Mere weeks after pulling off his Canadian Idol mask, CTV's Ben Mulroney is getting ready to pull on a new one -- as the face of UNICEF's Trick or Treat campaign.
It will be the eTalk host's second year as a spokesperson for UNICEF's long-standing Halloween campaign. The job consists mainly of using his well-known visage to bring attention to the campaign through public appearances and education, spreading the word that kids and adults alike are sought to help out in the fundraising effort.
Mulroney got on board last year to be a voice for the program's new concept, which left the ubiquitous Halloween-night change collection boxes behind for an extended period of fundraising instead.
Including the "Dare to Wear a Costume" campaign for the workplace and an online fundraising component, the program now stretches over the course of the month.
"We got rid of the boxes for dozens of reasons," Mulroney told CTV.ca. "The boxes weren't working anymore, they were played out... It was a brand new thing for the first time in over 30 years. Canadians responded to it."
Running since 1955, the Trick or Treat campaign has raised more than $94 million and has been many young Canadians' first exposure to charitable giving and the specter of global poverty.
This year, proceeds will go to the Schools for Africa, a joint effort between UNICEF, the Nelson Mandela Foundation and the Hamburg Society for the Promotion of Democracy and International Law.
Funds raised go to the construction of schools in Malawi and Rwanda, and will provide educational materials for and teacher training to improve the quality of education to keep children in school longer.
According to UNICEF, about 400,000 Rwandan children don't have access to education, while in Malawi, fewer than 50 per cent of students reach grade five.
Mulroney had the opportunity to see the program's work for himself last year on a trip to Malawi and says the experience firmly solidified the importance of UNICEF's work.
"Malawi's one of the poorest countries in the world," he said. "It's also a democratic country, which was one of the reasons we went there. The work ... had a good chance of continuing after we left.
"I don't know that (a visit to Africa is) in the cards for this year, but there's going to be a lot of radio and getting my face out there to constantly reminding kids that it's never too late to sign up."
Saturday, 13 October 2007
520,000 Malawians on 'watch list' for possible starvation
Despite a maize surplus, some half-a-million Malawians affected by drought may face food shortages before the 2008 harvest, a United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) official said Saturday.
"Some 520,000 people in four districts which were affected by drought are on close watch as they may face risk of food shortages before next year's harvest," Matthews Nyirenda told AFP.
Nyirenda, citing a recent report by the Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee, composed of donors and the government, said four of the country's 28 drought-affected areas were being watched closely.
The districts include Karonga and Mzimba in the north, Ntchisi in the central region and Mulanje in the south.
The WFP would soon review the food security situation in the districts and, depending on the outcome of the assesment, would provide humanitarian assistance through targeted food distribution, Nyirenda said.
Despite being swamped with surplus maize from two bumper harvests, food security is still a pressing issue in the poor southern African nation.
Malawi, which annually needs two million tonnes to feed its 12 million people, is this year in surplus of about 1.1 million tonnes. About 400,000 tonnes have been exported to cash-strapped Zimbabwe.
The surplus has been due to subsidised fertiliser and prolonged periods of rainfall, agriculture experts say. The country met its food needs for the first time in seven years in 2006 with a harvest of 2.2 million tonnes.
About 45 percent of Malawians live below the poverty line and on less than a dollar a day.
Kaohsiung mayor to help Malawi athletes attend 2009 World Games
Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu pledged Friday to help Malawi athletes attend the World Games, slated to take place in the southern port city in 2009.
Chen made the promise during a meeting with Esther Mcheka Chilenje Nkhoma, the first deputy speaker of Malawi's National Assembly, and three female Malawi lawmakers.
Saying that she will give money to allow Malawi athletes and Chilenje to attend the games, Chen expressed appreciation to Malawi for strongly supporting Taiwan's bid to join the United Nations.
Meanwhile, Chen noted that Kaohsiung has attached great importance to ecology and environmental protection during its transformation from a heavy-industry city to a trade-and-tourism city.
She said she hopes Kaohsiung can have "a clean and natural environment like Africa."
Chen said that in Taiwan, women have equal opportunities to men to participate in politics, pointing out that the vice president and one-quarter of the Cabinet are women.
In response, Chilenje said that there are limited opportunities for Malawi women to take part in politics. However, she said she believes female lawmakers often pay more attention to social problems related to children, women and minority groups.
Chilenje expressed a wish to establish collaboration with Kaohsiung to learn more about the city's experience in developing heavy industry.
Chilenje also thanked Taiwan for offering aid to Malawi and reiterated the country's staunch backing for Taiwan's U.N. membership bid.
Chen made the promise during a meeting with Esther Mcheka Chilenje Nkhoma, the first deputy speaker of Malawi's National Assembly, and three female Malawi lawmakers.
Saying that she will give money to allow Malawi athletes and Chilenje to attend the games, Chen expressed appreciation to Malawi for strongly supporting Taiwan's bid to join the United Nations.
Meanwhile, Chen noted that Kaohsiung has attached great importance to ecology and environmental protection during its transformation from a heavy-industry city to a trade-and-tourism city.
