Ambassadors
National Ambassadors
Tom Hiddleston - United Kingdom
Critically acclaimed British actor Tom Hiddleston is best known for his role as Loki in the Marvel Universe, appearing in fan favourites Thor (2011), The Avengers (2012), and Thor: The Dark World (2013). Other notable appearances include Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris, Crimson Peak, Oscar nominated War Horse and hit TV series The Night Manager.
In January 2013, Tom began his journey as a UNICEF UK supporter on a trip to see UNICEF’s work in Guinea, West Africa. Meeting with Guinean children, families and communities, Tom was able to hear their stories and witness first-hand how UNICEF supports them on the ground. He visited several UNICEF projects, finding out about our work in child protection, education, water and sanitation, and hunger and malnutrition. Tom also participated in the Live Below the Line challenge in 2013, during which he lived on just £1 a day of food and drink, highlighting how little nutrients so many millions of children depend on, and how this can lead to malnutrition.
Tom has continued his dedication to UNICEF UK, becoming a UNICEF UK ambassador and visiting South Sudan in 2015 helping to support UNICEF UK’s lifesaving work to keep children safe. In South Sudan Tom met with ex child soldiers who had been recruited and forced to fight in the South Sudan civil conflict. Moved by his visit, Tom backed UNICEF UK’s campaign calling on the UK government to prioritise protecting children from violence in crises.
Kriszta D. Tóth - Hungary
Kriszta D. Tóth had been UNICEF Hungary’s National Ambassador for 3 years now. She started her career as a journalist at Budapest Sun than she turned to the world of television where she was a news presenter for years. Currently, she has her own online lifestyle portal, called www.wmn.hu where she is the editor in chief.
Also, Kriszta’s brother (a TV presenter) will also be supporting the #EmergencyLessons Campaign.
“I was 16, and having the culture shock of my life. A small town schoolgirl straight out of Hungary, a country straight out of communism. We weren’t allowed to travel much back then, so I hadn’t really been any further than 4-500 kilometers from home. That year, I won a scholarship to spend two months in a fancy private school in America. First time on an airplane, first time away from home, first time in a truly multicultural, liberal school. I was so self-conscious, so low on self-esteem, so lost, felt so much different from everyone else, I didn’t speak for two weeks. Not a word. For two entire weeks. My classmates and teachers were super surprised at the beginning, but as I always did really well on my written assignments, they sort of got used to it at left me alone. One day we were - well, they were - playing a game in class. It all went great, I was sitting behind my desk, quietly amused and having fun in my own way… Until one point when no one in class new the answer to the question. No one but me. Time was ticking and my frustration was growing. After a couple of minutes I couldn’t bear it any longer. I jumped up in front of the whole class and shouted the answer really lout: “Jesus Christ!” (This actually was the answer…) Everyone went silent for a split second. Then they all broke out in a roaring applause. I got a bona fide standing ovation, something I thought only happens in movies. That day changed everything. Bit by bit, I grew confidence, found my voice and… well, hasn’t gone quiet ever since.”
Samantha Cristoforetti - Italy
Born in Milan, Italy, on 26 April 1977, Samantha completed her secondary education at the Liceo Scientifico in Trento, Italy, in 1996 after having spent a year as an exchange student in the United States.
In 2001, she graduated from the Technische Universität Munich, Germany, with a master’s degree in mechanical engineering with specialisations in aerospace propulsion and lightweight structures. As part of her studies, she spent four months at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure de l’Aéronautique et de l’Espace in Toulouse, France, working on an experimental project in aerodynamics. She wrote her master’s thesis in solid rocket propellants during a 10-month research stay at the Mendeleev University of Chemical Technologies in Moscow, Russia.
In 2001 Samantha joined the Italian Air Force Academy in Pozzuoli, Italy, graduating in 2005. From 2005 to 2006, she was based at Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas, USA. After completing the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training, she became a fighter pilot. From 2007 to 2008, she flew the MB-339 and served in the Plan and Operations Section for the 51st Bomber Wing in Istrana, Italy.
Samantha is a Captain in the Italian Air Force. She has logged over 500 hours flying six types of military aircraft: SF-260, T-37, T-38, MB-339A, MB-339CD and AM-X.
Samantha was selected as an ESA astronaut in May 2009. She joined ESA in September 2009 and completed basic astronaut training in November 2010. In July 2012 she was assigned to an Italian Space Agency ASI mission aboard the International Space Station. She was launched on a Soyuz spacecraft from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on 23 November 2014 on the second long-duration ASI mission and the eighth long-duration mission for an ESA astronaut.
Samantha worked and lived on the International Space Station for almost 200 days as part of her Futura mission. During her mission she has been the Testimonial for a UNICEF campaign against child malnutrition #impresastraordinaria launching video messages from Space. She also joined the worldwide UNICEF campaign of #Imagine, adding her voice to the global chorus.
