UNICEF conferred the prestigious ‘Celebrity Advocate’ status to popular film star, singer and Padma awardee Anuj Sharma for promoting the rights of children in Chhattisgarh at an event here on Saturday.
He is the first UNICEF ‘Celebrity Advocate’ from Chhattisgarh, a press release said.
Job Zachariah, Chief of UNICEF in Chhattisgarh, welcomed Anuj Sharma to the elite club of UNICEF ‘Celebrities Advocates’ with a plaque and a letter of appointment.
Other celebrity advocates in India include movie stars Madhuri Dixit, Kareena Kapoor, Sharmila Tagore and Ayushmann Khurrana.
Speaking on the occasion, Zachariah said that celebrities wield immense power to influence people and bring change in the society.
“UNICEF wants the support of Anuj Sharma to influence 10 key behaviours in family to achieve better health, nutrition, education and protection of children in the state. We laud Anuj’s support to children and women during the Covid pandemic through appeals and messages” Zachariah said in the press release.
Anuj Sharma said: “I am honoured. I strongly believe that every child deserves a better start in life, and no child should be malnourished and lose life from preventable diseases. I would lend my support to all efforts for preventing malnutrition, anemia, child deaths, child marriage, child labour and violence against children in Chhattisgarh. I applaud the efforts of the government to make the state malnutrition-free”.