She said she hopes Kaohsiung can have "a clean and natural environment like Africa."
Chen said that in Taiwan, women have equal opportunities to men to participate in politics, pointing out that the vice president and one-quarter of the Cabinet are women.
In response, Chilenje said that there are limited opportunities for Malawi women to take part in politics. However, she said she believes female lawmakers often pay more attention to social problems related to children, women and minority groups.
Chilenje expressed a wish to establish collaboration with Kaohsiung to learn more about the city's experience in developing heavy industry.
Chilenje also thanked Taiwan for offering aid to Malawi and reiterated the country's staunch backing for Taiwan's U.N. membership bid.
From Malawi to Glenrothes
YOUNGSTERS at two local primary schools have been given a taste of Malawi.
Pupils at Star and Milton of Balgonie primaries welcomed Victoria and Overtoun Mazunda in an exchange between Scotland and the African country.
The Mazundas, from Lusangazi, were in Fife visiting friends at St Kenneth's Parish Church in Kennoway and Windygates in a follow-up to a trip by parishioners earlier this year.
Overtoun is the minister of Lusangazi church, while Victoria teaches home economics in a high school.
They visited local schools to talk about lifestyles in their country and Victoria cooked up some Malawaian dishes for the children to try.
Kenya: When Power Failure Saved Stars From the Jaws of Defeat
The fourth All-Africa Games soccer tournament semi-final between Kenya's Harambee Stars and Malawi was brought to a premature end because of a sudden black-out at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, in 1987.
With Malawi leading 1-0 and pressing hard for another goal, the stadium was plunged into darkness following power failure, leaving the referee with no alternative but to call off the clash amid protests by the Malawians who claimed there was foul play to save the home team.
They apparently felt the Kenyans, sensing imminent defeat had "deliberately" tampered with the lights to rob them of victory.
The Games organisers immediately ordered the teams to meet again in a replay the next day.
This time, Harambee Stars turned the tables by beating the unlucky Malawi 1-0 to stride into the final against Egypt on the penultimate day of the Games.
As it turned out Egypt had the last laugh, pipping Harambee Stars 1-0, thanks to a controversial goal netted from a suspiciously offside position. But the question still remains: Did the Kenyans really tamper with the lights as alleged by Malawi?
Addis Ababa friendly
After winning the 1961 Gossage Cup in Mombasa, the Football Association of Kenya landed an invitation from Ethiopia for an international friendly in Addis Ababa at a short notice.
With little time to round up a full team, coach Ray Bachelor managed to raise an under-strengh squad, depleted by the absence of top stars that featured in the team that had lifted the Gossage Cup. But the Kenyans did not want to disappoint their hosts.
Batchelor, who doubled up as manager, left with only ten players, decided to field himself to fill the remaining 11th berth to complete the team.
Bathroom fight
The national Ethiopian side had little difficult in winning the hurriedly organised game before their home supporters.
To make the situation worse, Kenya's captain and one of his colleagues were involved in a fight in the bath-room, causing damage to the hotel's property.
Embarrassed and dismayed, the Football Association of Kenya slapped a 12 month suspension on both players as soon as the team jetted back in disgrace.
Consequently both of stars missed the 1962 Gossage Cup hosted by Kenya and won by Uganda at the City Stadium.
With Malawi leading 1-0 and pressing hard for another goal, the stadium was plunged into darkness following power failure, leaving the referee with no alternative but to call off the clash amid protests by the Malawians who claimed there was foul play to save the home team.
They apparently felt the Kenyans, sensing imminent defeat had "deliberately" tampered with the lights to rob them of victory.
The Games organisers immediately ordered the teams to meet again in a replay the next day.
This time, Harambee Stars turned the tables by beating the unlucky Malawi 1-0 to stride into the final against Egypt on the penultimate day of the Games.
As it turned out Egypt had the last laugh, pipping Harambee Stars 1-0, thanks to a controversial goal netted from a suspiciously offside position. But the question still remains: Did the Kenyans really tamper with the lights as alleged by Malawi?
Addis Ababa friendly
After winning the 1961 Gossage Cup in Mombasa, the Football Association of Kenya landed an invitation from Ethiopia for an international friendly in Addis Ababa at a short notice.
With little time to round up a full team, coach Ray Bachelor managed to raise an under-strengh squad, depleted by the absence of top stars that featured in the team that had lifted the Gossage Cup. But the Kenyans did not want to disappoint their hosts.
Batchelor, who doubled up as manager, left with only ten players, decided to field himself to fill the remaining 11th berth to complete the team.
Bathroom fight
The national Ethiopian side had little difficult in winning the hurriedly organised game before their home supporters.
To make the situation worse, Kenya's captain and one of his colleagues were involved in a fight in the bath-room, causing damage to the hotel's property.
Embarrassed and dismayed, the Football Association of Kenya slapped a 12 month suspension on both players as soon as the team jetted back in disgrace.
Consequently both of stars missed the 1962 Gossage Cup hosted by Kenya and won by Uganda at the City Stadium.
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