New Photos of Clay in Mexico

Two new photos of Clay in Mexico for UNICEF have popped up on a Mexican news website called Chiapas.gob.mx. The second picture, above shows Clay's mother Faye Parker in the background. The website ran an article about Clay's visit; here is a very rough English translation courtesy an online translation program:

December 24, 2007 *they Congratulate the youths that facilitated the psico-social recovery of the children

OSTUACÁN, Chiapas, December 24, 2007 - Elapsed almost two months since the rains caused landslides and floods in Chiapas, the memories of those tragic moments were forgot by some moments upon celebrating Christmas.

Children and girls of Juan of the Grijalva lived together this day with the lady Isabel Aguilera de Sabines and the ambassador-fame of the UNICEF, Clay Aiken who they visited the supportive camps, where the victims after the step of the cold fronts they are found 2 and 4 in the northern part of the state.

The president of the Consultative Civic Counsel of the DIF Chiapas, Isabel Aguilera de Sabines, indicated that "Christmas is a moment of special happiness in which the families meet and they enjoy the time you join; but these families suffered a catastrophe and they have lost it all. We are doing a great effort to offer these families the necessary support in these moments and to cover their basic needs of protection, health and education." Aguilera de Sabines affirmed also that "in this occasion, the DIF and UNICEF they have been united to bring enthusiasm and to generate a Christmas environment that permit to help that these children, girls, adolescents and their families recover the normality loss".

This celebration, that permitted to carry music, dances and piñatas to hundreds of children and girls and its families harbored in the camps of Ostuacán, is part of the contribution of UNICEF and of the DIF and is framed inside the actions of answer to support the children and its families affected by the emergency.

Likewise, the Committee U.S. for UNICEF (US Fund) and the singer and "Ambassador-Fame" U.S., Clay Aiken, they visited the camp of Ostuacán in order to supporting the families affected by the floods in Chiapas.

Along with the president of the DIF Chiapas, enjoyed the gestures of happiness of the infants after breaking the piñatas and to share cake and sweet; as well as of a musical spectacle and of clowns during the day.

Clay Aiken, was a winner in 2003 of the contest "American Idol", one of the most successful programs of new talents in the United States. Since that moment, Clay obtained a great popularity as the singer. He has sold hundreds of thousands of disks, has given concerts around the world and very is known by his CD "Merry Christmas with Love" ("Merry Christmas with Love"). Clay has written a book, acted in television and in musicals of Broadway and has become a great activist by the children.

Young capacitadores in Tuxtla

Besides celebrating Christmas in the camp of Ostuacán, DIF Chiapas along with UNICEF and their Ambassador-Fame, Clay Aiken, they wanted to carry out a honorable mention to the voluntary youths that were qualified to support with the psico-social recovery of the childhood chiapaneca. For it, they organized an event in the installations of the DIF in Tuxtla in which they recognized their valuable work during the period of emergency.

Eddy Robert Pérez López, who studies in the Technological Institute of Ostuacán, was one of these volunteers that contributed in great measure to change the attitude of the childhood affected with the cave-in of the hill in the community San Juan of Grijalva, "when we decide to support us encomtramos with sad children that nothing the toward happy... now after working with UNICEF, already sonrien, they are happy and have again dreams".

This 20-year-old youth, said "I feel very either for to have supported these children... feels well the to give although be a little time to quines they need us".

Answer of UNICEF to the emergency in Chiapas

The UNICEF answer actions to the emergency are framed inside the normal cooperation that UNICEF has in Chiapas, reaffirming its commitment toward the protection of the rights of the childhood chiapaneca in situation of emergency.

In coordination with the DIF State and the SEP, UNICEF has supported the training of students and officials of government in attention psicosocial for the recovery of children in situation of emergency.

In addition, these two pictures (which are pretty small) were posted to the Clayboard: