In Black America; Ms. Cicely Tyson's Fact-Finding Tour of Central Africa

To be continued... I'm John Hanson, join me this week on in Black America. We examine a firsthand report from Africa with Emmy Award-winning actress, Sicily Tyson. If I'm a student, I think I would be trying to find a place in which to serve humanity. The actress, Sicily Tyson, this week on in Black America. This is In Black America, Reflections of the Black Experience in American Society.

I tell you, I am the beneficiary in this instance. I think that I have been blessed first by UNICEF, to honor me by even feeling that I am capable of this mission. And then to have the opportunity to go there and witness what I did, I am blessed. And I hope that you understand that I want to share this with you. Actress, Sicily Tyson, the 1985-86 National UNICEF Day Chairperson. This year marks the 35th annual campaign for the United Nations Children Fund to raise money for underdeveloped countries. Miss Tyson, whose Emmy Award-winning career has expanded several decades, has handled numerous challenging roles,

including the Determined Chicago School Teacher in the Marva Collins Story, and the wise, independent Jane Pittman in the autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman. Miss Tyson received two Emmys for that performance, and she played the Determined and Loving Mother and Wife in Sounder. This, however, may be her most challenging role as National Chairperson for UNICEF. I am John Hanson, and this week a first-hand report from Africa with actress Sicily Tyson in Black America. I am glad to be here because I have an opportunity to see all the people who are genuinely concerned about the pipe. Of people who, because of no fault of their own throughout the world, are in need, and your presence here assures me of your interest, your caring, your love, your understanding,

your desire to help me, help them, help themselves. actress Sicily Tyson has recently turned from a fact-finding mission to the Ivory Coast and Chad in Central Africa in a role as the 1985-86 National Chairperson of the United Nations Children's Fund. UNICEF funds a number of humanitarian programs, such as water, inoculations, and food distribution projects. Since its inception in 1950, UNICEF have raised more than $80 million for the fund to help pay for emergency relief efforts. UNICEF now operates at 117 countries. Miss Tyson's recently turned from one of what will be several trips to drought-stricken Central African nations. The two assured that UNICEF goals are sincere and gave her more than a glimmer of hope. I asked Miss Tyson on a recent visit to the University of Texas how she felt about being named National Chairperson for UNICEF.

When I received the telephone call, I was somewhat stunned because I did not expect it. But when I was able to regain my composure, my stipulation was that I not just dressed stationary or fly around being photographed with notables. I wanted to function in a real capacity. And I was asked, do you mean you want to work? I said of course. How else can I help if I'm not working? And so, I was sent to Africa on a fact-finding mission for UNICEF. That was my first assignment. And I don't know if I lived to be 110 years old as Jane Pittman did, that I will ever have a kind of experience that I had during my visit to Africa. But I'll tell you something, there's nothing despite the fact that I was briefed by UNICEF, the US Committee for UNICEF.

I certainly read enough, I researched enough, I was aware of the media blitz was regard to the situation that exists in Africa. And I thought that I was prepared what I went there, and I was totally devastated by what I saw. I can't tell you what it's like to be there, to be in the midst of it all, to smell it, to feel it, to see it, to taste it, to hear the cries of children. With a flesh hanging from their bones, and that look in their eyes, the total lack of understanding, the innocence of it all, the grief of the mothers burying their children, the pain of it all.

I can't tell you what it's like. And so for me to stand here, or go anywhere, and say to you, that despite it all, I left with more than just a glimmer of hope. And the hope is in the people. I was able, because of UNICEF, to visit a number of the projects that are funded in part, or in whole, by UNICEF. And I might add that it is a monumental problem. It is a problem that no one entity can solve. It needs the help of all of the other organizations. I do get a little concerned about the possibility of the feeling of competition between the organizations. There's no room for that.

The goal is the same. The goal is to save lives, especially lives of children, innocent children, who did not ask to be brought here, but are here on our account. The goal is the same. And though we may take different roads towards that goal, ultimately, that's what is important. Not who gave what? It doesn't matter. What's important is that it was given, and that in some way, down the line, will save a life. There are a number of projects, as I said, that are funded by UNICEF in part, or in whole, that I was able to visit. Projects that deal with emergency relief, social services for children.

Projects that deal with education, formal and non-form, and believe me, education is the output of word. It is impossible to conceive of the ignorance that exists. If a mother does not know that she cannot bathe in water, and then give it to her child to drink, that's ignorance. Because ultimately, what comes of that is diseased bodies and or death. If she doesn't know that when she begins to wean her child, that she has to have some way of supplementary feeding, and if she doesn't, that is the beginning of a malnourishment. If she does not know how to go about stopping dehydration in her children, which has been the highest claim of lives in the African countries, that's ignorance.

