© UNICEF Côte d'Ivoire/2010/Sage
Members of a mothers' group in Abobo, Côte d'Ivoire, work to generate income to finance the education of local girls.

By Louis Vigneault-Dubois

ABOBO, Côte d’Ivoire, 16 August 2010 – Habibata Ouattara was 17 years old when she was removed from school and forced to marry a man her family had chosen for her. Today, as the Secretary-General of a local School Girl Mothers’ Club – known by the acronym CMEF – Ms. Ouattara strives to ensure that girls in her community stay in school and complete their education.

© UNICEF China/2010/Chen
In the aftermath of the April 2010 earthquake in China's Qinghai Province, UNICEF and its partners have set up four child-friendly spaces in tents in Jiegu town, Yushu County.

BEIJING, China, 5 August 2010 – In the aftermath of the April 2010 earthquake that struck Qinghai Province’s Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, UNICEF and the National Working Committee on Children and Women (NWCCW) have combined to establish four child-friendly spaces to support the long-term recovery and well-being of earthquake-affected children and women.

© UNICEF/2009/Campbell
Students interact with their teacher at Sarajevo's Džemaludin Cauševic Primary School, a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural institution open to all children.

By Jay LaMonica

SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 6 August 2010 – Eldina Ismailij, 11, loves to dance. The wild rhythms of Roma dancing set her free. Last year, she won a dance competition and her picture was in the newspaper. She blushes when asked about her accomplishment, and her mother, Dzemila Bostandzija, beams with pride. The best thing about winning, said Eldina, was the prize cake.

© UNAMA/2010/Burgard
Young students at a community-based school supported by UNICEF and one of its non-governmental partners in Herat, Afghanistan.

By Farida Ayari

HERAT, Afghanistan, 11 August 2010 – The city of Herat is the setting for ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’ – Khaled Hosseini’s powerful, best-selling novel about the harsh conditions of women in Afghanistan.

While life for many women in the country remains difficult, today Herat’s Gowarshad High School – named for the powerful Timurid queen who founded the city – is full of confident young girls who are well aware of their rights.

©UN Photo/Martine Perret. 29 July 2010
A group of men and women practice the Afro-Brazilian artform of capoeira on the beach in Dili, Timor-Leste, preparing for upcoming events such as International Youth Day, 12 August.

By Pi James

NEW YORK, USA, 12 August 2010 – According to UNICEF, nearly half of the world’s population, some three billion people, are under the age of 25, and nearly 70 percent of them live in poor nations.

© UNICEF video
Due to Liberia's long civil war, Atleta Soumie (left) and thousands of other students missed years of schooling. With the introduction of free primary education, Atleta is able to attend classes after she finishes work at her family's business.

By Guy Hubbard

GANTA, Liberia, 15 July 2010 – At 6 a.m., Atleta Suomie is already hard at work sweeping the floor and arranging the merchandise in her family’s small store. Atleta is a top mathematics student and this comes in handy through the morning’s roaring trade. But come lunchtime, she hands the shop over to her stepmother, changes into her school uniform, collects her books and leaves the shop.