David Beckham has said he was inspired after meeting a teenager working to end violence and bullying in schools in Indonesia.
The football star, a Unicef Goodwill Ambassador, visited Semarang in Central Java to meet children who have faced violence and bullying at school.
He posted a picture on Instagram of himself and a 15-year-old girl called Sripun, whom he called a “change-maker”.
“Teenager. Inspiration. Change-maker,” he said of the teenager.
“I’m so happy that you have all had the chance to meet 15-year-old Sripun with me to see the amazing work she is doing to tackle violence in her school.
“She faced bullying at school and felt excluded by friends but has focused on supporting others through tough times.
“She was nominated by her peers to be a change-maker and now inspires others to stop bullying so students can feel safe to learn.”
During his trip, the 42-year-old learned how 7: The David Beckham Unicef Fund is supporting anti-bullying programmes.
The father-of-four said the visit has been an amazing experience.
He said: “What an incredible few days in Indonesia seeing how Unicef’s anti-bullying programmes are creating positive school environments so children feel safe to thrive and succeed.
“Young girls like Sripun and many more that I’ve met in Indonesia are our future.
“My 7 Fund for @unicef is on a mission to help children – especially girls – break down barriers that threaten to steal their potential away. We’re tackling bullying, violence, child marriage and missed education so children get the chance to realise their full potential. #ENDViolence.”
Sripun is also set to take over Beckham’s Instagram Stories for the day.
Since 2015, 7: The David Beckham Unicef Fund has transformed the lives of millions of children, from vaccinating 400,000 youngsters against polio in Djibouti to helping 15,000 children access clean drinking water in Burkina Faso.
The fund is newly supporting Unicef programmes in Indonesia, El Salvador, Nepal and Uganda, tackling bullying, violence, child marriage and missed education, and making sure that children – especially girls – get a chance to realise their true potential.