Kids take over United Nations Office in Turkmenistan on World Children’s Day

In celebration of World Children’s Day, UNICEF, together with the civil society organization "Ýeňme" invited children to participate in an inclusive Children’s Fest and take over the United Nations Office. Dmitry Shlapachenko the UN Resident Coordinator in Turkmenistan welcomed children to the UN House by congratulating them on Children’s Day. He emphasized that children are the future of the country and the world, and all that the UN does is to help them have the best future they can. The event helped kids unleash their creativity and emotional intelligence and take action on the Sustainable Development Goals. In addition to being a hands-on learning experience for children, it also brought together the UN staff, young people, and digital influencers to learn, play, dance, sing and have an unforgettable day with children.

In the first part of the Fest, through a specially designed roadmap with the activity "Stations", children acted as knowledge travelers visiting interactive sections on emotions, child rights, creativity, environmental protection, and hygiene. The journey let children play different educational and entertaining games in each thematic station. A special child-friendly stand for UNICEF attracted the attention of young change-makers, where they learnt more about the work of UNICEF worldwide and in Turkmenistan.

“I really enjoyed a festival today. I especially liked the station where we learned more about the environment, because it is very important to protect our nature” - Arslan, one of the participants of the festival, shared his impressions.

UNICEF involved volunteers of "Ýeňme", young SDG Ambassadors and bloggers to facilitate the event and contribute to the celebration of World Children’s Day.

“I am very happy to participate in this event. It was very nice to teach children about such important issues in a playful way. I learnt a lot from children as well, because they see things different from adults” – says Lale Bayriyeva, Young SDG Ambassador.

Children loved equally the second part of the event with #KidsTakeOver activity. After “filling the bags” with so much new information and fun, children were given a tour of the UNICEF office, where they switched places with adults and had a chance to talk about their dreams, describe the future that they want and have their voices heard. They took over the desk of the UNICEF Representative and conducted an all-staff online meeting.

"On November 20, the World Children's Day, we are happy to welcome children to their Fest, open UN doors, and listen to what they say on issues that affect them. World Children’s Day is a reminder to act for children, by children, demanding a better future for them. We will continue working closely with the Governmentof Turkmenistan every day to meet the needs of every child because every day should be World Children's Day," highlights Dmitry Shlapachenko, UN Resident Coordinator in Turkmenistan.

"Working for every child everywhere is our mission. UNICEF is on the front line, helping to keep children and families healthy and safe in over 190 countries and territories. On this special day, the World Children’s Day, we are honored to welcome children and young people in the UN House to mark the historic adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child as we work to build a better world for every child," says Mahriban Seytliyeva, UNICEF Turkmenistan Spokesperson.

In the run up to World Children's Day, UNICEF also organized the first-ever online Instagram livestream session with youth advocate and digital influencer Aylar Hojamuhammedova. The livestream aimed at spreading the word about UNICEF’s mission and values among youth, positioning digital influencers in Turkmenistan as brand advocates, inspiring the dedicated followers of digital influencers to become UNICEF supporters and highlighting the 75th Anniversary which UNICEF will celebrate in December. The livestream has reached 2577 profiles and hit 1640 views.

"Dear UNICEF and Aylar, thank you so much for this interesting livestream. It was a pleasure for me to learn more about the youth-oriented programs of UNICEF. I am looking for further live sessions from you", commented one of the guests of the stream.