one they presented African culture and customs. In order to show solidarity with the children of Africa, they organized a day where they had only half a liter of water to drink. In June they were visited by the head of UNICEF's office, Valentina OtmaÄ?ić, so that she could meet them and thank them personally. Children from all over Croatia showed solidarity with the children of Burkina Faso who don't consider school a must-have, like they do. A large number of children in that country are still forced to work, and from a young age, and many children, especially girls, don't have access to schools.
Help for children from 28 countries Thanks to UNICEF's activities, the number of children in Burkina Faso that attend school increased to 81,3 percent, and the greatest challenge is keeping children in school. So, along with children from Croatia, they also get assistance from children from another 27 countries. More than 185 million US dollars have been collected as a part of the program to educate children in 13 African countries, including Burkina Faso. From the start of the program in 2005, many schools have been built and existing ones have been renovated. Children have been given access to clean drinking water and sanitary facilities, school playgrounds have been built, and classrooms have been equipped with the necessary educational material, desks, and chairs. Centers for early childcare have been opened for the youngest, and children who have terminated their education or been forced to work have gotten the opportunity to attend centers for alternative education. Thanks to UNICEF's program "Schools for Africa", over the past ten years, more than 28 million children have gotten the chance to go to school and so ensure a better future. ď ś
Photos: students of the Italian Elementary School in Novigrad made items and sold them at a fair (top); a little girl in Burkina Faso (middle); the students of the Vladimir Nazor Elementary School in Crikvenica made ceramic bowls (bottom).
August - October 2015
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