Cyclone affected children in Tonga, go back to school

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Born Identity: Give every child their birth right.

Who am I?

I am young person. I have goals and ambitions in life. I have a passion for photography. I like to capture special moments that turn into beautiful memories.

My name is Benjamin Cola. I am 18 years old. I am a Fijian. This is my identity!

I believe I am fortunate to be born in a Pacific Island Country and have my identity registered at birth and have a birth certificate to be recognised as an individual who has the right to experience life to the fullest.

I am also fortunate not to be part of a global statistic showing that 1 in 3 children under the age of five do not officially exist because they have not been registered at birth and do not have a birth certificate.

Queen’s Baton spends Christmas with children in Vanuatu photo story

The holiday season in Vanuatu was even more special with the visit of the Queen’s Baton Relay over the Christmas break.

Queen’s Baton spends Christmas with children in Vanuatu

A small girl in one of the villages
welcomes the Queen Baton Relay

The holiday season in Vanuatu was even more special with the visit of the Queen’s Baton Relay over the Christmas break. The Baton Relay is currently taking place around the world in the lead up to the XX Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and has recently finished its leg of the journey through the Pacific.  UNICEF is the charity partner of the Commonwealth Games, providing a great opportunity to focus on the children of Commonwealth countries, highlighting what a contemporary Commonwealth country looks like and the dreams and lives of the children that live in them. Vanuatu was the last Pacific country to host the baton. But it was not just a relay that was held in honour of the visit – there was also a UNICEF-supported fun event held in Port Vila for children and their families to highlight the importance of play and sport in children’s development and learning. This is an issue of critical importance in Vanuatu due to challenges children face in accessing quality care and education.

End Violence Against Children

Every day, out of the spotlight, children are subjected to appalling cruelty and abuse. It happens all over the globe, in every setting—public and private, urban and rural, industrialized and developing, rich and poor. UNICEF Pacific believes that every child deserves to be safe and works throughout the world to protect girls and boys from abuse and exploitation. #ENDviolence is UNICEF's new multi-year global initiative to generate momentum in preventing and responding to violence against children.