Protecting the little ones
'Friends of Unicef' Paula Taylor and Nichkhun Horvejkul set out to bring the problems faced by Thai kids to the public
Nichkhun Horvejkul, a member of South Korea’s popular boy band 2PM, and Thai-Australian actress and model Paula Taylor have been named as the first two “Friends of Unicef” for Thailand.
Paula and Nichkhun will help Unicef promote the rights and well being of children and bring greater public attention to the challenges still facing them in Thailand. They will also assist Unicef in mobilising additional resources to meet these challenges.
“Paula and Nichkhun are extremely popular, have legions of supporters in all age groups and have great influence on both their hearts and minds,” said Anand Panyarachun, the Unicef Goodwill Ambassador for Thailand, speaking during the recent press conference held at Dusit Thani Hotel in Bangkok. “They can help Unicef bring the many critical issues affecting children to the public attention and ask them to support popular campaigns aimed at positive change for children.”
On their first mission, Paula visited a Health Promotion Hospital and a Pa-Dad community in Chiang Mai to promote breastfeeding and better parenting, while Nichkhun went to a community near Suksanaree School in Bangkok, which is home to many children who have to work on the streets to help bring in income for their families.
“I have learned that Thailand has the lowest exclusive breastfeeding rate in Asia and one of the lowest rates in the world,” said the actress. “Breastfeeding is crucial to child survival and development. No infant formula can ever replace breast milk, which is truly the ‘gold standard’ when it comes to what is best for babies.”
“Here, children spend a lot of time working on the streets instead of taking lessons at school,” said Nichkhun. “By being on the streets, they are also at great risk of abuse and exploitation.”
The two celebrities are well aware of the problems posing a threat to the development of children in Thailand, and they are ready to bring these issues to the public.
For 65 years, Unicef has supported child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and Aids.
