Kindness for All Children Counts on Friendship Day
International Day of Friendship: July 30
Friendship Day is a reminder that kindness can help children feel safe, included and hopeful. Also known as International Day of Friendship, Friendship Day is observed every year on July 30.
Being kind and supportive is a big part of what it means to be a friend. It's also the first concrete step toward a more peaceful world. That's the message contained in the UNICEF #ENDviolence Youth Manifesto. Based on a recent poll which received more than 1 million thoughtful responses from young people in more than 160 countries over a five-week period, the manifesto offers a blueprint for a better, kinder future. And it all starts with friendship.
On July 30, in honor of International Day of Friendship, tell a friend how much they mean to you by sending them a kind note or giving them a hug. You can also celebrate with thoughtful acts of kindness, including friendship gifts that give back that help support children around the world.
Here, children from around the globe show what friendship is all about:
Friends are supportive
Teenage girls hang out after school in Dolisie, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Instability in Congo has disrupted the educations of thousands of children. UNICEF works with partners to reopen schools, training teachers and providing supplies to help kids get back to learning.
Friends help each other out
A friend pushes Ilídio, 11, in his wheelchair so he can get to school in Mozambique. UNICEF and Handicap International have partnered with the Mozambique government to make sure that children with disabilities can get the special help they need to stay at home with their loving families, to go to school with their friends and to live a happy life. With the help of a physiotherapist who visited him at home, Ilídio managed to say his first words. Today he can read and write, and most importantly, he has friends to play with.
Friends lift your spirits
Girls share a happy moment in Hudaydah, Yemen. Many years of conflict in Yemen have left a significant majority of the population in need of humanitarian assistance, including millions of children. UNICEF is on the ground in Yemen, working with partners to provide lifesaving support and services to help children cope with the trauma they've experienced and resume their childhoods.
Friends stick together
Hussein and Mohamed, left and center, go to school together in Aleppo, Syria, but their friend Mustafa, 12, does not. He works to help support his family. UNICEF works with partners to end child labor practices while also improving access to quality, inclusive education. A self-learning program in Aleppo — a joint venture by Educate a Child (EAC), a global program of Education Above All — helps out-of-school children ageds 6 to 15 catch up with their peers by studying at home or in community centers with the help of volunteers or caregivers.
Friends get your jokes
Two friends share a laugh at the UNICEF-supported Thouy Ampil Primary School in Thouy Ampil Village, Ja Oung Commune, Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia. The southeast Asian country has made impressive steps toward economic growth, poverty reduction and improved education outcomes, but some boys are still missing out on primary school. UNICEF works with the national government to improve graduation rates, focusing on children from poorer rural households, through a scholarship program that encourages children to stay in school.
Friends hold each other up
A trio of friends hold hands in the village of Bolingo, in the center of Chad, a country in Central Africa with an exceptionally high proportion of children who are out of school. Girls are more likely to be out of school or to drop out; 3 out of 5 girls marry before their 18th birthday. UNICEF works with partners in Chad to promote equal educational opportunities for girls and boys.
Friends share
In Cucuta, Colombia, students attend class at the Misael Pastrana School where a significant proportion of the students are Venezuelans who cross the border every morning to attend. UNICEF and partners are working to meet the urgent needs of Venezuelan children displaced by economic uncertainty and amping up support in host communities to encourage friendship and combat xenophobia.
Friendship Day is a chance to remember that every child deserves care, protection and belonging. When children can learn, play, laugh and feel included, they can begin to build the brighter futures they deserve.
Please donate to help UNICEF spread the word: Everybody needs a friend.
UNICEF always puts children first, working to protect their rights and provide the assistance and services they need to survive and thrive. With a presence in over 190 countries and territories, UNICEF has helped save more children's lives than any other humanitarian organization in the world.
Friendship Day FAQs
When is the International Day of Friendship?
International Day of Friendship is observed every year on July 30. The day celebrates kindness, connection and the power of friendship to bring people and communities closer together.
What is the meaning of the International Day of Friendship?
International Day of Friendship is a reminder that friendship can help build peace, understanding and belonging. It encourages people to show kindness, support one another and celebrate the connections that help create a more caring world.
Why does friendship day matter for children?
For children, friendship can help create a sense of safety, belonging and hope. Having someone to learn with, laugh with or lean on during difficult moments can help children feel supported, included and valued. Having this dedicated day to celebrating that and amplifying stories is beneficial to children with the opportunity to celebrate.
HOW TO HELP
There are many ways to make a difference
War, famine, poverty, natural disasters — threats to the world's children keep coming. But UNICEF won't stop working to keep children healthy and safe.
UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories — more places than any other children's organization. UNICEF has the world's largest humanitarian warehouse and, when disaster strikes, can get supplies almost anywhere within 72 hours. Constantly innovating, always advocating for a better world for children, UNICEF works to ensure that every child can grow up healthy, educated, protected and respected.
Would you like to help give all children the opportunity to reach their full potential? There are many ways to get involved.
