Samantha wins plaudits as UNICEF envoy

SAMANTHA Mumba’s hit single Gotta Tell You will carry an extra special message from now on due to the singer’s new role as UNICEF Ireland’s special representative.

The talented Dubliner will promote the plight of starving children around the world on behalf of the children’s charity.

“We’re pretty lucky here in Ireland, especially when you realise how many children live across the world. It’s unbearable to think 12 million children die every year unnecessarily,” said Samantha during a visit to Dublin yesterday.

The 19-old-performer also helped to launch UNICEF Ireland’s annual Kids Helping Kids campaign. It enables Irish schoolchildren to raise funds for their counterparts in poorer corners of the world as well as raise awareness about the conditions in which many of them live.

This year’s campaign will focus on raising money for centres in Sierra Leone - one of the poorest countries in the world where average life expectancy is just 37 years.

“In Ireland it is 76, that really makes you think,” said Samantha, who hopes to travel to Africa next year to see for herself the faces behind the statistics.

The singer’s willingness to get involved in highlighting the stark contrast in lifestyles between children in Ireland and the Third World was highly praised by UNICEF Ireland.

“Her focus and enthusiasm for our work is wonderful,” said executive director, Maura Quinn.

Later, Samantha greeted a number of sick children for the Share-A-Dream Foundation in Dublin.

Lorna Brown, 7, from Donaghmede, who suffers from cerebral palsy, had no hesitation in naming her northside neighbour as her favourite singer. Samantha was joined by Share-A-Dream founder Shay Kinsella and Mick McCarthy to launch the charity’s annual ball in Galway on November 2.