How a lifetime of service led me to one clear decision

By Susana, UNICEF Legacy Donor 

When my husband and I were writing our Wills, we knew UNICEF had to be included. After years of working with the organization, I had deep confidence in its ability to create lasting change for children. 

While I now live in Ottawa, my work with UNICEF took me around the globe. I lived in 13 countries across six continents. Along the way, I served as Chief of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programs in Bolivia and worked in Niger, where I witnessed firsthand the power of effective, evidence‑based action. 

In Niger, Guinea-worm disease was still widespread. In some cases, the worm would painfully emerge through the skin, often in the wrist. We tried many approaches to stop it, but nothing worked – until we discovered a simple local recipe using oil. We tested it, and it worked. When the government saw the results, they adopted the solution nationwide. 

When I arrived, there were more than 33,000 cases of Guinea-worm. When I left, that number had dropped to just 3,000. 

This is the kind of impact that UNICEF has on children. Through strong partnerships with country leaders and other agencies, UNICEF is able to take solutions to scale and turn innovation into lasting change.

And that is why UNICEF stood out as the charity to support when my husband and I wrote our Wills. I have seen how effective UNICEF is at relieving the suffering faced by children around the world. I know the strength of its people, its thinking, and its ability to use resources wisely and strategically. I trust UNICEF to use my gift in the most effective way possible. 

But you don’t have to take my word for it. You can see it in UNICEF’s progress over the years – in reducing child mortality, improving health and education, advancing gender equality, and empowering women and girls. These are not achievements you can inaugurate with ribbons or capture in a single photograph, but they change lives forever. 

With my gift, I hope to give future generations of children the chance to live healthy, productive and happy lives, free from preventable disease, early mortality and poor education. 

If you’d like to learn more about how legacy giving can make a meaningful impact for children, please do not hesitate to reach out to Carrie Gemmell at 1-866-264-0333 or by email at cgemmell@unicef.ca.