Category: Education

Irene is 14 years old and in grade 7 – which in Uganda, where she lives, is unusual for girls her age. UNICEF supported programs in Uganda are helping to ensure that Irene and girls like her are able to stay in school longer, sparking positive change in the community.

Fact: Across the world, when young girls reach adolescence, they begin menstruating. Reality: In many parts of the world the start of menstruation can result in girls dropping out of school.

In 2014, the world witnessed the abduction of more than 276 school girls taken from their school in the town of Chibok, in northeastern Nigeria, triggering a massive solidarity movement on social media with celebrities calling on the governments of the world to act. We wanted to bring them back, to live their childhood as any child - any girl - should be entitled to. Yet, more than five years later, more than 100 of the “Chibok girls” are still missing. Worse, 110 more girls were abducted, and five lost their lives, in February 2018 in Dapchi, northeast Nigeria.

Over 150,000 students in Sulawesi, Indonesia are out of school following an earthquake and tsunami in September. UNICEF is working hard to deliver emergency education materials to help children get back into the classroom.

Child marriage often perpetuates an intergenerational cycle of poverty. When girls get married at early age, their prospects for a healthy and successful life will be at stake. Evidence shows that girls who marry early are less likely to finish school and more likely to be victims of domestic violence and abuse.

I was born colonized but, like many other Indigenous youth, am on the journey of decolonizing and reconnecting to my community and culture.

Ice dancers Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir were two kids with big wonderful dreams. Partnered together at ages seven and nine, their chemistry and commitment to their sport and to each other was storybook. They were playful and charming and real. Champions.

UNICEF Canada is pleased to announce that Fatou Jammeh, our Community Development Officer, has been accepted as a 2018-19 Fellow in the Association of Fundraising Professionals Foundation for Philanthropy - Canada Fellowship in Inclusion and Philanthropy Program.

There is such stigma around mental health, so much that some parents even say “I’d rather have my kids going through leukemia than going through clinical depression”. Acknowledging firstly that mental health exists, as well as knowing it is as important as our physical health, if not more, is the first step towards raising awareness against such stigma.

It's easy to think that homelessness isn't a problem in Canada, a "first-world" country. However, it's much closer to home than we think. It's our responsibility to be aware of that and help break down the stigma that surrounds homelessness to increase access to resources for the less fortunate.