Save the Children's Newest Artist Ambassador Visits Child Sponsorship Programs in Mozambique

Joely Fisher visited children in Xai-Xai, Mozambique to promote child sponsorship.

Westport, Conn. (September 8, 2008) — Actress Joely Fisher, star of Fox Television's popular comedy 'Til Death, is Save the Children's newest Artist Ambassador. Ms. Fisher recently returned from an eight-day visit to the town of Xai-Xai, Mozambique where she spent time visiting the children in the humanitarian agency's child sponsorship programs, and helping to bring their stories to life on a series of programs set to air this October.

Save the Children's projects in Mozambique provide solutions to community problems including access to education, clean, safe water, food security and HIV/AIDS prevention and training.

Sponsorship support enables Save the Children to work with a child's family and other members of the community to develop the entire community's ability to take care of itself. A sponsor's involvement may be the encouragement a struggling girl or boy needs to make it through another day.

Mozambique, one of the fourteen priority countries targeted by the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, struggles to provide for the tens of thousands of orphans the disease has left in its wake. Amid scenes of intense poverty, Fisher experienced first-hand the transforming work made possible by the strong, lasting partnerships between Save the Children and community leaders and families.

Daughter of actress Connie Stevens and singer Eddie Fisher, Joely Fisher is no stranger to the stage. Sleeping in orchestra pits as a child during her parents' rehearsals no doubt helped to foster an early passion for singing and performing. She loves making the audience laugh in her role as the quick-witted "Joy Stark" in 'Til Death, which will have its third season premiere on September 10th.

But the compassionate mother of two young children also believed it was important to show television viewers the more serious realities of the thousands of children living on the edge of survival, and the proven solutions that can make lasting change in their lives.

"It's hard for me to imagine my children living like this and it hurts to see what these children go through every day," said Ms. Fisher. "What they go through every night, when they come home, by themselves… when they wake up in the middle of the night, by themselves… when they wake up in the morning and wonder where their next meal is going to come from. We cannot allow this to continue, and it is within our means to change it."

For more about Fisher's trip log onto her video blog on the 'Til Death page of Fancast.com, a division of Comcast.

See other celebrity Artist Ambassadors for Save the Children.

Learn more about how Child Sponsorship works.

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