World Children’s Day gets youth talking about mental health
For World Children’s Day in Kratie, UNICEF gave children and young people a platform to speak up about their mental health by asking what makes them feel better when they’re down
18 November 2023, Kratie – “When I cry really hard, I let all the sadness and the anger out,” said 16-year-old Keat Sivchou when she was asked what makes her feel better when she’s down. “Then I feel like I can do anything.”
For World Children’s Day 2023, UNICEF gave children and youth a platform to speak up about their mental health. Visitors to the UNICEF Village in Kratie province, part of the BonnPhum on the Move Unites for World Children’s Day event, were asked to write down what they do to cheer themselves up and tie their message under the #IFeelBetterWhen tree for others to read and get inspired.
“I wrote this down because I want to show others who pass by that they are not the only ones who cry when they feel down,” added Sivchou.
Some said reading or exercising helps them feel better. Others said the smiles of their friends and family. 16-year-old Van Srey Phon said going to the playground always puts her in a better mood.
The three-day celebration for World Children’s Day 2023 brought together children, young people, local authorities, artists, civil society organizations, and development partners to amplify the voices of children and youth as advocates for their own rights. More than 200 volunteers were given the chance to co-organize the event, speak up about issues that matter to them, and encourage their communities to take action.
At Phum UNICEF, young volunteers ran workshops and games related to topics impacting children in Cambodia today, from mental health and nutrition to life skills and the environment. Over 10,000 people, mostly children and young people, visited Phum UNICEF over the weekend.
Bopha*, one of 20 Phum UNICEF volunteers, said the #IFeelBetterWhen activity gives a voice to those who would otherwise struggle to speak up.
“This #IFeelBetterWhen tree is good for those who have things on their mind but don’t have a trusted person to talk to,” she said. “They can write it down here anonymously and hang it under the tree. They might feel better when they can finally say what is on their mind.”
The activity builds on UNICEF’s online campaign #IFeelBetterWhen, which was launched in 2022 to respond to Cambodia’s growing mental health crisis by breaking the silence surrounding mental health issues, combating stigma, and empowering communities with a better understanding of and ability to speak about mental health. Funded by USAID, the campaign reached 1.4 million young people and adolescents with online guidance about how to cope with anxiety and seek support.
Like many countries worldwide, in Cambodia the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated an existing mental health crisis already facing young people around the world. Approximately half a million people in Cambodia are affected by depressive disorders or anxiety, which are major contributors to suicide, and around 58 per cent of secondary school students reported experiencing at least one mental health issue following the prolonged COVID-19 school closures.
Facing an uncertain future because of a climate crisis handed to them by previous generations, children and youth in Cambodia today are being confronted by unprecedented challenges that can make them feel helpless or desperate.
Bopha believes that World Children’s Day is a chance for young people to learn more about their rights and what they can do to take action themselves, but also how to demand action from those who have the power to build a better future.
“We have to celebrate World Children’s Day because it helps raise awareness among adults and parents about the importance of cleaning the environment so that children will have good health and become good people in society.”
Fellow volunteer, Thyda*, says that being able to take action for your community starts with having good mental health yourself.
“I hope to learn more about mental health and how to take good care of myself,” she said. “Because if I don’t have good mental health, I cannot help others. I want to act now, so I can help those who are struggling.”
*UNICEF Cambodia engaged vulnerable young people in Kratie province to be volunteers for the World Children’s Day event. Their names have been changed to protect their identity.
