10 Ways How Children Value Friendship

by Crislyn Felisilda

From abuse to hatred, we live in a world constantly confronted with many challenges that affect the lives of millions of children. Each year, at least one billion children experience violence.

How can the world attain a state of peace and harmony?

The answer lies in building lasting friendships.

1. Learning together

"I'm happy to go to school with my friends. We learn together in school and enjoy playing afterwards," says 8-year old Alfi from Bangladesh.

2. Doing chores together

"My brother and I share the same dream of becoming a famous footballer in Cambodia. In our house yards, we play football after school hours. We also help our mother clean the house yard," says Bora from Cambodia.

3. Spending time with one another during holidays

"When we are in school, we long for our holidays and when we have holidays, we feel like going back to school. I love my summer holidays though. We experience freedom during our vacations. I mostly play with my friends and this time I ate a lot of mangoes when I had gone to my village," says 11-year-old Nikita from India.

4. Caring for one another

"Sharing is one of the many things I love to do with my friends," says Khaing, 14 years old from Myanmar.

5. Playing sports

"I can still remember the first time I scored a goal in a football game. From that day, I've been practicing with my friend Manju and gained more confidence. Manju and I practice regularly and we're also accountable with our diet so we can be better and run faster," says Sumina from Nepal.

6. Eating and sharing food

"My friends and I play a lot especially during weekends. After we play, we all feel hungry. My mom normally cooks pancake for us because it's our favourite. After we eat pancake, we feel energised again," says 7-year old Kenneth (in red shirt) from the Philippines.

7. Encouraging one another

"Sahani (right) and I excel in our studies. We've been classmates and best friends. We are also part of the aerobic gymnastics team. We always encourage each other," says 14-year old Sadeesha (left) from Sri Lanka.

8. Having common interests

"I became interested in football when I saw my friends play and they seemed having so much fun. Without any hesitation, I joined them and learned how fun this game could be," says 13-year old Sreyoun from Cambodia.

9. Building relationships

"I'm happy to go to school because we have new classrooms. I love to colour, write numbers and learn to read. I’m also happy to meet more friends in school," says Dora from Vanuatu.

10. Sharing toys

"My friends and I don't have fancy toys but we love driving this wooden motorbike made by my father," says Sung A Pha (dark shirt) from Vietnam.

Published on 28 Feb 2018