Millennials as UNICEF Ambassadors

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken the entire world by shock and distress. It is indeed a pivotal phase in the books of history that has not only taken the lives of millions of people but has also shaken the socio-economic status of many countries including Pakistan. There is an increased amount of grief, sorrow, and stress across the globe, and many have been affected; some have lost the lives of their loved ones, some have lost their jobs, some are uncertain about the future.

To create awareness about the Covid -19 and how to take care of oneself and others, School of Leadership in collaboration with UNICEF launched Coping with Corona Programme- An Adolescent Awareness Programme. As part of Coping with Corona Programme, Phase 1 , 70 ambassadors from different schools and colleges of The Millennium Education were selected and given a detailed training about Corona and Mental Health and coping with these issues. The Millennial students were provided with Masks, posters and badges. The learners carried out the project by going into the community and slum areas and educated the people about the virus, symptoms and how to tackle with the challenges being faced. The students submitted detailed reports and shared their experiences. The programme gave a hands on experience to the learners to prevent negative behaviors including, abuse, violence, neglect and exploitation and promote mental health and wellbeing and their safe return to school.

The Coping with Corona Programme phase 2 included teachers training and workshop by School of Leadership and UNICEF. The teachers attended a detailed workshop about the basics of the virus and how to take care of yourself and others from the virus and it also covered the various aspects of the mental and emotional challenges that have emerged with the ‘new normal’. Furthermore, they shared tips and ideas on remaining productive while working and studying from home and talked about the importance of getting reliable information from credible sources. The teachers were also given masks and posters and they conducted training sessions with students inside school/college and outside and helped in building resilience among the masses.

The programme was a huge success and greatly applauded by school of leadership and UNCIEF.