Samantha enjoys hiking, scuba diving, yoga, reading and travelling. Other interests include technology, nutrition and the Chinese language. She enjoys interacting with space enthusiasts on Twitter as @AstroSamantha.
Boštjan “Boki” Nachbar - Slovenia
Boštjan “Boki” Nachbar (born July 3, 1980) is a Slovenian professional basketball player for FC Barcelona. Nachbar started his professional career in the 1997. Later in the years 2002 and 2008 he played in the NBA. In 2008, Nachbar returned to Europe where he played for Dynamo Moscow, Efes Pilsen and FC Barcelona. Nachbar currently plays for Baloncesto Sevilla of the Liga ACB.
Boštjan has been always following charity goals, as he is also one of the founder of the project “Life is Basketball”. Aim of the project is to encourage mentally challenged people and their integration into the society. They decided to use basketball to prevent stigmatization and pushing aside of mentally chalenged people in the society. With this project they wish to establish a foundation to include mentally challenged people into the modern program of motor skills activities and also give them a great opportunity for expanding their social network. Basketball can be a game, but also a good learning tool and even a way of life. Feeling good can help us get over many obstacles that we face on a daily basis. During each basketball practice they create a comfortable and enjoyable atmosphere for everyone involved. They also want to help build the social network of mentally challenged people and their families, as this plays a vital role for their self confidence and quality of life.
Boštjan is also active on social media: https://twitter.com/BokiNachbar
“As the tallest kid in my class people outside school never believed my real age. Sometimes I had to pull notebooks out of my bag and show it, to prove it.
I always loved playing sports. My mother was a teacher in my school, so I had no choice but to study well and have good grades, otherwise I was not allowed to play sports with my friends after school. As a schoolboy I loved to write short stories, which I still have at home. Besides playing basketball I was also a member of the school radio staff, actor in school theatre and guitar player for a rock band. I was a very busy kid!”
Jaro Bekr - Slovakia
Jaro is a professional dancer, dancing since he was 17 years old. In 1999 he founded a dance group called SPIN, which is one of the most popular in Slovakia and was also involved in several television and film projects. Every year they perform in Slovakia’s largest music festival, POHODA. He has worked closely with UNICEF Slovakia for two years, mainly concerning local school projects, which he really enjoys because of direct interaction with kids.
His wife is a celebrity, too – the well known actor, Monika Hillmerova. Together they have two kids and enjoy helping charities.
Laura Whitmore - Ireland
Journalist Laura Whitmore, from Co. Wicklow, is an MTV presenter and famously anchored ITV2’s I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here Now show. Laura also fronted ITV2’s Brits show. She has interviewed some of the biggest names in show business, from Coldplay to Michael Caine, Justin Timberlake to Justin Bieber. She has recently been chosen to compete in the new series of BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing.
Laura is also a model and jewellery designer and has just launched her second festival-inspired collection with Daisy London.
In June of 2016, Laura traveled to Nepal on behalf of UNICEF Ireland and the EU’s emergency fund, ECHO. During her visit to the field, Laura spent time with children affected by the massive earthquake of 2015. She witnessed how hard those students are working to stay in school, despite the obstacles their country’s emergency has laid in their path.
Marie Kyriakou - Greece
Marie Kyriakou was born in Athens. She graduated from the Drama School of the Athens Conservatory. She worked in film, theater, television and radio.
Her love for children led her to writing children’s books. Marie Kyriakou has written 14 books, which have been translated into English, Chinese and Serbian and three plays for children.
The last 10 years she created and she is hosting the daily programme “WITH LOVE” on the ANT-1 TV, a show that highlights charities, associations and organisations that deal with major social problems by offering solutions and suggestions.
She has received important distinctions and awards for her work in Greece and abroad. Some of the distinctions are:
In 2008 she received the Golden European Volunteering Award at the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
In 2011 she received the Gold Medal for Humanitarian Merit from the International Organization Albert Schweitzer.
She was also honored with the Communication Award of Volunteer Values of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, as well as by the European Youth Council as a Model for young people for her social contribution and volunteer movement.
In 2015 she was awarded by the Hellenic National Committee of UNICEF for her significant contribution to the protection of children’s rights.
Youth Ambassadors
Bence Istenes - Hungary
(28 years)
Bence was born in Budapest, Hungary but he spent most of his life in Germany. He started his career at VIVA Music channel as a TV presenter & now he is working at RTL KLub, biggest TV channel in Hungary leading shows like X- Factor. He is really popular among youth with appr. 250 000 followers on Facebook.
“We wanted to be very funny with one of my friends at school, so we pitched a tent in the schoolyard, and we slept there. In the morning, when our schoolmates arrived, we visibly started to get ready: having breakfast, brushing teeth. When the teachers called to account who pitched a tent on school area, we weren’t so loud.”
Laura Trizner - Hungary
(17 years)
I’m Laura Trizner and I’m 17 years old. I live in Hungary. I’m a professional swimmer and I have been travelling with a choir around the world mainly in China and Japan.
