The MSC Foundation and UNICEF celebrate a partnership that has saved and transformed countless young lives for more than 13 years, having exceeded 12 million euros in total donations raised through the MSC Foundation's activities for UNICEF programs.
Since 2009, the MSC Foundation has collaborated on six programs that have transformed lives in eight different countries. It has also supported UNICEF in providing education for 8,000 children in 126 vulnerable communities in Brazil, combating malaria in Africa, boosting China's food supplement program to prevent childhood malnutrition, and delivering therapeutic food treatments to more than 115,000 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition in Ethiopia, South Sudan, Somalia, and Malawi.
Also in 2019, the MSC Foundation became the first partner in the “Plastic Waste Goes to School” program in Côte d'Ivoire. This pioneering, three-pronged initiative simultaneously supports vulnerable women in waste collection, recycles the collected plastic waste into bricks, and uses these bricks to build modern, environmentally friendly classrooms. The vital importance of this third component cannot be underestimated in a country where 1.6 million children are currently out of school because they lack the necessary resources and facilities to learn.
The unwavering support of the MSC Foundation has enabled the program to have a significant impact on the lives of thousands of children, providing them with access to education and a brighter future. But its impact extends far beyond that, as many tons of plastic waste have been removed from landfills and vulnerable women have been trained as waste collectors. Along with UNICEF's support, the MSC Foundation was instrumental in establishing the factory where plastic waste is transformed into these modern and durable bricks.
To date, “Plastic waste goes to school” has trained 188 women who are now organized through an association, recycled some 616,000 kg of plastic waste and completed 112 classrooms, allowing 6,224 children to access a quality education.
The MSC Foundation's extensive support for UNICEF ranges from the "Come Aboard for Children" fundraising campaign on MSC Cruises ships to collaboration on education initiatives, community support, and emergency relief. The MSC Foundation also organizes activities to raise awareness of UNICEF's work, such as the song "I Can Believe: MSC for UNICEF," and educational entertainment activities on board the MSC Cruises fleet, which engage thousands of children and young people each year. One such initiative is KIDS UNITED magazine, which provides a fun and interactive way for children to learn about relevant topics as part of their cruise experience.
Furthermore, the MSC Foundation provides exceptional public visibility, having included UNICEF in more than 20 international events with extensive global media coverage. By showcasing its initiatives and their impact, the MSC Foundation raises awareness and further supports UNICEF in its mission to improve the lives of children worldwide.
The MSC Foundation's extensive support for UNICEF's emergency response initiatives has recently included assistance to communities devastated by floods in Malawi; by Cyclone Idai in Mozambique and Zimbabwe; by Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo; and by the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide.
Bettina Junker, Director General of UNICEF Switzerland and Liechtenstein, celebrates the results of this partnership: “We are very grateful that our partnership with the MSC Foundation has reached another impressive milestone with €12 million in donations to date. We greatly appreciate their generous support and their excellent work in raising awareness of UNICEF’s work. We look forward to the next chapter of our partnership and are excited to continue driving change.”
Daniela Picco, Executive Director of the MSC Foundation, says: “It is an honor to work hand in hand with UNICEF. Our partnership has grown significantly since we first began working together thirteen years ago. It has been a journey of great teamwork, working on very different programs around the world, but always achieving incredible results for children. We are extremely proud of this new milestone and very grateful for the generous donations from the millions of MSC Cruises passengers who have contributed to UNICEF’s wonderful work over the years.”
