ABBA and UNICEF celebrate raising $5 million for children
Royalties from the hit song Chiquitita are donated to UNICEF’s child protection work
Stockholm/Geneva, 3 April 2024 – ABBA and UNICEF are celebrating a major milestone in the funds raised through the pop group’s hit song Chiquitita. Since ABBA decided to donate royalties from the song to UNICEF in 1979, the collaboration has raised more than US$5 million for UNICEF’s work to protect children from violence.
The royalties are generated each time someone purchases the song, or streams it on Spotify, iTunes, or YouTube. Over the past four decades these royalties have helped transform the lives of thousands of children through UNICEF projects focused on protecting and rehabilitating children from violence, abuse, and exploitation.
“Chiquitita has become a beacon of hope, helping us to protect some of the most vulnerable children in the world. Working in partnership with ABBA, we are shaping a future where every child is safe, educated, and able to reach their full potential,” said UNICEF Director of Private Fundraising and Partnerships Carla Haddad Mardini.
In 2014, ABBA made the decision to direct all proceeds from Chiquitita to UNICEF’s work to protect girl’s rights in Guatemala. In a country where two children lose their lives every day due to violence, UNICEF aims to transform cultural norms and provide avenues of hope for the most vulnerable. ABBA’s contributions have enabled UNICEF to support vital child psychology and protection services, including in the indigenous Mayan communities of the Verapaz region.
In 2023 alone, ABBA’s support in Guatemala helped provide crucial assistance to 1,000 survivors of abuse in remote areas, as well as treatment and preventative support for more than 10,000 individuals.
We all have a responsibility towards our children to let them grow up in a safe, loving and peaceful environment, to let them prosper and thrive and believe in a good future!
The band members made an additional commitment in 2021, contributing royalties from the song Little Things to support UNICEF’s global efforts in protecting children, particularly in light of the heightened vulnerabilities faced by girls amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
Both songs continue to raise funds for UNICEF and are available to listen on the following platforms: iTunes, Spotify, YouTube etc.
For media enquiries, please contact:
Petter Gustafsson
Press Officer
UNICEF Sweden
Tel: +46 761 133 719
petter.gustafsson@unicef.se
Lukas Clark-Memler
Communication Specialist
UNICEF Geneva
Tel: +41 766 980 380
lclarkmemler@unicef.org
About UNICEF
UNICEF is the world’s largest children’s organization, working in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. Across 190 countries and territories, they work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone. For more information about UNICEF and its work for children, visit www.unicef.org
Follow UNICEF on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube
*UNICEF does not endorse any company, brand, product or service.
