DOHA: FC Barcelona Foundation, Reach Out To Asia (Rota) and UNICEF yesterday launched the ‘1 in 11’ campaign to extend educational opportunities to marginalised children in Bangladesh, Indonesia and Nepal, with the goal of expanding to more countries.
Globally, one in 11 primary school-age children – or 58m out of 650m children – are out of school. The majority are among the most disadvantaged and vulnerable: children living in areas affected by conflict; children in extreme poverty; children with disabilities; children from indigenous communities. In addition, in many schools, sports programming does not exist, even though studies have shown that including sports in school curricula can inspire children to attend and stay in school, lead to better physical health, and help to improve their grades.
The ‘1 in 11’ campaign will raise funds through individual donations and a major art auction at Sotheby’s in London on February 12, featuring donated works by renowned artists including Takashi Murakami, Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons, Richard Serra and Shirin Neshat. Hirst and Murakami have created specially commissioned works of art featuring Lionel Messi, FC Barcelona player, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, and President of the Lionel Messi Foundation. Murakami designed the campaign logo.
The Peninsula
