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Mother of five, Josephine Saranam (left), lives in constant worry for the safety of her 15-year-old daughter, Lorna (right). Lorna is one of 300 students from Goulubu village in Rigo District, Central Province, Papua New Guinea, who swim across the Kemp Welch River each day to attend school. The journey raises serious safety concerns, particularly for adolescent girls who must seek privacy in nearby bushes to change after crossing. During floods, many students are unable to cross, leading to frequent absenteeism.

From floods to heatwaves: nearly half of children face stacked climate shocks

A new Unicef analysis reveals that nearly half of the world's children, approximately 1.1 billion, are living with multiple, overlapping climate threats. These hazards, including…

The mental health crisis facing children and adolescents demands bold ideas

The Bold Ideas for Brighter Futures Conference, convening in Cape Town from 18 to 20 May, attempts to respond to the risks facing young people, but more importantly to listen to…

Alternative energy sources: An Afrobarometer survey highlights Zimbabwean citizens’ dissatisfaction with electricity provision. Photo: GGA

Rural community energy options amid climate change

For most households, solar energy is used for lighting, powering radios and charging cellphones but only a few can afford high-capacity systems that enable them to meet household…

The lived reality for women in South Africa is they get turned away at our police stations. They are told that domestic violence is a family matter. They are sent from one office to another. If they do actually get someone willing to open their case, the case files disappear into delay

South Africa’s safety net for women and children has holes

The lived reality for women in South Africa is they get turned away at our police stations. They are told that domestic violence is a family matter. They are sent from one office…

Global wars and fuel shocks are putting pregnant women at greater risk of dying in childbirth

As wars disrupt fuel supplies and health systems, more women are being forced to give birth without timely access to skilled care

One in every five girls across sub-Saharan Africa has experienced rape or sexual assault before turning 18 . Photo: File

Supporting adolescent girls advances us all this International Women’s Day

One in every five girls across sub-Saharan Africa has experienced rape or sexual assault before turning 18

The Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund believes that when children lead, the digital world becomes more humane, more creative, and more just

Children must not just be digital natives, but leaders too

The Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund believes that when children lead, the digital world becomes more humane, more creative, and more just

Every day, Congolese refugees, mostly women and children, arrive at the Musenyi site. The site has a capacity
of 10,000 people, but by the end of April it was hosting more than 15,000 refugees. Photo: Dorine Niyungeko/
MSF

How to respond to sexual assault survivors

Many women and girls have survived sexual violence perpetrated by armed groups and armed forces in DRC, when fleeing to Burundi, and incidents have also been reported in the…

More than 26 000 cases of child abuse and neglect were reported in the 2024-25 financial year

Reported cases of child abuse and neglect rose to 26 000 in 2024-25

These included 9 859 cases relating to sexual abuse reported in all nine provinces

At least 66% of recent cases were performed by healthcare professionals, in an attempt to legitimise the practice. (David Harrison)

Report finds female genital mutilation more prevalent than previously thought

At least 66% of recent cases were performed by healthcare professionals, in an attempt to legitimise the practice

Mandisa Mathobela, Partnerships Manager, UNICEF South Africa; Hana Yoshimoto, Chief of Education, UNICEF South Africa; Seliki Tlhabane, Chief Director, Department of Education; Irfan Akhtar, Deputy Representative, UNICEF South Africa; ; Tebogo Ramagoshi, Head, Corporate Responsibility, BMW Group South Africa; Mbasa Kepe, Head of Government and External Affairs, BMW Group South Africa; and Sudeshan Reddy, Communications Specialist, UNICEF South Africa.

UNICEF and BMW Group partner up to bridge the STEM gap

Educating young people for tomorrow requires teaching them new skill sets

Farmer Takesure Chimbu combs through dry stover, salvaged from a failed maize crop which he hopes to save and feed to his livestock, which will have minimal pastures this year because of the El-Nino induced drought, in Mudzi on July 2, 2024. (NJIKIZANA/AFP via Getty Images)

Drought leaves Zimbabwe’s Kapotesa dam dry, villagers struggle for survival

In the Mudzi district, cases of malnutrition have increased by 20 percent over the past three months

Pupils of Barkerville Primary School, Eastern Cape, in a creative pose in front of the newly installed Arumloo Dewdrop toilets.

Addressing poor sanitation in South African schools

Access to safe sanitation is not just a matter of comfort or convenience; it is a fundamental human right

Hardship: Crops have failed and water supplies are limited in drought-stricken Zimbabwe. Letwin Mhande (right) receives help from her neighbour
(left) to carry buckets of water from her allocation of four buckets of water per family a day from a community-run borehole in Epworth, an informal
settlement east of the capital, Harare. Photo: Jekesai Njikizana/AFP

People starve as Zimbabwe drought deepens

The country is one of several in Southern Africa experiencing chronic food shortages

Safe Parks provide essential support so children can learn

‘It’s a small step to encourage them to keep on with their schoolwork’

Matric students are currently writing their National Senior Certificate exams which commenced on 30 October and will run until 6 December.
 (Photo by Roger Sedres/Gallo Images via Getty Images)

Matric students need mental health support to handle exam stress, Sadag says

A recent poll by Unicef South Africa found that 73% of young people needed mental health support over the past year

Dr Tamryn Frank, Researcher, University of the Western Cape; Lori Lake, Communication and Education Specialist, Children’s Institute, University of Cape Town; Gilbert Tshitaudzi, UNICEF Nutrition Manager; Christine Muhigana, Representative, UNICEF; Dr Chantell Witten, Senior Lecturer and Researcher, University of the Witwatersrand; Makoma Bopape, University of Limpopo; and Jane Badham, Managing Director, JB Consultancy.

The Sweet, Salty and Fatty Violence of Malnutrition

Restricting the advertising of unhealthy foodstuffs is crucial for promoting healthier eating options

Healthcare workers move a body from a makeshift mortuary at a cholera treatment centre at Bwaila district hospital in Lilongwe in February. Photograph: Fredrik Lerneryd/AFP/Getty Images

South Africa joins countries grappling with cholera on the continent

Cholera was largely eliminated from industrialised countries more than a century ago, but there are still a significant number of cases each year in Africa

Perishables pile up in Zim supermarkets as money dries up

People are changing their eating habits to accommodate competing needs such as rent, school fees, transport and other essentials

Health surveillance workers in Malawi focus on under-fives and pregnant mothers

Four lessons from good policymaking in Africa

Instead of only focusing on what went wrong, analysing policies that have improved people’s lives helps governments NGOs in other actions