Vinícius Junior has been appointed as UNESCO’s Goodwill Ambassador for Education for All. The event took place at Real Madrid players’ training facilities.
During her visit, UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay presented the 23-year-old winger with a letter of appointment. She did this to honour his great achievement on the field and his unshakable commitment to promoting equitable educational opportunities in Brazil.
Vinius Junior: I want to be remembered as both a brilliant athlete and a good person who wants to make a difference.
Ms. Azoulay described the regular for the Brazilian national team as “not only a great football player but also a passionate advocate for equal access to education in Brazil.”
Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid has been appointed as a goodwill ambassador by Unesco | The Straits Times
Following Pelé, this is the second time in UNESCO history that a Brazilian football player has been chosen a Goodwill Ambassador.
“For a whole generation,” a role model
Vinícius Junior thanked the person for the honour and said that it was both a great accomplishment and a task that would last a lifetime.
“I’d like to be known as both a great player and a good citizen who wants to make a difference.” “I became dedicated to education when I was 19 years old, and with UNESCO’s help, we hope to make the world a better place through my Institute,” he said.
He started the Instituto Viní.Jr. in 2021 to help poor Brazilian kids and teens get back into school.
The centre uses the ideals of sports to encourage kids from all walks of life to go to school.
To help UNESCO reach its goal of promoting education for all, Vinícius Junior will be very important in giving talks at international conferences, interacting with Member States and the public, and backing UNESCO’s worldwide education projects.
According to UNESCO, about 250 million children and teens do not have access to schooling. This number has gone up by 6 million since 2021.
Also, by the age of ten, seven out of ten children are unable to read and comprehend a simple paragraph. This demonstrates the need of combating social injustice, which is a leading factor of children dropping out of school and failing to learn.