And so, in my estimation, education is primary, and I had the good fortune to visit a number of projects, classes that deal with education, hygiene, sanitation. Chad, which is one of the countries that I visited, is twice the size of France. There are two hospitals there, manned by about six doctors and servicing thousands of people every day. Mothers bring their children, some of them walking 30 miles to get to a hospital, which is jammed to capacity inside and outside.

And sometimes, they never get attention, and have to go back home and return the following day. There are classes that teach mothers how to deal with a minor illnesses. So that, if in fact, a child is running a temperature, and they don't have Tylenol aspirin, or anything as handy as that, and what she has to do is find a piece of rag, and you think that that's easy, some piece of rag. And water, cold water, dip it in water, and cover the child in order to bring down the temperature. Otherwise, she has to walk many, many, many miles to a hospital.

And sometimes, she arrives at the hospital for the dead child in her arms. UNICEF is the oldest volunteer program in this country. Three million people participate in the program each year. UNICEF does not enter a country without being invited by the country's government. Missing someone's ass, what can we do as citizens of this country to help the organization in its efforts? I'm here representing UNICEF, and I didn't know how many of you are aware of the fact that it was started by children. 35 years ago, a group of Sunday school children decided to raise money to help children that are needy throughout the world. And they raised every bit of $17. Since then, upwards of $80 million has been raised by UNICEF to help children, needy children throughout the world.

UNICEF services 117 countries. For those of you who feel, and I imagine that you have some real reason for this, because there have been a number of conflicting statements with regard to funds that have been raised over the last few years by a number of organizations, USA for Africa, eight, oh, so many of them. And there have been stories with regard to what is happening with the money, where is it going, what's happening with the supplies that are sent, their stories that they're in the docks and they're rocking and there's lack of transportation. I did not see any of that. That is not to say that it did not occur, or it does not exist. I did not see any of it.

I want the opinion that it is and it was possible. I feel that way because I think that the people of Africa who have been suffering so long, because this really didn't start yesterday or last year or the year before, drought is indigenous to African countries. What really was appalling to me is the fact that these people have never been educated in terms of how to preserve food. What stock supplies so that when the drought did come, there was some way of surviving. I do believe that when the response of people all over the world came that they were totally unprepared for it. Disorganized, not knowing what to do with the wealth of love that came pouring through contributions into the country.

The mechanism wasn't working. They hadn't gotten it together. Well, when I was there, it was together. I must say that UNICEF has been in various countries all over the world for the past 35 years, so we in fact were really ahead of the game. These other organizations just found it had difficulty either working with the government or independently. And so the machine was not an operation. Well, it is working. I saw it working. And I don't know how many of you watched the news this morning and saw the difference in the state of Ethiopia due to contributions. So it is making a difference. Don't let that kind of information deter you. It is yourself that you have to live with. And don't feel that you cannot help in any way.

I heard a story yesterday from Mother Theresa, who talked about going to visit Ethiopia. And when she told the children of South America that she was going to visit the poor children of Ethiopia, many of them brought whatever it was that they had to offer, whatever coins they had, clothing, whatever it was. And then there was one little boy who said, I don't have anything. I don't have nothing. I don't have money. I don't have toast. I don't have nothing to give. But I have this piece of chocolate. Take this and give it to them. And what she said was, this child gave love because I am sure she said that that was the first time he ever had a piece of chocolate and that he never even tasted it, but that he was willing to give. Don't do everything. Do something. Everything never gets done. But if you do something, some one thing, just know that there is a project going in throughout Europe, especially in Africa at this point,

because that is receiving a lot of priority from UNICEF. There's a program called Orte. It's Oral Rehydration Therapy. Thousands and thousands of children have died as a result of dehydration caused by diarrhea. There is a substance in a packet consisting of salt, a little starch, a little sugar, which you drop into some water. And this could save a child's life. It is ten cents a packet, and I don't know what you can buy in this country for ten cents today. Twenty-five cents will feed a hungry child for an entire day. One dollar will immunize a child against diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough. Five dollars will inoculate a child against every child for disease. Fifty dollars will buy enough blankets for any children's center in any village. And so when you think that it's overwhelming, and in fact it is overwhelming, when you think of the magnitude of it all,

it's so easy. Just think when you wake up in the morning and you look at the house, especially if you've had a party the night before, and you look at the mess that's left. And you say, oh my God, what am I going to do? How am I going to clean up this place? And you look at it all and you turn around and walk. You open the door and you walk out and you leave it all. But if you just tackle the bed, and you move from that, and you put the dishes in the dishwasher, you clean up the table. Gradually, it'll all be done. If each one of you chose one thing to do, just think. Just think what you will do for so many. We are so fortunate. We live in a country that never has known the devastation of war or any major, major tragedy caused by nature.

