Voices for change

When Kemjira Jehba was diagnosed with depression at age 12, her world became quiet. The kind of quiet where pain goes unnoticed and stigma speaks louder than understanding. It took years of therapy, self-reflection and courage for her to find her voice again. Now aged 20, she's using it to help build a world where mental health is not feared but understood.
 

Jeyda, as she's known, is a second-year medical student at Prince of Songkla University. She is also one of the 35 young people selected to serve on Unicef Thailand's Young People Advisory Board (YPAB) for 2025/26 -- a platform launched by Unicef in 2021 to ensure youth voices actively shape policies and programmes that affect their lives. 

The YPAB brings together members from diverse backgrounds, including children living in urban and remote areas, stateless children and children with disabilities. 

"Driving change has to be a collective effort," said Jeyda. "Being here made me realise I'm not alone. I met people who also want to create change in society and that gave me hope." 

Last month, Unicef hosted a three-day YPAB Leadership and Advocacy Camp in Bangkok. The camp brought together young leaders aged 14 to 22, chosen from over 400 applicants across Thailand. Over the course of workshops, discussions and community visits, the YPAB members explored key social issues -- including mental health, child protection, education, climate and participation -- while learning from national experts, Unicef staff and one another. 

For Jeyda, the experience was about more than just learning. It offered healing. 

"One powerful lesson I gained was seeing the beauty in people -- not from how they look, but through their stories," she said. "Some shared things they had never told anyone before. That reminded me that everyone has value."

She also learned just how deep the misunderstanding around mental health still runs. During a community visit in Bangkok, Jeyda spoke with teachers and adults who struggled to identify basic signs of depression. Some adults described depression as a form of "insanity".

"That kind of language reflects how deeply misunderstood mental health still is," said Jeyda. "If adults don't understand it, how can children know if they are experiencing depression or when to ask for help?"

As someone who has experienced both depression and bullying, Jeyda knows how isolating silence can be. She remembers the period of darkness that took away her joy in life. It wasn't until she found support -- from her family, from therapy, from within -- that she began to heal, a journey that took her four years.

She wants to ensure other children don't have to wait that long.

Together with fellow YPAB members, Jeyda is now advocating for a mental health support system in schools -- one that involves students, teachers, parents and school leaders. Her vision is not just reactive but preventive: creating awareness, reducing stigma, and ensuring children know how and when to seek help.

She's already seen the impact of early efforts. As a student council president, she helped introduce mental health awareness activities in her school.

"We found that children didn't know when to seek help or felt their problems were 'too small' to talk about," she said. "But after we raised awareness and shared more information about mental health, more students began reaching out and using the support services available."

If Jeyda's focus is on inner resilience, then Palathip Pimsuwan's is on opportunity -- especially for those who have been left behind.

Born in a rural community in Uttaradit province and raised by his grandmother after his father passed away, Palathip came close to dropping out of school himself.

"We had no income," he said. "I had to rely on scholarships to continue. None of my friends made it past Grade 9."

Palathip is now 18 and has defied the odds. He is a Royal Award for Outstanding Students recipient, a provincial youth leader and the president of his Subdistrict Children's Council. Joining Unicef's Young People Advisory Board is another remarkable achievement.

"Many children in my community face various challenges such as financial problems, negative attitudes, low motivation, peer influence and much more," Palathip said. "I want to work towards addressing these issues and creating better opportunities for them."

During the camp, Palathip visited a low-income community in Bangkok. Expecting to see children out of school, he was surprised to find the opposite.

"The community was incredibly strong," he said. "Even though families were not wealthy, the drop-out rate is almost zero. Everyone pitched in -- including the temple which offers scholarships -- to help make sure children stay in school."

After the community visit, Palathip and other YPAB members shared their experience and their ideas for action with 13 prominent experts in different areas. That experience reshaped his thinking. Education, he realised, doesn't always happen in classrooms. It happens when communities come together and children and young people are given options.

"We talked with experts about how to prevent children from dropping out," he said. "But one thing I took away is that maybe some children leave school for valid reasons. Instead of forcing them back in, we can create new options for them."

He now wants to help shift public perception: that self-learning, informal education and skills-based training should be seen as valid alternatives -- especially for children whose families can't afford for them to stay in school full time.

"This shift could open doors for so many," said Palathip. "And today, knowledge is everywhere. It's not limited to classrooms."

For both Jeyda and Palathip, being part of YPAB is not just an opportunity, it's a mission.

"I want to be an inspiration for children who are afraid to speak up -- to be their voice and show them that recovery is possible, and that their dreams can come true, just like mine did," Jeyda said.

The idea of youth as partners, not just participants, is central to Unicef's approach, said Ploynapat Jaroenkocharit, Adolescent Development Officer at Unicef Thailand. "Young people are experts in their own lives. When youth participate meaningfully, the work becomes more inclusive and responsive."

Unicef works with partners to create safe spaces for children and young people, supporting their initiatives, and ensuring their voices influence policies and programmes, added Ploynapat. "At the same time, we also help adults learn to listen, engage and take action, because true participation only happens when adults are willing to share power."

Assist Prof Panom Ketumarn, a child and adolescent psychiatrist who took part in the camp as an expert, agrees. "Young people are getting more involved in mental health issues, especially in schools and communities. With support from teachers and school systems, this engagement has started to grow. It's also sparking peer-to-peer learning -- both within schools and between them."

As this new cohort of YPAB members begins its two-year journey, the momentum is already growing. Supported by Unicef, past cohorts have helped shape child rights initiatives, contributed to climate change and online safety campaigns, and influenced education reform. This generation is ready to build on that legacy.

For Palathip, his mission is about making sure no child is left behind. "I will start by creating a network of parents and children in my community and help them gain access to the scholarship and the opportunities I've had."

As for Jeyda, the mission is clear: "I build a world where everyone feels safe to be themselves."

Originally published by Bangkok Post