UNICEF Vietnam celebrates World Children’s Day 2021 online

World Children’s Day is UNICEF’s annual day of action for children, by children. It takes place every year on November 20. This date also commemorates the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, raises awareness of critical issues affecting children's lives, and encourages children and young people to become advocates for their own rights.

This year, UNICEF Vietnam held this event online at 8:00 a.m on November 17, via their Facebook fan page, YouTube channel, and VTV1.

“Nourish your soul. Care for yourself and others!”

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown how inequality affects the rights of every child. From climate change, education, and mental health, to ending racism and discrimination, children and young people are raising their voices on the issues that matter to their generation and calling for adults to create a better future.

UNICEF Vietnam takes action by creating the theme “It’s ok not to be ok. Share your truth” and the slogan “Nourish your soul. Care for yourself and others!”. This World Children’s Day, it’s more important than ever that the world listens to children’s ideas and demands.

Rana Flowers (right) is having an opening speech. Source: Capturing from UNICEF’s livestream.

The ceremony was conducted in Vietnamese, with an English translation and sign language for the hearing impaired. There was Ms. Rana Flowers - UNICEF Representative in Vietnam, Ms. Lesley Miller - UNICEF Deputy Representative in Viet Nam, Ms. Nguyen Thi Ha - Deputy Minister of Labor - Invalids and Social Affairs, Mr. Nguyen Lam Thanh - Director of Tiktok Vietnam, and many other leaders, KOLs, journalists, celebrities, as well as young people attending.

The event officially started at 8:30 am. To launch the ceremony, Madam Rana Flowers gave an opening speech about the meaning of this event. With child rights and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals high on her agenda, she has joined the UNICEF team in catalyzing change for children together with the Government of Vietnam since May 2019.

“Many children are left behind. They are facing uncertainties in their education, mental health, especially in this pandemic”, Ms. Flowers stated.

After that, Ms. Nguyen Thi Ha showed her concerns and actions towards improving children’s lives “Deputy of Labor - Invalids and Social Affairs has collaborated with other relevant deputies to raise awareness about psychological trauma in children during this situation. This creates a strong social network to take care and support children”.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Ha at the ceremony. Source: Capturing from UNICEF’s livestream.

For children, by children

The second part of this World Children’s Day celebration ceremony was a discussion among 4 young people about difficulties they were facing and the importance of mental health. This session was hosted by Associate Professor - Doctor of Psychology Tran Thanh Nam.

"The epidemic has made me lose balance in my life. When I study online, I often skip meals and no longer have much interest in studying. Sports programs and exchange programs that help promote health are no longer organized. However, I have improved the situation by practicing sports at home. I think everyone should share the mental problems they are facing with their parents or anyone could help them feel better", Nguyen Quang Minh (16 years old) shared.

A video about the importance of sharing between family members. Source: Capturing from UNICEF’s livestream.

To encourage people to talk about their mental health with their families, UNICEF Vietnam created a video that details the difficulties of each family member. The lyrics touched on many issues such as the father can not spend much time at home and the mother does not know how to express her emotions.

The ceremony concluded with a session among parents who directly connect with children every day. MC Thao Van also attended online as a mother to share her experiences in dealing with children’s problems and the way to make things more harmonious. The event officially ended at nearly 11:00 a.m, with over 3100 views on Facebook, capping off a memorable day for children.