MSC Cruises passengers have helped raise €12 million for Unicef programmes around the world.
The MSC Foundation is celebrating the landmark figure, raised since 2009, which has helped fight malaria and saved thousands of children from malnutrition.
MSC Foundation executive director Daniela Picco said: “We are very grateful for the generous donations of the millions of MSC Cruises guests who have been moved to assist Unicef’s wonderful work.”
The partnership between the MSC Foundation and Unicef, spanning more than 13 years, has featured work on six programmes across eight countries.
The money raised on cruise ships has helped educate 8,000 children in 126 vulnerable communities in Brazil.
It has also gone towards fighting malaria in Africa, preventing child malnutrition in China through a food supplement programme, and delivering life-saving food treatments in Ethiopia, South Sudan, Somalia and Malawi. The latter project has helped more than 115,000 children with malnutrition.
Cruise passengers’ donations have also helped Unicef’s emergency responses, including reacting to flooding in Malawi, Cyclone Idai in Mozambique and Zimbabwe, Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Covid-19 pandemic.
In 2019, the MSC Foundation stepped in as the first partner in the programme ‘Plastic Waste Goes to School’ in the Ivory Coast. This involves supporting marginalised female waste collectors, recycling the plastic waste into innovative bricks and using these bricks to build eco-friendly modern classrooms. The work has been crucial in a country where many children do not attend school because there is nowhere for them to learn.
‘Plastic Waste Goes to School’ has trained 188 women to date. It has also recycled around 616,000kg of plastic waste, seen the completion of 112 modern classrooms and allowed 6,224 children to access quality education.
Bettina Junker, chief executive of Unicef Switzerland and Liechtenstein, said: “We are extremely grateful that our partnership with the MSC Foundation has reached yet another impressive milestone with €12 million donations to date.
“We highly appreciate the MSC Foundation’s generous support and powerful awareness-building around Unicef’s work. We look forward to the next chapter in our partnership and are excited to continue driving change for children and young people every day.”
Picco, of the MSC Foundation, added: “It is an honour to work hand in hand with Unicef. Our partnership has grown from strength to strength ever since we set out together 13 years ago.
“It’s been a journey of great teamwork, working on very different programmes across the world, but always achieving incredible results for the children.”
The MSC Foundation’s broad support for Unicef extends from the ‘Get On Board for Children’ fundraising campaign on MSC Cruises ships.
The Foundation also organises advocacy activities to raise awareness of Unicef’s work, including through the song I Can Believe: MSC for Unicef.
Meanwhile, the Kids United magazine provides a fun, interactive way for children to learn about important topics.