A group of Procter & Gamble employees have been selected to take part in its first sabbatical programme working with Unicef in developing nations.

In the three-month expenses-paid initiative, five staff will head to Unicef offices in Cameroon, Macedonia and Mauritania this spring. They will work on local projects focused on women and children's health and nutrition, water and sanitation, quality basic education and protection from violence, exploitation and Aids.

The programme ties in with P&G's on-pack campaign for Pampers, which provides Unicef with one vaccine for every pack of nappies purchased. "The experience will be a great opportunity for the volunteers to make a difference and reach their personal goals," said Austin Lally, VP of baby care for Western Europe. "When they return, I'm sure they will bring back new skills and experience to help drive the business and purpose of P&G."

A number of Unicef assignments will open up for P&G volunteers each year, with the charity benefiting from expertise in areas such as communications, promotion, leadership training and supply chain management.

The five volunteers are from across P&G's Western Europe businesses. They include Briton Edwina Thomas, who is the brand manager for Pampers in P&G's babycare business unit in Geneva.