“I used to enjoy high school,” says Nureen Lohma, a 22-year-old from Thailand’s southern border province of Yala, “But when my family problems began, I withdrew into myself and felt less bright.”
Nureen knows first-hand about the challenges many young people in her community face. As her family problems increased, she began to miss classes, and this led to a vicious cycle: she struggled to keep up with her peers, which led to feelings of discouragement and withdrawal, which led to further poor results and increasing emotional distress. Ultimately, she felt unable to continue in school and dropped out.
At this point Nureen was at high risk of becoming a long-term NEET youth, meaning Not in Education, Employment or Training. There are currently more than 1.2 million NEET youth in Thailand, who often experience poverty, isolation, and poor mental and physical health. Findings from 2022’s Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, conducted by the National Statistics Office and UNICEF, revealed that young people in the southern border provinces are the least likely in Thailand to attend upper-secondary school: 20 per cent of students have dropped out at this stage, compared to a national average of 15 per cent.
Fortunately, Nureen had a supportive and encouraging mother who knew that services existed to support the continued education and training of young people like her daughter. Nureen enrolled at her local District Learning Encouragement Center (DLEC), where she found a more supportive and flexible learning environment.
Since enrolling, Nureen has thrived. In 2024, UNICEF Thailand and Kenan Foundation Asia launched a Promotion of Adolescent Healthy Lifestyles project through the DLEC, seeking to support young people like Nureen who face difficult situations at home as well as overlapping health challenges, from poor nutrition and mental health to limited access to youth-friendly services. Nureen signed up and it became the turning point she had been waiting for. She was recruited as a Youth Health Champion, a role designed not only to strengthen individual knowledge and skills but also to enable youth to influence their peers through leadership and outreach. Nureen has taken part in a series of training and skills-building events.
“Participating in the project has helped me develop skills in leadership, teamwork, planning, and documentation,” Nureen says. Her talents were quickly recognized by instructors and she was selected to establish the "To Be Number One: Heart Charge, Spirit Power" Club in her Yala DLEC, a core part of the Promotion of Adolescent Healthy Lifestyles project. “Managing the club has helped me learn more about mental health. I have also gained a lot of confidence. I already enjoyed reading and learning about topics like mental health and nutrition. But getting to lead real activities like helping plan workshops or speaking to new students was so much fun and helped me build so much confidence.”
Mental health issues are often taboo topics in rural communities, so Nureen drew on her own experience and advocated successfully for a safe space at her DLEC for young people to talk about their feelings, and issues like stress, anxiety, or emotional struggles. Slowly, the atmosphere at the learning center began to change. Students became more open with one another, and conversations around mental health, which had once been avoided, started to happen more freely.
UNICEF has worked actively with Kenan Foundation on the Promotion of Adolescent Healthy Lifestyles project from its inception, recognizing its potential to not only address the nutrition and health problems but also to put young people in the driving seat when it comes to creating change. This means that the project also improves confidence and mental health among young people, solving several of the interlinked challenges facing Thai youth at once.
Nureen says the changes have been significant. “My friends are more open and willing to talk. In the past, many of them thought mental health problems were something to be ashamed of. Now, they understand that if you are stressed or depressed, it is just like being physically sick, it can be treated.” Surveys have proven that these results are real: 76% of youth who participated in activities at the Yala DLEC showed improved understanding of mental health and life skills.
Nureen has always looked out for her friends, but after receiving training through the Promotion of Adolescent Healthy Lifestyles project, she feels like her skills are greatly improved. “I became more confident that I was doing the right thing. I also learned better ways to talk and listen when giving support, and what respectful, effective help really looks like. I have also noticed changes in my fellow student leaders, many of them are starting to see their own potential in helping others, whether it is by spotting warning signs or simply offering guidance.”
Looking ahead, Nureen is determined to continue supporting her peers even after she completes her studies at the DLEC. She hopes to pursue further education in community health or youth work, so she can keep creating safe spaces and promoting mental well-being among young people in her community.
“I want to help others the way this project helped me,” she said. “Even when I leave this center, I’ll carry what I’ve learned with me and keep sharing it wherever I go.”
Since the launch of Six District Learning Encouragement Centers (DLECs), more than 700 young people have attended training focused on mental health, nutrition and physical health in the southern border provinces of Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat. 85 per cent of participants reported an increased understanding of physical health, mental well-being, nutrition, and life skills, and a further 70 per cent reported that they could apply this knowledge in their daily lives.
Young people’s health will remain one of UNICEF Thailand’s most urgent priorities in the months and years ahead, as we work with partners to support young people to fulfil their potential and drive Thailand’s future progress.
