UNICEF (United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund), on Tuesday, announced a new global education mascot 'Uni'. The body has appointed Uni as its ambassador for learning and symbolizing every child's right to access good education.
The mascot aims to bring in hope of quality education for nearly seventy percent of children in low and middle-income countries who are unable to read or understand a simple story. Uni looks forward to drawing attention to the current state of education and inspiring urgent transformation.
UNICEF hopes that the mascot will help inspire much-needed reform of school systems worldwide, ahead of next week's United Nations Transforming Education Summit.
Made of comforting foam and bright blue felt, Uni is encased in a full-body six-foot “backpack”, which represents UNICEF’s iconic blue backpacks, given to 1.3 million schoolchildren last year alone. Uni was designed in-house by UNICEF. The UN body has also created a real-life version of the mascot.
“Uni embodies our aspiration that every child has the right to go to school and learn,” said Paloma Escudero, UNICEF Global Director of Communication and Advocacy in a statement. “Every child has a right not only to be in school but to learn in school, acquiring the basic skills that are the foundation for higher learning and higher income levels someday.”
