Hey everyone, 

Joel posted an exciting personal message on the Good Charlotte website:

Better than Winning an Oscar

RMCF staff

P.S (The previous blog posting, which we've taken down now, was from RMCF staff, not from Joel.  You can see his message at the GC site above!)

Hi everyone!  Some of you probably know, and some might not, but Benji and I recently traveled with UNICEF to the Central African Republic, a small country in the center of Africa. We had a life changing, wonderful trip and we are so excited to share this video from our time there with all of you!  As you can see, we had an amazing time and met so many wonderful children while we were there.  They are so full of laughter and hope, but the truth is, that they really need your help. NOW. Many of you might not know that 25,000 children, not excluding the little ones we met in Central Africa, die everyday from preventable causes?  Things like not getting enough food, or medicine, or clean, safe water to drink. These are things our children at home never even have to think twice about. These are the basic things every child deserves to have.  25,000 children EVERY DAY. I believe that number should be zero. Right now, you can join me in making a difference in the lives of these children. Go to ibelieveinzero.org and get involved. Thanks for taking the time to learn about our trip, and thanks for believing in zero.


MySpace Exclusive - Joel Madden travels to Africa with UNICEF

NEW YORK--November 10, 2008 – Saying the situation for children in the Central African Republic (CAR) constitutes a silent emergency, rocker and UNICEF Ambassador Joel Madden, today called on his fans and the general public to help put an end to the 25,000 deaths of children under age five in countries like CAR, who die everyday from preventable and treatable causes such as water-related diarrheal disease.

Madden is recently back in the US having spent a week observing UNICEF programming in CAR and visiting with vulnerable children of the war torn country which is bordered on its north by Chad and Sudan.

"I see 25,000 fans in stadiums we play to regularly—I can visualize that number and it gives me chills to think that many children under five die everyday from preventable causes," said Madden who fronts the rock band Good Charlotte and was named UNICEF Ambassador this summer. "This trip taught me one major way we can tackle this and help reduce that number to zero is by making sure schools and communities get better access to safe water and sanitation facilities."

The provision of safe water and improved sanitation facilities is a priority for UNICEF programming in CAR where regional and cross border conflicts have internally displaced tens of thousands and left the government ill-equipped to deal with all the challenges facing children. This past year UNICEF has supported dozens of water projects, including the repair and maintenance of existing wells and the drilling of hundreds more all benefitting communities in the north of the country that have been disproportionately affected by violence.

Madden, was joined on his trip by brother and fellow band member, Benji, along with UNICEF staff and was able to speak with numerous children and their families whose lives already disrupted by armed conflict, continue to be negatively affected by limited or inconsistent access to safe water.

Outside the capital city of Bangui, in the village of Sam Ouanda, Madden met with the families of 47 children who had succumb to water-related illnesses. The village borders the Darfur region of Sudan and has twice in the past year been attacked by rebels.

According to UNICEF, in addition to diarrhea cause by intestinal parasites found in dirty water young children and their families who do not have bed nets and susceptible to malaria carried by mosquito vectors bred in stagnant pools of water.

"Without every day access to clean water sustainable development is impossible; returning to villages for displaced people is just a dream", said Mahimbo Mdoe, UNICEF CAR representative. "We are facing a huge infrastructure deficit and we are struggling to get more and more support."

Madden's trip comes at a timely moment highlighting the situation of an overlooked country with some of the worst health indicators for children in sub-Saharan Africa. With the under-five mortality rate at 176 per 1,000 live births, one in five children do not live to see their fifth birthday. Maternal mortality rates hover at 1,355 per 100,000 and HIV/AIDS prevalence (6.2 percent) continues to wreak havoc on the population, particularly those made vulnerable by chronic poverty and the ongoing conflict.

Though a long-time activist on behalf of children, this was Madden's first trip to CAR and his first mission as a UNICEF Ambassador. Madden will also serve as the 2009 national spokesman for UNICEF's clean water campaign, the Tap Project. Now in its third year, Tap is a grassroots initiative to provide clean water to children around the world by inviting individuals to donate $1 for the tap water they normally get for free at participating restaurants.

"Around the world—in places just like CAR, nearly 900 million people don't have access to safe water—but it's the kids, like the ones I met on this trip, who are the first to get sick and die from dirty water." said Joel Madden. "The good news is that we can stop this now. I believe in zero, we can reduce that 25,000 to zero."

About UNICEF
For more than 60 years, UNICEF has been the world's leading international children's organization, working in over 150 countries to address the ongoing issues that affect why kids are dying. UNICEF provides lifesaving nutrition, clean water, education, protection and emergency response saving more young lives than any other humanitarian organization in the world. While millions of children die every year of preventable causes like dehydration, upper respiratory infections and measles, UNICEF, with the support of partnering organizations and donors alike, has the global experience, resources and reach to give children the best hope for survival. For more information about UNICEF, please visit, www.unicefusa.org.

Los Angeles, September 15, 2008: Nicole Richie and Joel Madden announced the launch of their "Text CHILD to 90999" fundraising campaign at a media event this week. The campaign will raise funds for kids-in-need. Richie and Madden's first goal is to build a playground at Beyond Shelter in Los Angeles.

This is the first celebrity-driven media launch in the US to utilize the new text message fundraising technology. Each text message will raise $5 for the cause, billed directly to the donor's phone bill.

The couple invited the media to play a pivotal role in the campaign, as Richie expressed today, "You can help us reach people. There are 250 million people with mobile phones in the US, and everyone can participate in helping kids-in-need."

Richie explained why they got involved, "We starting meeting people and learning about the extent of the problems. We met moms who had to decide between clean blankets for their newborns and bus tickets. At the most basic level – this isn't fair, this isn't right. We know there are organizations like Beyond Shelter that can use our help."

Madden described how their foundation would use the funds, "Our first goal is to build the playground. If TEXT CHILD to 90999 raises more than we need, we'll support the moms-in-need registry project we're developing and also a pediatric mobile health clinic with Children's Health Fund," Madden said, "Our world is facing plenty of problems–all intertwined and, sometimes, feeling hopeless. But, there is hope and there are solutions."

The couple also announced the launch of their foundation's collaboration with MySpace, the foundation's exclusive online promotional partner, to encourage MySpace users to get involved and to keep the public updated on the progress of the campaign.

In honor of its 25th anniversary, Marble Slab Creamery sponsored the launch event with an ice cream social for Beyond Shelter families and the media, and donated $25,000 to kick-off the campaign.