Currently, I am the youth ambassador for UNICEF’s child friendly city campaign as well.
Jovana Kuzman - Italy
(19 years)
I was born in Niš, Serbia, in 1997. I moved to Italy when I was 2 years old. When my parents and I arrived in Italy, we lived in poverty and we were in desperate need of aid. Many organizations for refugees helped us with food and clothes. We moved to Italy just some months after the end of the conflict and I was still scared of everything. Luckily growing up in Italy, a safe place, helped me to feel better. I’ve always been interested to what concerns immigration, humanitarian aid and volunteering.
In April 2015 I was chosen by the Italian National Committee for UNICEF to attend the Junior 7 Summit in Berlin in May. Since July I am part of the United Nations Major Group on Children and Youth and in September I have attended the World Humanitarian Summit Global Youth Consultation in Doha, Qatar that was a youth-led and youth-focused global consultation to gather input from youth on humanitarian challenges and solutions. In the same month I also attended the Economic Forum of Young Leaders in Krynica, Poland which was focused on Europe and its future. I am studying Tourism at the Charles Darwin High School in Rome.
“When I was 6 years old, I was late for school and I forgot to put on my shoes. My parents didn’t realise that I had my slippers instead of shoes, so when I entered the class everyone was laughing and confused. Luckily my mom hurried at home to take my shoes!”
Nejc Oblak - Slovenia
(24 years)
I grew up in a smaller town with an older brother and we have always had a dog around the house which developed my great love of animals. A passion for music led me to start singing and playing the guitar in high school and the piano a few years later. Taking part in a few drama clubs as a young boy left in me a fondness for theatre and acting in general but apart from a few minor roles and a few commercial shoots, I have yet to achieve the full potential in this art.
Taking some time off from my arts studies, I signed on as a volunteer at UNICEF Slovenija and since then I’ve enjoyed dedicating a portion of my free time to the helping of others. Later on, I took part in a voluntary project on and organic farm “de palingbeek” in Belgium, where other volunteers from around the world and myself helped with the work alongside a larger group of locals with mental disabilities. In recent years, I have taken an active part in student politics and am currently writing my philosophy thesis. Apart from that I enjoy writing, doing sports, devouring books, currently concerning personal development, cooking and some graphic design.
“When I was about 10 years old I joined my school’s drama club. I was cast as an alien in a play and had my face painted green with about ten tiny pinching ponytails made with rubber bands. In addition to that, I had to speak ‘alien’, meaning every word was pronounced backwards which was actually a blessing in disguise, since I missed my lines completely due to stage fright but no one noticed since it was supposed to sound like complete gibberish. That was my acting career off to a bad start.
Samuel Majdek - Slovakia
(23 years)
Samuel currently lives in Bratislava, Slovakia. He studies Marketing Management at Comenius University, Bratislava. He also spent one semester in Brussels, Belgium, during his Erasmus Exchange program.
He likes new challenges and unexplored, fresh things. That’s why he is writing and blogging at REFRESHER.sk – Slovak lifestyle website for millennials.
He loves filmmaking, photography, traveling and having a good beer with his friends. His articles at Refresher.sk were viewed together 1 428 000 times to date.
James Kavanagh - Ireland
(26 years)
Recently, on Ireland’s national broadcaster, talking about UNICEF Ireland’s UReport.
James is a Snapchat superstar in Ireland. A former PR professional, he is co-founder of a start-up food company called Currabinny.
James is involved in raising awareness about autism, a recent video he shot with his cousin on the subject of Autism Awareness Month went viral, earning 398,000 shares on Facebook alone.
He regularly works to raise awareness around mental health and shares his feminist and anti-bullying views. He has also recently been involved in a TV programme getting young people to talk about healthy attitudes to sex. James reaches and influences an audience of over 20,000 people daily.
“I blare (play really loud) Disney music when I clean the house. It’s the only thing that will motivate me. Especially Ursula’s songs from The Little Mermaid.”
Maria Zoura - Greece
(15 years)
UNICEF Greece’s Youth Ambassador Maria Zoura is a UNICEF volunteer for many years and is actively involved with a web radio that supports UNICEF Greece’s actions (telemarathons, radiomarathons, big campaigns etc.). Maria ZOURA was born in Athens in 2001. She is currently attending the 3rd Grade of Junior High school in Leonteio Lykeio Neas Smyrnis (Lycée Léonin - école Maristes). She is the main administrator of the official website of the Innovative Action School Society and takes part in the broadcasts of LeonVoice Web Radio which mainly supports children’s rights as well as the actions of UNICEF.
Maria’s dream is to dream is to make people worldwide aware of children’s rights and motivate the world community to fight for them.
“Recently I played “Minnie” in the Greek production of Jessica Swale’s “Blue Stockings”. That was really an unforgettable funny experience although the play was not really funny. The funniest thing was my costume and hairdressing as you can see from the attached photos.”
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