Farley Flex named a National Ambassador for UNICEF Canada

It means a lot to Farley Flex to be named a National Ambassador for UNICEF Canada because giving to others isn't just something he does, but part of who he is.

"My whole existence, I guess influenced from my mother principally, has been to give whether I have a little or a lot and what that essentially means to me is the more I have, the more I can give and it really motivates me to work as hard as I do in the different spaces that I work in so I can actually do more because I get so much joy out of it," said Flex.

"It's kind of a weird thing because people look at that kind of perspective as altruistic or philanthropic. Those words mean a lot, but to me, I want it to be part of my fiber. I don't want to have to think about giving. I want to just do."

Flex is, of course, best known to Canadian Idol fans as a judge on the popular TV show, but the music industry icon is also a humanitarian and gives his time to many organizations, including Merry-Go-Round, ParticipAction and now UNICEF.

Being a UNICEF Ambassador means Flex will attend a number of engagements, which focus not only on fundraising, but awareness.

"One of the things I like about UNICEF is that they're happy with awareness. The money does not necessarily have to come to them directly. They just want people to be aware of world circumstance and inequity and inopportunity and that's exactly what I'm about," said Flex.

It's something that didn't go unnoticed with UNICEF.

"Farley's excellence as a builder of industry, a builder of talent and a builder of community, combined with his passion for helping youth is a natural fit with UNICEF's work with vulnerable young people around the world, and will help us make their voices heard," said Nigel Fisher, President & CEO of UNICEF Canada, in a prepared release.

Flex did his first work with UNICEF back in May when he visited the poverty-stricken country of Malawi in Africa, along with Canadian Idol host Ben Mulroney, who was named a UNICEF Canada Ambassador two years ago.

Flex had previously visited areas like Ghana and Sierra Leone, but says what you see never ceases having an impact.

"You can never become desensitized to that kind of human contact, I don't care how hardcore you are ... I think Africa has a special influence on people, as do many of the third world countries, in that it takes you back spiritually to where you might have come from in so many respects and to where the world was and so forth so when you're there and you're interacting with young children and volunteers and grandmothers who are raising their deceased children's kids, it just hits you, bombards you psychologically and emotionally and so you do have to be somewhat prepared for it if you're going in there in an Ambassadorship role or a representational role," said Flex.

"But really for me it was just an amazing epiphany 'cause I have a dual sort of experience there. Number one as a humanitarian but number two, it's my ancestry in some way, shape or form, not necessarily Malawi specifically, but Africa definitely so every time I go there I go there with the perspective of learning and being in touch with my Aboriginal ancestries."

Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world and is currently experiencing an AIDS epidemic. There are approximately 70,000 children under 15 years of age who are HIV positive and around 1.2 million children have lost either one or both of their parents to HIV and AIDS.

UNICEF has instituted a number of initiatives in Malawi involving HIV/AIDS, water and sanitation, and malaria, and educational programs such as Schools for Africa, which is funded by the Trick or Treat for UNICEF Program. Approximately 87 per cent of children are now enrolled and attending primary school, according to recent statistics from UNICEF.

Flex and Mulroney paid a visit to health clinics and nutrition centres, as well as some of these community schools, while they were in Malawi and couldn't get over how the children greeted them with song.

"Everywhere we went there was a measure of interaction, whether it was with volunteers or the kids themselves. It was music to your ears to hear the kids. Ben pointed that out specifically that the daycare there sounds different than daycares here. The kids are so jovial and appreciative of health and of food and basic things," said Flex.

"We went to some of the rural communities where UNICEF has supported the building of schools and the appreciation the communities show for books, and for pencils and paper, where over here we're trying to get laptops for kids. It's a huge distinction between have and having more."

While they were at one of the schools, Flex taught some of the students to sing an inspirational song called "I Can" by rap artist Nas.

"Music as a tool for education is also very prevalent there, where children are learning non-musical subjects through music and learning about AIDS through music. They sing all these songs, some of which are broadcast on the radio about AIDS. You hear children singing about abstinence and use of condoms and AIDS awareness through song ... Music is a form of retention. It's the way we educate kids all over the world. Mothers and fathers sing to their children as babies and kids learn to literally talk through music and everything else so music is monstrously important, which is a real natural connection for me and my career of choice."

"Farley's spirit (was) so engaging!" said Leanne F. Nicolle, corporate development consultant with UNICEF. "He had the children of Malawi singing along with him, he carries music wherever he goes and uses it as a vehicle to communicate in a way that is incredibly special."

Flex plans to return to Africa in the future and hopes his work with UNICEF will help bring awareness to the situation not only there, but here at home.

"My real measure of engagement is to get people to go there and go here as well. The sad thing is we have similar circumstances right here in our own country so I don't lose sight of that. To me it's got to be a domestic and international approach to altruism and philanthropy. It doesn't work by borders."