UNICEF is a UN agency dedicated to providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children worldwide. Established in 1946, it focuses on improving the lives of children and their families through programs in health, education, nutrition, water and sanitation, and protection from violence and exploitation. It operates in over 190 countries and territories, often stepping in during emergencies like conflicts or natural disasters to ensure children's rights and well-being are prioritized. Funded largely by voluntary contributions from governments and private donors, it’s a key player in global child advocacy.

UNICEF implements its mission through a wide network of regional offices, funding children's programs through friendly public organizations in different countries and Goodwill Ambassadors. The latter are considered the most effective drivers of attracting public attention to the problems of children's upbringing, education and socialization in Third World countries. A UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador is a prominent individual—often a celebrity from fields like entertainment, sports, or the arts—who volunteers to advocate for the United Nations Children's Fund and its mission to support children's rights globally. They use their public platform to raise awareness, mobilize support, and highlight issues like education, health, nutrition, and protection for children, especially in crisis situations. The role began in 1954 with Danny Kaye as the first Ambassador-at-Large, and today, there are over 200 ambassadors at international, regional, and national levels. Examples include Audrey Hepburn, David Beckham, and Millie Bobby Brown.

Today we are launching a series of stories about little-known UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors who have made a significant contribution to helping children. And let's start with Valentyna Zhytnyk, one of the few Ukrainians who was awarded this honorable role.

Valentyna Zhytnyk in Kenya. Source - Personal archive of V. Zhytnyk
Having become popular after her success in the world beauty contest Miss Earth 2010, she was invited to work as a Goodwill Ambassador for the upbringing and education of children in orphanages. As part of a UNICEF mission in 2010-2011, she visited many settlements in Djibouti, China, Vietnam and Kenya. As Valentina Zhytnyk said, she focused on the development of education for talented children, especially in countries where there is no access to basic education. To do this, she visited the children's places of residence in the mentioned countries, communicated with families, inspected rural schools, assessed the learning conditions and existing educational programs. As she says, her goal was not only to understand the real situation, but also to participate in the development of humanitarian initiatives aimed at improving access to quality education.

Valentyna Zhytnyk in China. Source - Personal archive of V. Zhytnyk
Goodwill Ambassador Valentyna Zhytnyk witnessed a complete lack of educational opportunities. In some places there were no schools, and in Kenya children studied in makeshift classrooms on the streets. Together with UNICEF, she tried to improve conditions for these children by bringing in foreign teachers or providing humanitarian aid. She also visited Chinese provinces, Bangladesh and other countries where the education issues were so acute that many children had no idea what schooling was.

Valentyna Zhytnyk in Djibouti. Source - Personal archive of V. Zhytnyk
On social media, Valentina Zhytnyk described her feelings after visiting an orphanage in Djibouti as follows: «There were children there who not only lost their parents, but also lived in extreme poverty. It was shocking to see that many of them could neither read nor write – and this in any language. Together with UNICEF and the Miss Earth organizing committee, we helped them humanitarianly, providing the bare necessities».

After completing her mission at UNICEF, working as an international model, Valentyna continues to work on child development issues, which, according to her, has become the subject of her special attention. Our readership is grateful to UNICEF and each of its Goodwill Ambassadors. Therefore, in the following publications, we will introduce you to other people with big hearts.