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5 Things to Know About #RaiseYourHand Campaign

#raiseyourhandA partnership between the jewelry and luxury goods brand Bulgari and the nonprofit Save the Children has led to a new philanthropic campaign entitled #RaiseYourHand. Together, these groups are working to aid children around the world who are affected by marginalization, natural disasters, war, disability and poverty. Here are the five things to know about #RaiseYourHand campaign:

  1. Bulgari has released a bracelet specifically created for Save the Children’s #RaiseYourHand campaign. The beautiful, sterling silver and black ceramic piece is available at some major retailers as well as on the Bulgari website and in Bulgari stores. $100 of each bracelet purchase goes straight to Save the Children making it a beautiful way to showcase your passion for the cause.
  2. #RaiseYourHand is more than just a catchy hashtag. In fact, Fabrizio Ferri, the campaign’s Creative Director, explained the meaning behind the campaign title, saying, “We raise our hand to signal our presence, our interest, our attention, our participation. To signal that we do not hide, that we have no fear, that we believe we have an answer. Raising our hand while wearing the ring or the bracelet symbolizes our support for Bulgari’s effort to raise funds for Save the Children.” The Instagram hashtag is a stream of celebrities and do-gooders from the fashion industry holding a hand up in support of children in need.
  3. The supporters of #RaiseYourHand include actresses Meg Ryan and Naomi Watts, models like Tali Lennox, Lily Aldrige, Helena Christensen and many others. Plenty of well-known faces have already taken initiative and gotten involved in a campaign that has done and will continue doing good for vulnerable populations in the world.
  4. This is not the first time Bulgari and Save the Children have worked together. In fact, they have been working together since 2009. This partnership has been extremely beneficial in raising funds for Save the Children programs, it has also led to more global visibility for the Save the Children organization.
  5. Already the partnership between Bulgari and Save the Children has been wildly successful. The sales of the custom-designed Bulgari pieces have helped raise $50 million for Save the Children. Said donations have impacted one million people spanning 33 countries on five different continents.

This partnership has already proven itself capable of doing massive amounts of good in the world. The CEO of Bulgari, Jean-Christophe Babin, spoke up about the work Bulgari and Save the Children do together, saying, “Bettering the world is a quality inborn in Bulgari’s company culture. We are proud to partner with Save the Children to do our part in making a better tomorrow.”

– Jordan Little
Photo: Forbes

Focusing on Child Immunization in Areas of Conflict

child immunizationDuring immunization week at the end of April, UNICEF highlighted the need to focus on child immunization in conflict-stricken areas, as it is estimated that two-thirds of unvaccinated youth reside in dangerous regions.

The World Health Organization reports that “an estimated 18.7 million infants worldwide are still missing out on basic vaccines.” Access to child immunization can be an indicator that factors into the quality of life in a nation. The absence of these important, basic health needs is mostly caused by the lack of availability of hospitals and medical supplies.

According to UNICEF, South Sudan has the highest percentage of unimmunized children “with 61 percent not receiving the most basic childhood vaccines.” Somalia and Syria follow closely behind at 58 percent and 57 percent respectively.

Regions that are dominated by some kind of conflict have proven to be vulnerable to outbreaks of disease. In peaceful areas, only 1 percent of the cases of measles involving children end in death.

Overcrowding and malnutrition caused by instability can increase the death rate per case to as high as 30 percent according to UNICEF. The intensified vulnerability has forced organizations to focus on the health services in these areas.

In addition, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria, are still struggling with the permanence of the poliovirus. In 2014, “86 percent of infants around the world received 3 doses of polio vaccine” a common treatment in nations with general health services. Restoring medical capacity to provide the polio vaccine is just one way to further the fight for immunization coverage.

In a broadcast hosted by UNICEF during World Immunization Week, Chief of Immunization Robin Nandy commented on the harmful environment in these countries saying, “Children miss out on basic immunizations because of the breakdown – and sometimes deliberate destruction – of vital health services.”

Nandy’s team has declared the goal of expanding child immunization coverage to 90 percent for every nation by 2020.

UNICEF’s campaign to support global immunization goes hand in hand with the Global Vaccine Action Plan developed by the World Health Organization. The declaration set a goal of “reaching 90 percent of children under the age of one nationwide with routine immunization, and at least 80 percent of coverage for every country district by the year 2020.”

UNICEF aims to reach the most individuals through supporting the government “who hold primary responsibility for vaccination programmes.” By targeting the nation’s ability to distribute the vaccine, the organization can support a medical infrastructure that can become self-efficient. Expanding cover this way can help save 2-3 million lives a year with 100 million infants getting vaccinated.

The Vaccine Alliance, a global organization with the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the U.S. Center for Disease Control, and many others, brings hope to the campaign for the expansion of immunization. Its work has helped “bring new vaccines to approximately 440 million children in over 70 countries and to avert over six million child deaths since 2000.”

– Jacob Hess

Photo: Flickr