This Child-Led Study on the Lived Experiences and Perspectives of Children in East Asia is the result of the dedication and hard work of children aged 12-18 years old who are currently engaged with World Vision East Asia through the Young Minds CAMP - a regional leadership development academy.

he Council for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD), in partnership with line ministries, development agencies, civil society, academia, and the private sector, hosted Cambodia’s 11th National Nutrition Day (NND) under the theme “Nutrition for Growth.” This year’s NND highlighted both ongoing and new efforts in the battle against malnutrition, a remaining challenge in Cambodia. The latest Cambodia Demographic and Health Survey (CDHS) revealed that 9.6% of children experience acute forms of malnutrition (wasting) across the Kingdom. In this context, CARD announced the launching of two new collaborative initiatives: a project with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Seed Fund partners – WFP, FAO, and UNICEF – and the ENOUGH Campaign by World Vision.

This Child-Led Study on the Lived Experiences and Perspectives of Children in East Asia is the result of the dedication and hard work of children aged 12-18 years old who are currently engaged with World Vision East Asia through the Young Minds CAMP - a regional leadership development academy.

Suad enjoys greater privacy and independence after being supported with rehabilitation of accessible WASH facilities with in her reach.

Prioritizing children’s rights today ensures a better future. Listen to children’s voices, act on their needs, and invest in a brighter tomorrow. #All4Children

This policy brief provides a call to action for development partners in Cambodia and Thailand, the primary destination for Cambodian migrants to address key drivers of distress migration in communities of origin. It advocates for making migration safer, more humane, and more equitable for Cambodian parents and children, while also providing greater support for those who remain behind and those who migrate. By empowering children to actively shape a better future for themselves, this approach aims to create lasting positive change in the lives of all involved.

Despite progress in Cambodia’s water and sanitation sector, rural areas, where most of the population resides, still face significant challenges in accessing clean water: only 1 in 5 people from these areas use safely managed drinking water services in 2023. 

UNICEF and World Vision have officially entered into a new partnership to create significant and sustainable improvements in the lives of Cambodia’s most vulnerable children. This collaboration, spanning from 2024 to 2027, focuses on a multisectoral approach to address critical issues affecting children, including health and nutrition, education, child protection, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH).