Community Resilience: Strengthening Societies

Violence against children is a major social challenge in Cambodia, where about 30% of children have experienced violence at school. In response, awareness-raising activities on physical violence, bullying, discrimination, and child labor were conducted at 43 public elementary schools in Kampong Cham Province, reaching 12,600 students. By organizing child protection initiatives together with schools and local authorities, the portion of children who reported experiencing violence at school decreased to 17%.

In the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox's Bazar, people have limited opportunities to improve their living conditions on their own, making it difficult to maintain their autonomy and dignity. The project aims to empower women, children, and youth through active community participation, strengthening their leadership and technical skills. To foster the self-reliance of the Rohingya community, a wide range of activities are being carried out, including facilitating community participation in repairing and installing safe toilets and bathing facilities, waste management systems, hygiene promotion, offering training for women on how to build and repair shelters, and more.

In some regions of Vietnam, poverty and disruptions to schooling have led many children to give up hope of receiving an education and resign themselves to early marriage. To help these students continue their studies, new dormitories are being built on school grounds. The goal is to create a safe environment where every child feels supported in attending school. Educational programs also provide reproductive health education as part of broader awareness initiatives that extend throughout the community.

Youth living in the Mananjary and Nosy Varika districts of southeastern Madagascar often marry and have children at an early age. Many face limited livelihood opportunities due to poverty and climate-related disasters, creating barriers to sustainably supporting their households. The program helps participants establish stable living environments and supports healthy family well-being. It provides financial literacy training on savings and loans to improve livelihoods, as well as capacity-building programs that promote self-determination. The project also aims to improve children's nutritional status and raise awareness of reproductive health. As a result, 77% of participating youth demonstrated improved livelihood skills.

Around 100,000 refugees from South Sudan are living in the Palabek Refugee Settlement in northern Uganda, where more than 60% of the population are children under the age of 18. These children face daily risks such as exploitation, abuse, and neglect, which threaten their safety and opportunities for education. In partnership with communities and schools, awareness-raising activities to prevent violence and bullying are conducted, along with individualized support tailored to each child's needs. Programs are also implemented to support children who are out of school or falling behind in their learning.