Photographs taken by African children for UNICEF's 'Eye See' project

As part of global celebrations for the Day of the African Child on Thursday 16th June, UNICEF and Sony Europe have unveiled photographs from the sixth EYE SEE initiative, an annual workshop that gives vulnerable African children the opportunity to learn about photography and tell their stories through images. The 2011 EYE SEE workshop was held from 13th to 17th April this year in Bamako, the capital of Mali. The following photographs capture life in the city, as seen through the eyes of a group of twenty boys and girls aged 10-18yrs.

KINfolk receives donation of laptop computers for children at A.I. ...

More than ten years ago, KINfolk began as one laptop, one internet connection, and one patient at Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children. Since those humble beginnings, the nonprofit organization, which is headquartered at duPont Hospital for Children, has provided laptop computers and internet access to more than 6000 children each year whose lives have been disrupted by disease and injury at 17 hospitals across the United States.

Earlier this spring, KINfolk Executive Director Melinda McGuigan presented 40 new laptops to Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children. This was made possible by a generous donation KINfolk recently received from the Chichester duPont Foundation, allowing them to purchase $30,000 worth of new equipment.

For a hospitalized child, sometimes far from home, communication literally becomes a lifeline. These new laptops are Skype-capable and have built-in DVD players, allowing patients a great way to connect with family and friends as well as providing a wide variety of entertainment options. "Kids who are not bored, who are distracted from pain, and who can stay in touch with their support network are much happier patients," explained McGuigan. "We had one little girl literally light up when she found she could ‘Skype' her dog!"

Among the speakers at the event was Tim Larson, a young father from Watertown, S.D., whose infant son, Chase, came to Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children for a liver transplant. For a time, their three-year-old son remained back home. Being able to use the KINfolk laptop to Skype their son made all the difference in the world. "Having that connection to him back in South Dakota, every night we would talk and we'd see him play...it just brought that smile back to our heart and gave us the energy we needed out here to keep carrying on," said Larson.

To demonstrate, during the event, Larson Skyped his wife and son, now with them in Delaware, who are staying at the Ronald McDonald House of Delaware while Chase recuperates. "Tim's eloquent remarks and his family's Skype demonstration was the perfect illustration of the impact that these laptops will have on the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children community," added McGuigan. "KINfolk is honored to play a supporting role.

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