Former pro football player David Beckham has announced his plans of launching a new UNICEF fund to provide aid for children living in poor and harmful conditions across seven separate countries.
By launching the new UNICEF ‘7 Fund’, Beckham seeks to offer help for young individuals whose lives are endangered due to poverty, malnutrition and lack of healthcare. The 39-year-old ex-footballer hopes to make his own children see the value in such act and find inspiration to do the same.
As a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF, Beckham made the announcement by offering his speech, centering on the needs of children all over the world as well as how such form of charity can bring pride and honor to his own family.
“It’s about putting a smile on a child’s face, or helping in any other way you can,” Beckham shared.
He further went on to say: “I am a father, I am a husband, I have four amazing kids who are thankfully healthy. My children understand all of my work, especially Brooklyn who has seen work in several different countries.’
Beckham’s eldest son, 15-year-old Brooklyn, has also shown his own willingness to make foreign travels and go on charitable trips with his father.
Furthermore, Beckham also shared how we would take pictures of the people he had helped and show such images to his family, describing how visuals helped in letting his own children understand the essence of charity.
Focusing on seven countries, Beckham’s ‘7 Fund’ will address issues on malnutrition, poor sanitation, HIV and AIDS, and overall health.
“Today the need to help children has never been greater and since retiring I have more time and I want do so much more,” Beckham explained. “That’s why I’m setting up this new fund with UNICEF. 7 represents my ongoing commitment to helping children who need it around the world.”
Beckham shared one of his experiences as he traveled South Africa, learning that men in such country preferred not to visit women in HIV centers. However, he believed that that constant encouragement for these individuals as well as proper information and examples can lead them to change their ways for the better.
Beckham chose the number seven owing to the meaning and memories that it has brought to him, wearing it throughout his football career and making it his daughter’s middle name. The seven countries to be involved in the program include El Salvador, Papua New Guinea, Swaziland, Djibouti, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso and Serbie.
