting Children First conference, October 23-35 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Please read press release.

Do you have a friend or family member who has everything they could possibly need? Or are you looking for a gift for your employees or clients and want something more meaningful than a gift card to a global conglomerate? 

Then look no further! ChildFund Alliance member EDUCO (in Spain) has the perfect gift for the person who has everything.

I have three wishes for my son — I want him to be healthy, safe and happy.

I know I’m not alone. But, not all children have these needs met. And, what happens to those whose rights aren’t respected? How are we keeping them safe?

How ChildFund has used solar and hydropower to transform a community in rural Zambia.

In the south-east corner of Zambia lies the district of Luangwa. At its eastern-most tip is Luangwa town, ostensibly a port town in a country that has no sea. Boats ply across the Zambesi and Luangwa Rivers that intersect here: look left, and there’s Mozambique; look right, Zimbabwe. Until recently, its potential as a trade post has been hampered by poor access. But now a new road has been built connecting this area to markets.

Eleven-year-old Kamal* walked barefoot across scorched scrubland for a week from his home in Somalia to Kenya. With their crops and livestock devastated by drought, Kamal’s family had no choice but to leave and try their luck in a new country.

Kamal was lucky. Unlike many children who died along the way, he made it across the Kenyan border, and is now living in Dolow, near Ethiopia.

But there, too, the situation is desperate.

* Not his real name. Name has been changed to protect his privacy.

Since 2004, ChildFund Deutschland (Germany) has been working on behalf of children and youth in Ukraine with two partners, Child Wellbeing Fund Ukraine and the East Europe Foundation. 

In 2014, it began providing humanitarian emergency response for internally displaced families and children (IDPs). Today, ChildFund is collaborating with more than half a dozen partner organizations in Ukraine.

A big part of [the sustainable development] agenda is protecting children to ensure they can realize their dreams. It’s a daunting task, so organizations are joining forces like never before. We understand we can’t achieve the 17 [SDGs] in isolation — we need one united voice.