UNICEF launches Generation Future 2022, with new wave of inspiring young people determined to make a positive social impact

Phnom Penh, June 2, 2022 - To mark Cambodia’s Children’s Day, UNICEF has unveiled the 15 successful new candidates for its Generation Future 2022 initiative, after a successful pilot in 2021. Generation Future was created to support talented young Cambodians with ideas for positive social change by matching them with the mentors, training, networking, and opportunities to help them turn those ideas into realities.

The successful candidates for Generation Future 2022 were announced at a special kickstarter event, with guest appearances by partners from the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation (MoSVY), the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MeEYS), and the British Embassy in Cambodia.

“I believe UNICEF’s Generation Future initiative can help me build skills to mobilise communities, provide football training and put together female football teams,” said Hak Sreypov, 20. Her project, Girl Football Kick, will aim to engage more young women to play football, helping them develop confidence, teamwork and other life skills, while improving their health. “Through UNICEF and Generation Future, I want to learn how to give back to society what I have learned.”

A highlight of the event was the announcement by H.E. Samheng Boros, Secretary of State at MoSVY, and H.E. Tina Redshaw, British Ambassador, that they would be Generation Future mentors in 2022.

“Being here today, I can feel that Cambodia has so much potential. You are the potential.” said H.E. Samheng Boros, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth, speaking at the event. “I always hope to help our people change to become better and create a better society. That’s why I’m pledging right now to be a mentor for this year’s Generation Future. Be the best leaders you can be and inspire others to do the same!”

In 2021, 12 individual social good projects were developed and have continued into this year, including a mental health campaign on TikTok which generated more than a hundred thousand views, a popular song and music video addressing climate change, and an innovative initiative which protected the environment while increasing the income of women from minority backgrounds.

For Generation Future 2022, UNICEF Cambodia is aiming to scale up the initiative, with a greater focus on strengthening youth civic engagement. This year’s programme will see 15 young people matched with 15 mentors, all working together to engage at least 5,000 young people as supporters or volunteers for their projects. This expanded impact will be made possible by increased collaboration with outside organisations and greater utilisation of UNICEF’s existing youth partnerships. These include Local Life Skills (LLS), a programme run by the Ministry of Education and UNICEF to reach 50 schools and 2,000 students, the Adolescent and Youth Reference Group (AYRG), a network comprising 300 organisations which reach 100,000 young people, and Child Rights Coalition Cambodia.

“I highly appreciate the efforts of UNICEF in improving the capacity of Cambodian youths through various programs and now Generation Future,” said Sroy Socheat, head of the Directorate General of Youth at the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports. “The priority of the Ministry of Education, particularly the Directorate General of Youth, is to promote and develop 21st century skills among Cambodian youth, the main driving force of future socio-economic development.” Speaking directly to the young people present, she said: “There are millions of youth in Cambodia, so why have you been selected? Because you are the most outstanding among the applicants. So make the most of this opportunity!”

The young people chosen for Generation Future come from across Cambodia and are planning to mobilise their communities in order to create meaningful change with their projects. They range from a Phnom Penh based project which will improve digital literacy through tech conferences and hackathons, to a project designed to mobilise young people in rural communities in the movement to tackle climate change.

“You are all here at the beginning of a great journey, and I want to say well done,” said H.E. Tina Redshaw, British Ambassador in Cambodia. “I decided to be part of this venture because I went along to an event exploring last year’s Generation Future projects and I was truly inspired by all the work, the people reached and the social impact made. So please keep your energy up, and you will give us energy too.”

Although the new projects are very varied, the priority areas are the environment, education and healthy living, including good mental health. There will be six months of activities designed to support the young people in developing their projects, leading to a launch in November 2022.

“The world’s 1.2 billion adolescents are a crucial resource for innovative change towards a more equal and sustainable world, and this is particularly true in a country as demographically young as Cambodia,” said Foroogh Foyouzat, UNICEF’s Representative in Cambodia. “Throughout history, civically engaged adolescents have proven to be a powerful force for change, yet they still face unequal opportunities for participation and civic engagement. Last year’s Generation Future showed the huge appetite amongst Cambodia’s young people to tackle the challenges they face with vigour and creativity. This year we’ll scale the programme up so that thousands more young Cambodians will join them in working towards a better future.”

About Generation Future
Generation Future is UNICEF’s call out to young Cambodians, across the country, to transform their potential into action and achievement. It’s an invitation for young people from all backgrounds to reimagine themselves as the future of change, as innovators, entrepreneurs, socially conscious artists, and engaged communicators. Please visit here for more information about the Generation Future.