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Share your childhood picture and help the #5for5 campaign

Childcare, Early childhood development, Safe pregnancy and birth

This Sunday - November 20 - is Universal Children¹ú²úÊÓƵ™s Day, when we honour the rights of children everywhere. To celebrate it - and as part of our #5for5 campaign on early childhood development, ¹ú²úÊÓƵ wants to raise awareness of the importance of the first five years of a child¹ú²úÊÓƵ™s life.

Young children around the world need your support. Why? Because every child needs the best start in life.

90% of a child¹ú²úÊÓƵ™s brain has developed by the time they¹ú²úÊÓƵ™re five. That means poorer or marginalised children who can¹ú²úÊÓƵ™t access the support and care they need are put at a disadvantage. 

They can end up starting school with a limited vocabulary and reduced ability to learn, which will affect their opportunities in later life.

But there¹ú²úÊÓƵ™s a solution ¹ú²úÊÓƵ“ world leaders need to invest more to ensure all children are given the nutrition, care and learning needed for the best start in life. That¹ú²úÊÓƵ™s what ¹ú²úÊÓƵ¹ú²úÊÓƵ™s #5for5 campaign is about ¹ú²úÊÓƵ“ and it¹ú²úÊÓƵ™s been backed by Antonio Guterres, who will become the new United Nations Secretary-General in January.

If we can join together for Universal Children¹ú²úÊÓƵ™s Day and shine a spotlight on the issue, it will increase pressure on world leaders to act. It¹ú²úÊÓƵ™s really simple to get involved and help to make a difference.

Here¹ú²úÊÓƵ™s how you can help

Click on the link above or follow these instructions:

  1. Find a picture of yourself from when you were young ¹ú²úÊÓƵ“ any time from birth up to the age of five.
  2. Share the photo on social media ¹ú²úÊÓƵ“ Facebook, Twitter or Instagram ¹ú²úÊÓƵ“ today.
  3. Include a sentence about why the first five years are so important and make sure you include #5for5 and the petition link ¹ú²úÊÓƵ“ theirworld.org/5for5

What you eat, how much you play, what you learn before the age of five all helps define the adult you¹ú²úÊÓƵ™ll become. So it¹ú²úÊÓƵ™s vital for every child around the globe to have access to early childhood development programmes.

Can you join us and help to stand up for kids who haven¹ú²úÊÓƵ™t mastered standing?

Here are some of the pictures that have been shared by well-known people.

Steve Nguyen

Renowned American film and animation director, writer and producer who became a ¹ú²úÊÓƵ Ambassador in 2015.

Kim Cattrall

The British-Canadian actress who starred in the Sex and the City TV series and films.

Nick Sharratt

Award-winning illustrator and children¹ú²úÊÓƵ™s author who has been a supporter of ¹ú²úÊÓƵ. Nick went with us to Lebanon last week to visit out-of-school Syrian refugee children and run an illustration workshop.

Pearl Mackie

British actor and singer who plays Doctor Who¹ú²úÊÓƵ™s assistant Bill on the long-running sci-fi TV show.

Matt Lucas

British actor, comedian and writer best known for TV¹ú²úÊÓƵ™s Little Britain and playing both Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee in the Alice in Wonderland films.

Rainn Wilson

American actor known for his role in TV¹ú²úÊÓƵ™s The Office and many films. He and wife Holiday Reinhorn founded the Lide Foundation that uses the arts to empower at-risk adolescent girls in Haiti. 

Sharon Osbourne

TV star best known for the reality show about her family and her roles as judge on The X Factor and America¹ú²úÊÓƵ™s Got Talent.

Stephen Fry

The actor and writer¹ú²úÊÓƵ™s 12 million followers on Twitter saw this picture.

Miranda Hart

English actor and comedian best known for her roles in TV series Call The Midwife and Miranda.

Patrick Stewart

Star of stage, TV and film best known for Star Trek: The Next Generation and the X-Men series of movies.

Piers Morgan

Journalist, TV host and judge on both Britain¹ú²úÊÓƵ™s Got Talent and America¹ú²úÊÓƵ™s Got Talent.

Eddie Izzard

English comedian and writer who has also acted in several major films.

Sarah Brown

President of ¹ú²úÊÓƵ and a passionate advocate for global education and health issues. Her work brings together the worlds of business, philanthropy, social media and charity campaigning.

Gordon Brown

The United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education and former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

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