What We Bring Together
UNICEF possesses unique local and global insight on children’s rights. Partou brings pedagogical expertise, an extensive network, and daily contact with parents and children. That is what makes this partnership so strong.
By pooling our knowledge, we can work towards structural improvements both locally and globally. The early years are critical; making a difference here creates a lifelong impact. UNICEF heavily focuses on a child's first 1,000 days, which are crucial for development. Partou’s daily work with this age group directly strengthens and implements this vision on a local level.
Our Global Impact
5 Million Futures Programme
Globally, Partou contributes to UNICEF’s ‘5 Million Futures’ programme, which aims to offer five million children across the world access to quality pre-school education by 2030. This is crucial, as more than 175 million children worldwide currently lack access to this vital first step in their education. Through this initiative, UNICEF works closely with young children and their families to ensure that the most vulnerable can gain the lifelong benefits of early years learning.
Flexible Funding
Partou provides flexible funding to enable UNICEF to deliver fast, effective aid where the need is most urgent. Through the Global Humanitarian Thematic Fund, we support the provision of rapid assistance to vulnerable children in crisis and emergency settings, such as conflict zones like Gaza. This form of funding is essential because it allows UNICEF to respond immediately to emergencies without waiting for specific donations.
Activities by Country
Partou Netherlands
In the Netherlands, our efforts focus on children's rights awareness and active participation:
- Children's Rights Film Festival: Children from school years 6, 7, and 8 create a short feature film about a child's right they find important, guided by a professional film coach. The children star in the films themselves, which premiere on the festival's popular YouTube channel, giving them a playful way to let their voices be heard.
- Sponsored Runs: Local events and sponsored runs across our Dutch childcare settings to engage families and raise additional funds for UNICEF projects.
- Youth Empowerment: Supporting initiatives like Youth Prince's Day (Jongerenprinsjesdag, where young people debate with MPs and offer youth advice) and the UNICEF youth panel to ensure young voices are embedded in policy and our work.
Partou UK
In the UK, the focus centers heavily on community engagement and targeted fundraising:
- Fundraising Initiatives: Widespread community and nursery-led fundraising campaigns across our UK locations to support and strengthen UNICEF's emergency responses.
- Core Resources Dedication: Direct backing of UNICEF UK’s unrestricted funds to reinforce long-term, systemic change and strengthen national systems for children worldwide.
- Early Years Advocacy: Engaging parents, staff, and local communities to champion the vital importance of early childhood development and the global '5 Million Futures' goal.
"Children around the world pay the highest price for problems that they didn’t start, whether that’s due to conflict or natural disasters. They are the least responsible and often most affected. Partnerships with organisations like Partou enable UNICEF to be there whenever and wherever children need us most. By leveraging one another’s strengths, we can deliver long-term, systemic change for children – and a legacy for our partners and the world." — Luke Brocket, Director of Partnerships, UNICEF UK
We look forward to keeping you updated about our partnership with UNICEF and the initiatives that we provide support for.