UNICEF East Asia and Pacific

In Cambodia, many primary students struggle with foundational literacy—45% of Grade 6 students (aged 11–12) can’t read at a basic level. Phatreaksa, only five years old and just starting Grade 1, now is basically a reading superstar – she confidently reads aloud, creates her own sentences, and shares them with her classmates. Strong early-grade literacy builds confidence, future skills and opportunity. Thanks to UNICEF-supported Early Grade Learning program—structured lessons, interactive materials and teacher training—students are learning to read, learning to love reading, and schools are buzzing with energy. The best part? In just one year, reading fluency almost doubled for Grades 2 and 3. European Union Sida Global Partnership for Education UNICEF Cambodia Mitsue Uemura Linda Jonsson Hadrien Bonnaud

CHERY has renewed its US$6M partnership with UNICEF to champion global education. Over the next 3 years, we will help many more children access quality learning in Mexico, Türkiye, South Africa, China, Viet Nam, and Indonesia. Thank you, Chery, for #PoweringEveryChildsLearningJourney 👉 More: https://lnkd.in/d6K_VFHe  UNICEF China UNICEF UNICEF Viet Nam UNICEF Indonesia Juan Ignacio Calvo Ann Putnam Marks Maria Margarita Uy Baula Manuel Pinzon Myo-Zin Nyunt June Kunugi

In the mountains of Aileu, Timor-Leste, a school garden is doing more than growing vegetables—it’s growing life skills, confidence, and community resilience. 🌱 Students at EBF Madabeno, with support from UNICEF and partners, are learning and practicing permaculture gardening, an environmentally friendly and sustainable way of growing vegetables that children can easily adapt to. The harvest feeds the school lunch program (merenda eskolar), reducing costs while providing fresh, organic, healthy meals. Thanks to these efforts, children are planting confidence, responsibility, and future-ready skills. And their parents? Inspired by their little climate superheroes, they’re adopting new gardening techniques, improving household nutrition, and strengthening their connection to the environment. Warning: Reading this may cause sudden urges to start your own school or home garden. Check the link in the comments… at your own discretion. 💚 Julio Talimeta UNICEF Timor-Leste Tapuwa Loreen Mutseyekwa

At just 20, Lương Thị Bạch Dương is turning her childhood struggles into solutions for her community in Viet Nam. Through UPSHIFT 2025, UNICEF’s social innovation program with AIESEC, her team Seeds of Hope is working to revive traditional Khmer crafts to generate jobs for women, elders, and people with disabilities. The goal is to help families gain stability, so that children have the chance to stay in school and thrive. But for Dương, the real win is not just the project: it’s discovering her voice, her confidence, and her role as a changemaker. This is where cross-sector collaboration matters: when business, government and civil society align, young innovators like Dương can scale solutions that strengthen community resilience. UNICEF Viet Nam Raweekarn (Paopao) Amarachgul Mirjana Unčanin Ticiana Garcia-Tapia

When girls are empowered, they lead the way—especially in times of crisis. In East Asia and the Pacific, girls on the frontlines of climate crises are turning challenges into solutions that strengthen communities.    #UNICEFInternationalCouncil member Hannah Nguyen champions this vision, supporting programmes that equip girls to make decisions about their lives and fulfil their potential.    UNICEF Viet Nam Ticiana Garcia-Tapia Mirjana Unčanin Raweekarn (Paopao) Amarachgul Shreyasi Jha Maria Margarita Uy Baula Juan Ignacio Calvo Filippo Oggioni Carla Haddad Mardini Ann Putnam Marks Mera Boulus Grozier Van Thi Minh Hien UNICEF

1 of 7 adolescents (aged 10–19) live with a mental disorder—yet governments allocate just 2% of health budgets to mental health worldwide. These are young lives affected silently, every day. For businesses, investors, and partners, this isn’t just a social issue—it’s an economic one. Every child and young person supported today builds a resilient community, a stronger workforce, and a healthier future. UNICEF is calling for:  ▪️ Greater investment in mental health programs for children and adolescents  ▪️ Cross-sector collaboration to scale solutions  ▪️ Innovative approaches to leave no child behind #OnMyMind  Ruth O'Connell Myo-Zin Nyunt June Kunugi UNICEF