9-year-old student donates money to UN to aid Darfur victims

A nine-year-old local student has presented a money order for $128 to the United Nations relief effort in Darfur after touring the world Organization’s Headquarters in New York.

“My name is Junius O. Williams,” the youngster wrote on Friday in a letter addressed to Secretary-General Kofi Annan detailing his contribution and asking that it be used “for clothing.”

UN officials supporting the guided tours were moved by the gesture. “This kind of thing really heartens us – it makes our day and gives meaning to our work,” said

Dawn A. Johnston-Britton, Chief of the Public Inquiries Unit. She said the tour guide who met Junius, Ulrika Nilsson, was similarly impressed by his sincerity.

The standard procedure in all cases where funds are contributed by individuals is to immediately allocate them to the appropriate channel in accordance with the donor’s wishes.

The donation from Junius, a student at St. Philips Academy from Newark, New Jersey, was made in line with recommendations in a fact sheet put out by the Public Inquiries Unit describing what people can do – from volunteering to contributing funds – in support of UN aims.

In that fact sheet, a message from Secretary-General Kofi Annan addresses children like Junius. “It was said of Eleanor Roosevelt many years ago: ‘She would rather light a candle than curse the darkness.’ One day, I hope, the same will be said about you.”

A spokesman for Mr. Annan said Junius is indeed the kind of person who is lighting the way.