With more than 90 countries celebrating Fathers’ Day this month, the initiative invites families to post photos and videos of what it takes to be ‘super dads,’ using the hashtag #Early Moments Matter on their Instagram and Twitter accounts.
 
“As we celebrate Father’s Day, I want to encourage all fathers around the world to be part of our children’s lives, especially from an early age. Spend time with your kids, play with them, and share fun moments with them. That will help stimulate their minds as they grow older,” said Jimmy Bangura, a Sierra Leonean music and film producer who is supporting the campaign.
 
The heart-warming videos and photos of celebrity dads will be coupled with stories of super dads from across the world, including those who are doing their best to raise their children in extremely difficult circumstances.
 
One such super dad is Tamba Wainde, a 36 year-old painter in Sierra Leone, who is raising two daughters aged 3 and 5 years old. Tamba is a single parent and is doing all he can to keep his young daughters healthy, happy and safe. “I do everything for them including getting them ready for school, dropping them off at school, laundering their clothes, and helping them with their homework. I want to make sure they do well so I make time to be around them and guide them in the right path.”
 
“The earliest years of life present a critical, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to shape children’s brain development – and it’s their parents who hold the largest stake in this process,” said Pia Britto, UNICEF Chief of Early Childhood Development.
 
“The more fathers, mothers and other family members shower their babies and young children with love, play, good nutrition and protection, the better these children’s chances are of reaching optimal health, happiness and learning ability. Good parenting for young children living in highly stressful conditions like conflict or extreme poverty can even provide a buffer, helping them to fully develop despite adversity,” said Britto.
 
Good parenting in early childhood, especially during the first 1,000 days, sparks neural connections in children’s brains, laying the foundation for their future successes. Research suggests that when children positively interact with their fathers, they have better psychological health, self-esteem and life-satisfaction in the long-term.
 
The ‘Super Dads’ initiative forms part of UNICEF’s #EarlyMomentsMatter campaign, which aims to drive increased understanding of how children’s environments and experiences in early childhood can shape their future health, well-being, ability to learn, and even how much they will earn as adults.
 
All photo and video submissions to the Super Dads initiative will feature on the #Early Moments Matter gallery. UNICEF will select the most heart-warming, humorous, and imaginative photo and video submissions post them on the organization’s own digital platforms.
 
About UNICEF
UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere.