“My painting is about why the mother has gone far from her child. The child doesn't understand why the mother has to leave. His mother is far from home because they do not have enough money to support the child and their family, and their life in the city. They are experiencing many difficulties. The child is living with his grandparents, and they have a difficult life. He is dreaming about a big house where all family members can live. The river in the painting shows that the challenges are fierce and the road to the future is very far. The child is always asking why his mom has to leave him behind.”

–Zany, 13, Cambodia

“My painting is about a child with migrant parents. The child worked very hard to survive because his parents could not provide for him anymore. The water in the painting shows a hazard, a risky area for the child in which he can drown, and the child cannot go to school. He has feelings of hopelessness and fear.”

–Lyhuor, 14, Cambodia

“My painting is about a girl who lives alone. Her migrant parents faced many challenges, and also, people around her looked down on her. They do not take care of her. She faces abuse all the time because of being a small girl in a village and she is concerned about what to eat and how to go to school.”

–Nita, 15, Cambodia

“This painting shows food security, with many types of areas, different types of crops in each area, and different types of nutrition. Children need a lot of nutrients. A well-nourished child has the ability to fight off diseases and stay happy and healthy. Once they are nourished, they can focus on living a happy and healthy life.”

–Ze,16, Laos

“Before this, I had to live in the forest because there was fighting in the village. I want to say that for the well-being of children, please stop the violence. Free them from violence, abuse, and neglect. In my community, 50% of children dropped out because of the civil war, and there are violent attacks even at 12:30 am. I want to express my feelings about this. And also want to say that children need psychosocial support and need to attend school without fear and worrying about the future.”

–Aeme, 15, Myanmar

“In Central Myanmar, in one of the villages, there is drought and prices are high in the community. Economic hardship is experienced by most of the youth leaders. They are migrating to survive the situation. Some young leaders cannot attend school and cannot finish their education. The economic situation caused most of the child marriages, with girls under 18 being married off. My sister got married at 17 years old. I don’t want to end up like her.”

–Eaint, 16, Myanmar

“This painting represents the voices of children who experienced trauma. Many families move to cities or go abroad, and children are left behind, or worse, some children experience unwanted migration because of war. I have seen how conflict affected friendships, and families of children like me. I am grateful for being here to share stories and bring ideas to help children facing migration issues and other related challenges.”

–Olive, 16, Philippines

“My title is based on a French term, “Fantasma,” which means ghost. It represents left-behind children and youth in BARMM facing armed conflict. They are in the process of recovery, and I am grateful to be here to bring the experiences of their voices to be heard. Despite the migration of these families to places that provide basic needs, they are still living under the ghost of their happy life. There is hope, and they offer their hands even to bad guys to bring back color to the community.”

–Ador, 19, Philippines

“The blue in my painting represents flash floods. The brown represents drought and areas impossible for people to stay in, so they have to migrate to the cities and work high-risk jobs such as building sites, and it is dangerous all the time. Children migrate to school and experience bullying and discrimination from unwelcoming people.”

–Ming, 16, Thailand

“My painting is about a city versus a village. There is not a lot of jobs in the city, and there is very low pay in the city. They do not have ID cards, and if you have no ID, you get paid whatever they like, or do not get paid at all.”

–Fern, 16,Thailand

“My painting represents peacefulness, beauty, abundance of nature and wildlife, very clear skies, and good weather. It is a nice part of Mehungson in Thailand.

–Pang, 15, Thailand

“This painting represents stateless people and their rights to access hospitals and healthcare. If you are stateless, your ID number starts with zero, or you are called zero. If they go to the hospital, they pay a lot more than people in Thailand, and it is almost impossible to get care. The picture at the bottom represents child labor. A lot of people have no right to education, or pay a lot more. Some children are very young but have to work to help provide for their families. The last picture of the lady with luggage shows how hard it is for someone to travel. It took a lot of planning for me to be able to come here. I had to ask permission from the village chief to allow me to go. It took a lot of negotiation to be here. I had to show at the airport a very different card compared to my peers.”

–Nid, 18, Thailand

“My painting is about a girl who is trapped and has been taken away. She is dreaming that she has two choices. - a blue pill or red pill that symbolizes to go or stay. I drew some objects here: a table and a big pillow, a chair and a trash can. These are not just random stuff but have meaning. The table represents education and the efforts she exerted to build her life. The pillow represents care and calmness. The chair represents the structure she wants in her life. The bin shows the truth she is facing, everything she hates. She is standing on a structure, on things that make her sad. She is here to make a choice. It is a flashback of her past; she is trapped, lonely, and alone. There is a small window full of colors. In real life, children barely have a choice. Give them more opportunities to thrive and do not trap them somewhere they don’t want.”

–Nhien, 12, Vietnam

“My painting is about a boy who lives far away from his parents. He is left behind, and he received a small gift from his parents on his birthday. But he is sad. He doesn't want a gift. He just needs to be near his parents. Receiving love and care from them and being near them is the best gift for him.”

–Hung, 14, Vietnam

The parents were divorced, migrated and left him to stay with his friend’s mother. There is not enough food and he cannot go to school, and live without any care from his parents. He is experiencing a very hard situation in the village.

–Hien, 14, Vietnam