I am making a bequest to UNICEF because of the range and complexity of relief work it has been doing for many decades. Playwright, Roger Hall

A bequest with a difference

By Roger Childs

Many people leave a legacy to the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICF), which has been helping families around the world since 1946.

Anyone can, and in doing so you become a member of the Kora Lang Society. (See details at the end of the article.)

UNICEF’s work is helping vulnerable children and meeting their needs to be fed, housed, protected from disease, provided with clean water and given places where they can feel safe.

Sometimes people specify what they would like their bequest spent on. For Jennifer it was clean water in Africa.

 Leaving a house to UNICEF

Jennifer found out about the organisation in 2011 at the time when famine was raging in the Horn of Africa.

She was shocked by what she saw on television and in the papers, and resolved to  do something positive to help.

She left her Auckland house to UNICEF with the instructions, that when she passed away, the proceeds from the sale were to be used to provide clean water for African children.

The organisation found a scheme in Ethiopia to use Jennifer’s legacy.

Water for life

On average a multi-village water system will cover an area of 20km² and have the capacity to supply sustainable water for many families, health facilities and schools. UNICEF New Zealand

Jennifer’s gift is now being used to build one of these systems. Clean, fresh water will soon be available for 34,000 people!

Once it is complete, the water will

~ supply 21 villages

~ provide for 6 schools with more than 6,600 children

~ be reticulated to a health centre and three other medical facilities.

In addition her legacy will go towards improving sanitation, health and nutrition services.

… although Jennifer isn’t here to see the impact of her gift, her generosity will have a lasting impact on thousands of young lives for generations to come. UNICEF New Zealand

 

(Leaving money in your will is one way of assisting UNICEF in its work. Contact Bequest Manager, John Daysh, to get more details: Freephone 0800 243 575 or email john@unicef.org.nz )