We are so blessed. We should consider it a privilege to continue to give. The world is this small, and Africa is right in our backyard there, but for the grace of God, go any one of us. I want to instill in you how important it is for those of you who have been contributing to continue. We cannot do enough. We cannot give enough. And the gratification should just come from the giving and the knowing that somewhere on this universe, I have saved the life of some one child that should be enough. Those of you who have time to volunteer, your services, your energy.

Call UNICEF. And if UNICEF is the one, there are hundreds of others. But make sure it's a valid one. And give your time. The volunteers that I met in Africa, they are the unsung heroes and heroines. They are giving of themselves to a cause totally dedicated. They are living the lives of those people, and they don't really have to do it. They could go home and live in luxury, but they are dedicated to the cause of safety, human lives. Ms. Tyson also voiced concern about the possibility of competition among leaf organizations. She also stated that many organizations are planning their effort programs for the long term.

Am I concerned that there will be a burnout? Oddly enough, I am not concerned that there will be a burnout, because as I stand here, I can almost say that I'm sure there will not be. And the reason I feel that way is because I see many organizations planning long-term goals that have not to do with the immediacy of the problem. But the fact that the hope that it will never ever happen again on this universe, and that can only come from long-term planning, it is my opinion that you do not give a loaf of bread, but you teach them how to make the bread. And that is what will sustain them. So I don't think there will be a burnout, because I see the planning, and I've heard the planning, no later than this morning.

And I'm an avid watcher of the news, because I want to know what's going on. And I heard on the news this morning, there was an interview of some people associated with USA for Africa. And when asked the same question, the answer was, we can give fast, or we can give long. And the idea is to give long. And that's what they're working on. Approximately 40,000 African children die every day from starvation and lack of medical attention in the country. Ms. Tyson went on to say that an enormous amount of ignorance about sanitation and health care exists in Africa. I never thought that I would listen. But they have started training teenagers.

And there is a whole process that goes back to the midwife, who is an older woman, who will take under her wings. She is trained by a doctor in the process of birthing. And she will take under her wings two teenagers, and she will train them. And that is not only in birthing, it's in health care, it's in nutrition, it's in sanitary conditions. It's in every area that's basic to healthy living. It's going on throughout Africa. And I tell you something, if I do not see hope there, I would not be here. And that's what I found most encouraging. They have children's center with children from the ages of three that they are teaching, hygiene, nutrition.

Everything that deals with basic life are being taught. Starting with the children from the age of three, I was so thrilled to see them functioning. They have utensils that are made out of clay, fashioned after the utensils that their mother used. And they are taught how to utilize these. And they are taught the differences in food. One of the biggest kicks I got was to walk into a class of women who are being taught nutrition. And they had all types of vegetables there. One of each type of vegetable, that was available. And it was suggested that I tell them what each vegetable was in English. And they would tell me what each vegetable was in their dialect. And I thought, if I tell them that this is a carrot, they'll never be able to understand or say it. I thought it's so far into them. Well, I want to tell you something. They told me what a carrot was in their dialect. I have yet to be able to say it. And I said, this is a carrot. And they said, this is a carrot. Well, I'll tell you.

At the eagerness to know, it's all there. You have to understand that they are not biggest. There is such pride and dignity in these people. And their willingness to share whatever they have and they have not believed me. We had a tree planting day in Chad where thousands of them came out to plant a tree. And there was a man who was about 79 or 80 standing off to the side. And he kept examining the logo that was on the station wagon. And it was a unicef logo. And after he examined it for about 15 minutes, he approached us and brought along an interpreter. And he wanted to understand what that meant. And he inferred that he had seen it before. And when questioned, it turned out that he had seen it on a helicopter that had dropped into his village some months before, doling out grain and seeds for planting.

And when they were finished in gratitude, he offered them a goat. And they told them that, of course, they couldn't take it because they were in the helicopter. And when he recognized that it was the same logo and that we conceivably were the same people, he disappeared for about 20 minutes or so. And when he came back, he came back with a pale of goat's milk that he had gotten from his goat and presented it to us. And this is from a people who have nothing. Actress Sicily Tyson, the 1985-86 National Unicef Day Chairperson. If you have a comment or would like to purchase a cassette capitalist program, write us. The address is in Black America, Longhorn Radio Network, UT Austin, Austin, Texas, 787-12. For in Black America's technical producer, Cliff Hargrove, I'm John Hanson. Join us next week.

You've been listening to In Black America, Reflections of the Black Experience in American Society. In Black America is produced and distributed by the Center for Telecommunication Services at UT Austin, and does not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Texas at Austin or this station. This is The Longhorn Radio Network.