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PHNOM PENH (Xinhua): The United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) in Cambodia on Thursday (June 2) unveiled 15 new candidates for its Generation Future 2022 initiative, after a successful pilot in 2021, its press statement said.
The Generation Future was created to support talented young Cambodians with ideas for positive social change by matching them with mentors, training, networking, and opportunities to help them turn those ideas into realities, the statement said.
The successful candidates for Generation Future 2022 were announced at a special kickstarter event, with guests from the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, and the British Embassy in Cambodia.
"I believe Unicef's Generation Future initiative can help me build skills to mobilise communities, provide football training and put together female football teams," said 20-year-old Hak Sreypov, one of the candidates.
Her project, Girl Football Kick, will aim to engage more young women to play football, helping them develop confidence, teamwork and other life skills, while improving their health.
Generation Future 2022 will see 15 young people matched with 15 mentors, working together to engage at least 5,000 young people as supporters or volunteers for their projects.
"I highly appreciate the efforts of Unicef in improving the capacity of Cambodian youths through various programmes and now Generation Future," said Sroy Socheat, head of the Directorate General of Youth at the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports.
The candidates, who come from across Cambodia, are planning to mobilise their communities to create meaningful change with their projects, such as improving digital literacy through tech conferences and hackathons, and to encourage young people in rural communities to tackle climate change.
