Posh Spice Saves the Children

Just because Victoria Beckham (aka "Posh Spice") is mostly photographed looking sour and dour, it doesn't mean she's incapable of doing something charitable and putting a smile on someone else's face. Last week, she and her 10-year-old son, Brooklyn, visited Kentucky as ambassadors of the Save the Children program. It gave the uber-rich pop-singing wife of pro-soccer champ, David Beckham, and their son an eye-opening view of what poverty is like for children in America.

"What I saw in Clay Country was the hope and promise inherent in every child. That's why we have to make sure every single child has a fair and equal start in life," said Beckham in a statement. "Seeing Save the Children's innovative program in action, I know that we can begin to reverse the childhood poverty crisis. I'm pleased Brooklyn is learning that, by helping and joining other children, he can play a role in making his generation the greatest yet."

According to Save the Children, Clay County has a childhood poverty rate of 47.8 percent and a median household income of $19,728 and is one of the six poorest countries in the US. One in six children in America live in poverty, a figure that jumps to one in five in rural areas.

The Beckhams accompanied Save the Children early childhood development experts on home visits, providing literacy and nutrition tools to parents. Joined by Mark Shriver, managing director of Save the Children, they got a chance to check out the programs in action.

At Manchester Elementary School in Manchester, they participated in an after-school program and conducted a soccer lesson with children. Later, the kids were given shoes and backpacks provided by Adidas. At Big Creek Elementary School in Oneida, they participated in a book bag exchange, where toddler-age children are provided tote bags filled with books. They also read Brooklyn's favorite book, Duck in the Truck, to a group of toddlers.

Shriver was most impressed by how this will benefit the Beckham offspring: "Instilling in Brooklyn the value of generational responsibility, she knows that a better sense of unity among children will make a future America and global community even greater."

Photo courtesy of CHRIS, via Wikimedia Commons