Life Skills Programs Encourage Youth Engagement in Cambodia
UNICEF Cambodia's popular peer-led programs encourage young people to get involved in the issues that matter most to them.
UNICEF-supported programs offer Cambodia's next generation an on-ramp to civic engagement
Early one recent morning, a couple dozen young people gathered in the shade in Keo Por commune in Siem Reap, Cambodia. They sat cross-legged on a mat, fully engaged in the day’s awareness-raising session on protection from online abuse and exploitation. Despite the heavy topic, the session remained lively, with presentations delivered between activities that got the group on their feet and working with one another.
The key to this successful session? The young leaders facilitating the session.
The six youth facilitators were all part of the UNICEF-supported Adolescent and Youth Reference Group (AYRG), which trains young people to engage their peers on issues impacting their daily lives, like preventing violence, child marriage and the negative impacts of climate change. In Keo Por, all six facilitators had been with the program since 2019, deeply dedicated and inspired by their work. The AYRG boasts 841 members across 15 provinces, reaching over 100,000 young people through their outreach efforts.
The AYRG’s positive influence on young people doesn’t end with their engaging sessions. Some also work directly with leadership in their communes. Similar to city councils or town halls here in the U.S., commune leaders offer essential services to their residents and decide which services to prioritize in their budgets. UNICEF has partnered with the Ministry of the Interior to train commune leaders on ways to meaningfully engage young people and to select youth representatives to participate in commune decision-making. This offers a powerful outlet for young people to ensure their voices are reflected in the governmental decisions that impact their daily lives.
Climate change, violence prevention and mental health are key priorities
The AYRG represents just one of many adolescent development and participation programs from UNICEF Cambodia. Forty-six percent of the population is under the age of 24, so UNICEF’s programs must consider the immense opportunities and challenges youth face in the country. Priorities include building adolescent participation in sub-national planning, supporting youth-led action on climate change and mental health, and building life skills.
Equipping young people with confidence, useful information and practical, real-life skills
UNICEF’s life skills efforts were on display at the Rolous Lower Secondary School just outside Siem Reap during a recent visit. Students there shared presentations on how they have benefitted from life skills lessons and extracurricular activities. A couple of girls described their experience with the Youth Solar program, which provides adolescent girls with information on solar energy and helps them develop skills to eventually install and maintain solar panels in their communities. Others shared about their experience in the Skills4Girls and other STEM programs. Students proudly showed off some of their recent creations, including fans powered by electric circuits they built.
Together, this collection of programs reflect UNICEF’s commitment to meet the diverse needs of adolescents across Cambodia. With skills, confidence and outlets for youth-led action, UNICEF helps young people influence their communities positively and create promising futures for themselves and their families.
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