Victoria Beckham and her ten-year-old son Brooklyn visited Kentucky on 9 to 10 November on behalf of Save the Children to better understand childhood poverty in the U.S.A and to advocate for an equal start for all children.
Friday 13 November 2009
With a childhood poverty rate of 47.8 percent and a median household income of $19,728, Clay County, located in the southeast part of the Kentucky (KY), is one of the poorest counties in America. One in six children live in poverty – a figure that jumps to one in five in rural areas. These children are also more likely to face problems with their cognitive and emotional development, illiteracy and obesity.
The Beckhams took part in a number of programs run by Save the Children:
- an after-school programme that provides elementary age children with reading activities and healthy snacks and a soccer lesson with children at Manchester Elementary School in Manchester, KY.
- a book bag exchange at Big Cree Elementary School in Oneida, KY, where toddler-age children were provided with tote bags filled with books, to help with their cognitive development.
Victoria also met with school principals and teachers to better understand the challenges they face and to find out more about the support provided by Save the Children.
“What I saw in Clay Country was the hope and promise inherent in every child,” said Beckham. “That’s why we have to make sure every single child has a fair and equal start in life. Seeing Save the Children’s innovative programs in action, I know that we can begin to reverse the childhood poverty crisis.”
“By advocating a fair start for all children, Victoria is setting a powerful example for learning about and understanding the challenges confronting too many children in America today,” said Mark Shriver, Managing Director of Save the Children’s U.S. Programmes.
Serving 50,000 children in nearly 200 of the country’s poorest and most remote communities, Save the Children U.S. has a strong track record of preparing young children to succeed in school, boosting reading scores and teaching healthy lifestyles to school-aged children.
Victoria and Brooklyn Beckham take part in a physical fitness programme run by the Save the Children U.S. at Manchester Elementary School in Manchester, Kentucky.
Victoria Beckham reads Duck in the Truck, one of her sons' favourite books, to children taking part in a literacy programme run by Save the Children U.S. at Big Creek Elementary School in Big Creek, Kentucky.
Victoria Beckham with children taking part in the literacy programme at Big Creek Elementary School in Kentucky.