Carlsen Teams with Unicef

Photo courtesy Unicef

In conjunction with the Soccer World Cup in South Africa, children's book publisher Carlsen in Germany has started a special project: Almost half a million picture books were delivered to German, Swiss and Austrian bookshops featuring the character Pixi winning the World Cup - and building a school in Africa.

The project is part of Carlsen's participation in the "Schools for Africa" program - a combined effort with UNICEF in partnership with the Nelson Mandela Foundation and the Hamburg Society for the Promotion of Democracy and International Law. Under Pixi's symbolic patronage, Carlsen and UNICEF are presently building a school in Angola, in the province of Huìla. The Poiares Primary School is situated in Arimba, one of the poorest areas in this region. Once the school will be completed with classrooms and sanitary facilities, around 270 pupils will be taught in shifts from early morning till late afternoon. This will enable Angolan children to enjoy a right that is taken for granted by young and old Pixi readers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland: access to an education.

"We are delighted and happy that our success in publishing has put us in a position to realise a project of this scale," says Carlsen Publisher Klaus Humann. "With Pixi's help, we wish to raise attention for UNICEF and encourage young and old Pixi fans to support 'Schools for Africa.' So no matter what the results of the World Cup will be, Pixi and the Angolan children in Arimba are already on the winning team!"

You can read more about this project by at Schoolsforafrica.com or at Carlsen.