By Maya Mincak
At our February 1 Youth Community Fund meeting, we had the incredible opportunity to hear from Community Fund Board Member and Tuckahoe resident, Darla Silva, Chief Program Officer at UNICEF USA. UNICEF is the United Nations agency dedicated to providing humanitarian and development aid to children around the world. Darla and her family previously lived in Bronxville, and she is originally from New Mexico.
Darla shared insights about UNICEF, its history, mission, and the meaningful work it does globally. She even wore a special vest with different components that reminded her of the many aspects of her work, which made her presentation both engaging and personal.
Darla spoke passionately about making education inclusive, especially for girls in countries where access is limited. She highlighted UNICEF’s work in combating serious health issues like pneumonia, diarrhea, and malaria.
One of the tools she highlighted was a simple, cost-effective method to measure child nutrition using mid-upper arm circumference. If a child’s arm is thin, it indicates malnutrition, while a healthy arm is marked green, making it easy for communities around the world to monitor children’s health. She also mentioned the benefits of RUTF (ready-to-use therapeutic food) peanut butter as a nutritional supplement to help fight malnutrition.
In addition to health and education, Darla explained how UNICEF helps children in areas affected by natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes, while also taking proactive steps to address climate change, like using solar energy. She described programs that reduce poverty, including cash transfers and digital support, which provide families with food, school supplies, and even help build schools. Darla also emphasized UNICEF’s work in protecting children from early marriage, child labor, and violence, and she highlighted the importance of birth registration as an official certificate of a child’s rights and identity.
What stood out most was Darla’s passion for her work and the global impact it allows her to make. She emphasized, “Every child deserves a childhood,” inspiring us to think about how we, as members of YCF, can also play a role in supporting and advocating for children in our own communities and beyond.
Top photo credit: Beth Larkin McKeighan, YCF Co-Chair and Community Fund Board Member
