ANTA Group and UN Refugee Agency to Cooperate on Global Humanitarian Assistance

ANTA Group and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency today announced a new global partnership focused on empowering displaced children and youth through the lifechanging potential of education and sports.

The three-year partnership, called ‘Moving for Change’, will support UNHCR’s Primary Impact programming, to improve access to primary education, sports, teaching and learning resources; and to enhance child well-being, resilience and learning readiness through in-kind and cash donation. The donation will support displaced young people in Malaysia, Thailand, Burundi and more across the globe.

Mr. Lai Shixian, Executive Director and co-CEO of ANTA Group and Ms. Tina Friis Hansen, Global Head of UNHCR's Private Sector Partnerships Service, sign the agreement for the new global partnership, Moving for Change. (Photo credit: UNHCR/Azwan Rahim)

“ANTA Group is proud to partner with UNHCR to bring the power and joy of sports and education to displaced children and young people around the world,” said Mr. Lai Shixian, Executive Director and Co-CEO, ANTA Group. “As a global citizen, it’s ANTA Group’s responsibility to contribute to global humanitarian assistance. ”

In displacement settings, sports and play-based programming have been used effectively as part of child protection, education and psychosocial well-being interventions. As such, Moving for Change aims to reach 300,000 children and youth who have been affected by displacement across the world by 2025.

Mr. Will Wang, Vice President of ANTA Group and Chairman and President of ANTA SEA and Mr. Thomas Albrecht, UNHCR Representative in Malaysia, exchange gifts at the launch of the new global partnership, Moving for Change. (Photo credit: UNHCR/Azwan Rahim)

“Private sector partnerships like the one with ANTA Group play an important role in helping forcibly displaced children and youth access quality education and build brighter futures,” said Tina Friis Hansen, UNHCR’s Head of Private Sector Partnerships.

Mr. Keane Shum, UNHCR Malaysia Senior Protection Officer, hands part of the contribution from the Moving for Change partnership to Mr. Tony Avbiorokoma, a sports coach at the MSRI learning centre for refugee children in Kuala Lumpur. (Photo credit: UNHCR/Azwan Rahim)