Something to smile about
Looking back on moments in 2022 that made children smile.
Smiling is contagious and these happy children from around the world are sure to put a smile on your face! Find out what's been making them smile this year:
Above: 13-month-old Jonaila from the Philippines is grinning from ear to ear the day before her first routine immunizations. UNICEF procures and distributes vaccines and other essential supplies, including solar-powered refrigerators, and helps train health workers. UNICEF also works with local governments and religious leaders to communicate the need to increase the distribution of vaccines across the Philippines to prevent future outbreaks of diseases.
Côte d’Ivoire: Two children play outside at the UNICEF-funded Hospital Centre Pietro in Odienné, in the north-west of Côte d’Ivoire. At this centre, babies are screened for malnourishment and mothers can learn about nutrition for their children. These nutrition classes include a cooking lesson with a focus on local ingredients and a delicious, nutritious meal to enjoy with their children at the end.
Pakistan: In Jacobabad, Sindh province in the south of Pakistan, 8-year-old Ameer Zadi goes to school for the first time since UNICEF established a temporary learning centre in her area, which was one of the worst hit by devastating flooding. UNICEF has been delivering safe drinking water, medical supplies and vaccines, therapeutic food supplies and hygiene kits for affected children and families. In addition to establishing more than 200 temporary learning centres, UNICEF is looking after the protection and psychosocial well-being of children caught up in the climate change-related crisis.
> Learn more about UNICEF’s response to the floods in Pakistan
Romania: Max, 4, together with his mother, Aliona, decided to cross the border into Romania after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. Together with UNHCR, local authorities and partners, UNICEF has established ‘Blue Dots’ – safe spaces along border crossings in neighbouring countries that provide children and families with critical information and services. UNICEF continues to work around the clock with partners to scale up life-saving programmes for children affected by the war.
> Learn more about UNICEF’s response to the war in Ukraine
>Learn more about the Blue Dots
Afghanistan: Parwana, 5, giggles with her sister Afsana in Herat, northwestern Afghanistan. Just one year ago, she suffered from Severe Acute Malnutrition. Thankfully, a UNICEF-supported mobile health and nutrition team referred her to a specialist who diagnosed her with Coeliac Disease. She has now made a full recovery and loves going to the UNICEF-supported Community Based School with her sister in the camp for internally displaced people, just outside Herat.
>Learn more about how UNICEF is working to prevent severe acute malnutrition
Venezuela: These children are all smiles as they enjoy hot food at a UNICEF-supported school in Zulia state in northwestern Venezuela. More than 88,000 children are regularly attending school in 318 facilities supported by UNICEF school feeding programme in 12 states, where the average attendance rate has increased from 38.7 per cent in November 2021 to 91.4 per cent in June 2022.
Syria: Abir, 22, holds her son Ishak, 1.5 years, in their house in Jarba village of East Ghouta, Syria. Thanks to a UNICEF-supported mobile medical team, Ishak has recovered from malnutrition. During the first half of 2022, UNICEF has reached 723,733 children and 187,436 pregnant and lactating mothers with screening for malnutrition in Syria.
Uganda: Shamim, 10, a student in Kotido District in northern Uganda, smiles after lunch. The school has a solar powered water system built by UNICEF as part of a five-year water, sanitation and health (WASH) Programme with the government. The programme targets 88 primary and 12 secondary schools to benefit 56,000 children.
Moldova: Maricica, 6, plays football with other children and professional football players . To send a strong message about equality and inclusion to the whole world on World Children's Day, UNICEF Moldova, in partnership with the Moldovan Football Federation, brought together football players from Moldova and a group of children of different ages.
