Champions for Children is aimed at reaching out to children who have been neglected by Indonesia's society.
Indonesia is seen not only as a growing economy, but also an increasingly affluent country. Many Indonesian children, however, have been left behind in the progress Indonesia has experienced.
These children are not getting a full education, suffer from problems of malnutrition or poor health, and are even neglected by society. Many children are forced to live on the streets to cover their daily basic needs, putting them at great risk of harm and danger.
"These are children we often see but not really recognize," Unicef chief of communication Edward Carwardine told The Jakarta Post on Saturday, on the sidelines of a ceremony to award 10 Pendekar Anak or "Champions for Children".
The award was presented to commemorate the 21st International Children's Day.
Children's vulnerability is growing due to a number of reasons, Cawardine said, such as a lack of education, poor access to healthcare and full family and parental support.
Champions for Children, a Unicef initiative, is aimed at reaching out to children who are invisible despite Indonesia's recent achievements.
Carwardine said "Champions for Children" were valuable allies to help raise awareness in Indonesia about the challenges faced by children.
Lowe Advertising, he said, was an advertising company that had produced - for free - a number of television and newspaper advertisements promoting children's rights.
Another "Champion for Children", Kaskus, an online forum, devotes some pages to promoting children's rights.
Apart from large organizations, Unicef also granted the award to several people: batik entrepreneur Daud Wiryo Hadinegoro and businessman Herman Wenas, who travelled the world campaigning for increased awareness of children's rights.
"I just want to motivate the children that small things can deliver extraordinary results," Herman told the Post.
Yenny Zannuba Wahid, the director of the Wahid Institute, joined several medical experts and celebrities to promote the benefits of breastfeeding.
Young people were also awarded. Stephanie Handoyo, a special Olympics athlete, did a lot of work raising awareness for children's rights in Indonesia. Another Champion for Children, 11-year-old Clarissa Tamara, campaigns through her music.
"We want to make sure that people are aware of the challenges faced by children. I think we have done a lot of work to that end.
But there remains a lot more we can still do," Unicef Ambassador Ferry Salim said.
Carwardine said Unicef and the Indonesian government tried to allocate more resources to reach the most vulnerable children. "Every child in Indonesia should get the benefit of the progress this country has enjoyed in the last few years," he added.
Source: http://www.edvantage.com.sg/edvantage/news/news/499820/Unicef_creates_champions_for_children.html
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