Ahamefula Ogbu
10 November 2009
Port Harcourt — The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) last weekend embarked on a five kilometer charity walk in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital to raise 100,000 Euros (about N22 million) to help rehabilitate over 2000 street children in Egypt.
Tagged "Walk for the future", a programme under the African Street Kids initiative where the Starwood Hotels group has already raised about $21 million to aid the programme, UNICEF said Egypt was chosen because of the endemic nature of the problem which lays the children bare to various types and degrees of abuses and health problems.
After the walk which took off from Isaac Boro Park to Le Meridien Ogeyi Hotel in GRA, raffle draws were held for participants where various prizes ranging from free stay in Starwood hotels groups in Nigeria and cash prizes for school children ranging between N10 and N25,000 were won.
Briefing newsmen in Port Harcourt, UNICEF Ambassador and Public Relations Officer of the hotel, Mr. Tony Ukpo, said they were working in partnership with other interest groups to raise the money to address the problem.
He explained that they expect to persuade their guests to make one dollar voluntary contribution each to the fund programme and stressed the need for people in the Niger Delta region to contribute to it.
"The aim of this year's cycle ride, which takes place from the 4-6 September, is to raise over #100,000 Euros to support UNICEF's work helping more than 2,000 children living and working on the streets in Egypt. Street children are one of the most vulnerable groups in society and are at high risk of violence, sexual abuse, substance misuse and health problems.
"This work addresses the needs and rights of these children by providing social, medical and psychological support and protecting them from aggression and exploitation", Ukpo said.
General Manager of the hotel, Mr. Imran Azhar said the Starwood hotels group was partnering with UNICEF to raise to funds to address the problem because it was a credible body which harbors no discriminatory policies and implored people to help solve the problem.
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