August 13, 2009 (RALEIGH, NC) – Orphans of War author Bearta Powell of Raleigh, North Carolina, has been recognized as an Honorary Ambassador by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

Powell is a Lebanese-born writer who immigrated to the United States when she was 19 and became a naturalized citizen. Her book, published in October 2008, traces her life as a frightened, desperate child who had to find hope and courage to survive after she and her four siblings lost their parents during Lebanon’s religious and political unrest. Powell is donating a substantial portion of her book’s proceeds to SOS Children, the world's largest orphan and abandoned children's charity.

UNICEF’s Honorary Ambassadors program honors those who have “committed to improving the lives of children worldwide by supporting efforts that help ensure every child’s right to health, education, equality and protection.”

Powell chose SOS for proceeds from book sales because the charity is “helping to make a difference in the lives of children who remain in orphanages around the world,” she says, “like the one that I grew up in Lebanon.

Powell wrote Orphans of War “to share my experiences with people in the United States and the Western world,” she notes. “I wanted to remind them that their grandparents who immigrated to the United States many generations ago left behind loved ones, made sacrifices, and struggled to find a better life for themselves and their children, just as we did. While feeling like they didn't belong in either world, they all faced the challenges of leaving everything behind and starting from scratch, just as many still do every year.”

About Bearta Powell:

Bearta Powell is a Lebanese-born author who became a naturalized US citizen at 19 years old. Powell, an orphan, spent her formative years amidst war-torn Lebanon and wrote Orphans of War to chronicle her often horrific childhood experiences. Powell is a graduate of North Carolina State University where she pursued a Bachelors of Science in Business and Management. Powell is a fitness enthusiast and very active in her community. As a certified Zumba® and IFTA instructor, Powell orchestrates the largest inter-cultural fitness event in the Raleigh metro area. Her events are designed to celebrate cultural differences through a variety of fun with fitness and fun with food experiences. Orphans of War is available for purchase through book retailers and through the author’s website at www.BeartaPowell.net.

Related Links

1. http://www.beartapowell.net