2024 tested the resilience of children around the world like never before. From heartbreaking conflicts to unprecedent climate disasters, childhoods were disrupted and thrown into disarray. Amidst the devastation, stories of hope emerged, reminding us of the incredible strength and tenacity that children have.
As we step into 2025, let’s look back at five remarkable stories that inspire us at UNICEF to keep going, empowering us to do what we can to protect every child now and in the future.
Big dreams in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Millions of children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are enduring one of the most complex and forgotten crises in the world, scarred by years of violence, conflict and disease.
Yet children like nine-year-old Lydia are holding onto their big dreams and hopes for a better future. Hoping to become a shopkeeper when she’s older, Lydia’s days at a child-friendly space in her displaced community are filled with hope and excitement.
"Every morning, I can't wait to meet my friends here. So, when I wake up, I quickly do my chores to be able to come to the child-friendly space. I love spending time here because I make new friends, but also because of the lessons and stories the teacher tells us."
Thanks to our partners, UNICEF facilitates educational and recreational activities for over 1,700 children like Lydia at child-friendly spaces in the DRC.
Clean water brings relief in Afghanistan
Clean water is something we can take for granted daily, yet for children in parts of the world, it can sometimes be difficult to access.
Nine-year-old Mahammad used to walk for an hour almost every day to fetch water from another village for his family. He has four sisters and three brothers who have all suffered from the dirty water they used for drinking and cooking.
But with solar-panelled water taps newly installed in his village by UNICEF, life has changed for the better for Mahammad.
"Now that we have clean water in our home, I don’t have to walk far to fetch water and can spend my time studying or playing with my friends."
This small but powerful action has transformed the lives of countless children like Mahammad and their families, allowing them to focus on their education, health and childhood.
A young entrepreneur in Lebanon
When the war in Lebanon intensified last year, 11-year-old Christine and her family were forced to flee their home, walking for hours before finding refuge in a school shelter in Beirut.
But Christine hasn’t let this experience define her, instead choosing to forge her own path. She started a bead-bracelet business, naming her collection "Kaza Mazza”, using the money she earns to support her family, buying toys, and continuing to grow her budding business.
Christine and her pearls
As her business grows, Christine’s creativity and determination show no signs of stopping as she builds a brighter future, one bracelet at a time.
With the recent ceasefire November 2024 taking effect, UNICEF is there for every child in Lebanon as they start to rebuild their lives after months of devastating loss.
Education restored after a super typhoon
In September 2024, Super Typhoon Yagi – the strongest storm to hit Vietnam in 70 years – —ravaged northern provinces, displacing millions and threatening the education of 1.3 million children.
With the support of our partners, UNICEF was able to distribute educational tools, including backpacks with school supplies and over 140,000 textbooks, to schools heavily affected by the typhoon, helping children resume their studies after the devastation. Children like Ha.
Ha receives school supplies after Super Typhoon Yagi
Despite the devastation caused by Super Typhoon Yagi, Ha can now focus on his studies, a powerful reminder of how resilience can prevail in the face of natural disasters.
Breaking down barriers in Syria, one brush stroke at a time
"I used to feel overwhelmed speaking to anyone outside my family. I had never spoken to a large group of people," says Fatima, a 12-year-old girl who was born with a disability affecting her limbs. Fatima's family fled the violence in Syria, with her father finding a job in a factory, and her mother working in an institute for children with disabilities in the town.
At the start of 2024, Fatima began accompanying her mother to work, where she met a UNICEF-supported child protection mobile team, providing mental health and psychosocial support for children, and parenting skills sessions for caregivers.
A case manager noticed Fatima's talent for drawing and introduced her to a drawing specialist, who gave Fatima lessons to help improve her skills. "I've always dreamed of becoming a painter, and now I feel like I'm taking real steps toward making that dream a reality," says Fatima.
"For the first time, I truly felt equal to the other children my age. I felt like wings sprouted on my back, and I was flying."
A new year for renewed hope
The extraordinary resilience of children and young people is something we come across every day at UNICEF, and it inspires us to create a lasting impact on the millions of young lives around the world.
As we continue into 2025, let’s commit to creating a better world for every child – because every single one of them deserves safety, protection, and the chance to dream big.
Together, we can deliver hope. No matter what.
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