The K.I.N.D. Fund Reaches $15 Million Dollar Fundraising Milestone
Created by MSNBC’S Lawrence O’Donnell in Partnership with UNICEF, K.I.N.D. Provides Desks and Scholarships to Children in Africa to Promote Better Education
NEW YORK, NY (December 18, 2017) – MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell, in partnership with UNICEF USA, announced that the K.I.N.D. Fund has raised $15 million dollars in donations since its inception in 2010. Dedicated to empowering school children in Malawi, Africa by providing school desks to improve learning environments and scholarships to allow girls to attend secondary school, the K.I.N.D. fund (Kids In Need of Desks) continues to make real impact for Malawi’s next generation.
“I am in awe of the incredible generosity of ‘The Last Word’ viewers and everyone else who has helped us reach this milestone of $15 million dollars in donations,” said O’Donnell.
To-date, the K.I.N.D. Fund has already provided more than 200,000 desks to over 500,000 young learners across Malawi. Despite this tremendous effort, approximately 70% percent of school children still do not have a desk or chair, making it extremely difficult for them to concentrate on lessons and more likely to drop out. And, thanks to ‘The Last Word’ viewer support, K.I.N.D is able to provide scholarships to more than 3,100 girls this school year, allowing them to continue their education and reach their full potential. This support is vital, as just over 1 in 3 girls in Malawi continues on to secondary school.
A donation of $55 provides a desk and bench for two to three students in Malawi. $177 provides a one year secondary school scholarship to a girl in Malawi, covering tuition, room and board, textbooks, transportation, a school uniform, and learning supplies.
For more information, please visit: www.unicefusa.org/kind. Stories of the program’s impact, including profiles of students who have received desks and scholarships, are available here: http://www.msnbc.com/kind-fund.
THE LAST WORD WITH LAWRENCE O’DONNELL airs weeknights at 10PM ET on MSNBC.
About UNICEF
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) works in more than 190 countries and territories to put children first. UNICEF has helped save more children’s lives than any other humanitarian organization, by providing health care and immunizations, clean water and sanitation, nutrition, education, emergency relief and more. UNICEF USA supports UNICEF's work through fundraising, advocacy and education in the United States. Together, we are working toward the day when no children die from preventable causes and every child has a safe and healthy childhood. For more information, visit www.unicefusa.org.
About MSNBC
MSNBC is the premier destination for breaking news and in-depth analysis of the headlines through commentary and informed perspectives. Reaching more than 96 million households worldwide, MSNBC offers a full schedule of live news coverage, influential voices, and award-winning documentary programming – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. MSNBC also delivers breaking news and information across a variety of platforms including www.msnbc.com and MSNBC on Sirius XM radio. The MSNBC App for iPhone, iPad and iTouch also provide a customizable user experience with live streaming, clips of select MSNBC programming, and additional show content. Watch MSNBC anywhere: On Demand, online or across mobile and connected TVs. MSNBC is part of the NBCUniversal News Group, a division of NBCUniversal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies, which is owned by Comcast Corporation. For more corporate information, visit www.nbcuniversal.com.
For more information, contact:
Lauren Davitt, UNICEF USA, 212.922.2503, ldavitt@unicefusa.org