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Dear UNICEF Supporter
Manchester United defends vulnerable children
© UNICEF/Malaysia/2009/Mohan
UNICEF Ambassador Ryan Giggs from Manchester United learns more about the dreams and aspirations of Didi, a young refugee girl from Myanmar. Says Didi,"When I grow up I want to help poor people because many people,even strangers, help my family now." "It is tragic to hear how marginalised children and those affected by HIV suffer as a result of stigma. But by joining these children here today and showing our support we hope to send out a powerful message; that all children, no matter their background, where they live or their HIV status should be treated equally."- Ryan Giggs, Manchester United Player and UNICEF UK Ambassador.
Last Friday, 17 July 2009, Manchester United stars Ryan Giggs, Patrice Evra and Federico Macheda as well as Manchester United Foundation Chief Executive John Shiels took time out of the club's pre-season tour of Asia to join UNICEF to champion the rights of marginalised children in Malaysia and highlight their increased vulnerability to HIV.
The group spent time with children from vulnerable backgrounds, including children from families affected by HIV and AIDS, whose parents are sex workers or drug users, as well as street children and refugee children. Many of these children find themselves living on the margins of society as a result of public discrimination, stigma and prejudice, fueled by prejudices, myths and fears.
Shunned by communities and invisible to society, these children are excluded from databases and overlooked in policy formulation and program development.
Lasting solutions to protect them and the next generation must address the protection of their rights as enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child. These rights are not merely the benefit of a few but the entitlement of all children, regardless of their identity, family background, gender, geographical location or HIV status.
UNICEF Ambassador and Manchester United player Ryan Giggs enjoys a lively conversationwith 16-year old MH, a refugee teen whose parents come from Myanmar.MH is an avid Manchester United fan who spends his free time coaching younger refugee children in Malaysia to play football.
Visit UNICEF Malaysia's website to learn more.
Visit us on Facebook to view MORE pictures from the event.
UNITED FOR UNICEF
Manchester United was the first football club to take the initiative in developing an active partnership between UNICEF and the world of football.
‘United for UNICEF’ was launched in 1999 and is the longest running collaboration between a Premiership football club and a global charity. The partnership has raised some RM 13 million (US$ 3.75 million), benefitting more than 1.5 million children worldwide.To find out more about the MANU and UNICEF collaboration click HERE.
Join UNICEF Malaysia on Facebook. Share your thoughts with us... tell us what you think needs to be done to protect children and their rights and support our programmes! Click HERE.
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