The United Nations Children's Emergency Fund (or UNICEF) campus initiative started in 2014, but regardless of the club’s limited experience in the Lehigh community, tremendous progress has been made in the last two years.
UNICEF’s goal, according to their website, is to be a relief organization for children in developing countries whose lives are at risk. In our campus organization we try to reach this goal through three different tactics, which are: educating, advocating, and fundraising. Our three tactics surround the main problems highlighted by UNICEF: basic education, gender equality, HIV/AIDS prevention and education, child protection, policy analysis, and advocacy and partnership for children’s rights. Our club is not limited to this, however. Often we take action towards local causes such as clothing/item drives for Bethlehem’s homeless shelter or for new-coming Syrian refugees.
Lehigh’s UNICEF club merges the graduate and undergraduate student communities in order to reach our goals more efficiently, by having a larger presence in the school. The executive board is made up of very diverse students of different cultures and majors which is essential for attaining a more global view on issues we work to help. Our member list is quite significant, but we are still seeking participants to help us with our goal.
Lately, our duty has been to expand awareness about LU UNICEF so that more students know about our mission and learn how they can help. Nine club members, all from the executive board, went to Washington D.C. for the National UNICEF 2016 Summit to learn how to improve the Lehigh branch. Tanairy Ortiz, the social media chair said “We learned about specific ways that college students can help huge world problems that UNICEF strives to solve. Even though we’re a small campus initiative, we learned ways to draw more participation from our fellow students.” And said plan is going to be put into effect as soon as possible.
LUUC is also active in collaboration with different department at Lehigh University in hosting several different events that benefit children and local community around Lehigh University. During the 2015 Linderman's Labyrinth Halloween party (in collaboration with Lehigh After Dark and LTS), LU UNICEF handed out the quintessential trick or treat orange boxes. Through donations, these orange boxes helped fundraise for children's vaccinations, worldwide. LU UNICEF raised enough money to vaccinate 1000 children against measles. LU UNICEF has also served local communities through the Lehigh University Community Service Office (CSO. Members volunteered during the Fall Fest for children in Lehigh Valley Children's Center in South Bethlehem.
Recently, LU UNICEF held various events on campus to spread awareness for child trafficking awareness week. Every Friday from noon to 1 p.m., we advocate in the University Center second floor by giving out informational handouts about an issue UNICEF wants to make known.
The purpose of UNICEF is to help those in need, and Lehigh is doing its part to help this great cause.
To learn more about the club, visit our Facebook page here!
