Long-term partners MSC Cruises and UNICEF are celebrating the christening ceremony of the MSC Divina in Marseille, France on May 26, 2012.
Since 2009, guests on board each MSC Cruise ship have been invited to "Get on Board for Children" and make a small donation in addition to their cruise fare. Thanks to the generous donations of guests, MSC has raised over $1.3 million to date for the iniative.
When MSC Divina takes to the seas, her guests will also have the opportunity to support the "Get on Board for Children" cause which funds the UNICEF-supported "Platform of Urban Centers" in Brazil. The platform focuses on combating poverty and inequality by ensuring better quality and more equal education opportunitites for the vulnerable children of the favelas using a bottom-up integrated approach in which the community isseen as a vital part of the solution.
A selection of global results from the UNICEF-supported "Platform of Urban Centers" to date includes:
*198 youth ambassadords are using communication tools to mobilize their communities.
*6,000 children and adolescents are participating in supporting activities.
*470 educators have been trained in sports and citizenship.
*3 municipalities have committed to the rights of children, with 20 clear goals.
*94 communities are preparing and/or implementing action and communication plans, representing about 400,000 children and adolescents.
On the day of the christening, classical performer and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Maxim Vengerov will join MSC Cruises CEO Pierfrancesco Vago and MSC fleet godmother Sophia Loren for a question-and-answer session directly after a press conference. After local children release hundreds of UNICEF ballons, Vengerov will give a special performance.
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