Audrey Hepburn A-Z: U is for...

U is for...UNICEF

via gfycat

In the later years of her life, never having forgotten the tumultuousness of her early years in war-torn Arnhem, Audrey became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 1989. 

"I can testify to what UNICEF means to children, because I was among those who received food and medical relief right after World War II. I have a long-lasting gratitude and trust for what UNICEF does."

Once her application to be a Goodwill Ambassador was accepted, Audrey dove headfirst into her work and never looked back. In the video below, she speaks at the United Nations in 1989 to appeal to countries as they adopt the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. 

She gave dozens of interviews, hosted telethons in support of the cause. Appeared in television appeals, designed cards as fundraising tools, testified before the US Congress, attended fundraising banquets all over the world. Hosted galas. Gave UNICEF the spotlight that she naturally commanded. Helped countless children, and made a real impact. 

According to Christa Roth, a UNICEF Special Projects Coordinator who also worked with its Goodwill Ambassadors, "She said that if she could give her name and her fame to UNICEF in such a way that it would help our work, she wanted to do that. That was how it began." 

Her salary was small: only one dollar a year. It was the lowest-paying job she'd ever undertaken, but perhaps the most rewarding, and one to produce the most impact. Rex Harrison, her one-time co-star in My Fair Lady, said that Audrey was able and willing to help because of her childhood spent in Occupied Holland. "She understands the urgency of hunger and deprivation in a personal, immediate way." 

Audrey's image may be indelibly linked to the little black dress-wearing Holly Golightly, but her greatest legacy and impact was as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.

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What are your thoughts on Audey's second career as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador?

Come back soon for the letter V!