Ten years ago, as a first-year university student in Vietnam, I was eager to change society.

There were only a handful of initiatives encouraging young people to create social change. Anyone doing something “different” stood out. Meeting them nourished me. I truly wanted to change society, and of course I believed I could.

But over time, I began to question my environmental projects and my talks about climate change:

How much of what I said came from real understanding? How much was I repeating someone else’s words? If I couldn’t live what I said, did it still mean anything? 

My mother once told me: when you walk in the garden in summer, step lightly. The ants come up to breathe in the heat. If you are careless, you may step on them.

That simple lesson stayed with me. Justice and harmony do not begin with grand actions. They begin with awareness. What truly matters can be expressed in the simplest words.

So after ten years, I put down many of my big dreams of changing society and chose to be a children’s book author.

I wanted to create honest stories about nature, death, wild animals, and climate migration — stories that help children understand the world with openness and care.

But publishers refused to release the books I cared about, and funders required me to fit into strict frameworks.

Then I was introduced to Global Fund for Children’s (GFC) Spark Fund, supporting youth-led climate action in Southeast Asia. At first, I was skeptical. Could there really be a fund that supports young people based on their own needs and aspirations? Turns out there was.

When I became a Spark Fund Grantee, it changed my life. 

For two years, I had stability, community, and resources to pursue what I truly cared about. With this support, I founded a social enterprise in children’s environmental publishing and built a creative network of artists dedicated to this work.

In two years:

• We published more than 10 children’s books on environmental and sustainable living themes, reaching over 15,000 readers in Vietnam and abroad.
• Our books were translated and shared in two countries.
• We organized over 30 reading events across Vietnam and Southeast Asia.
• More than 100 Vietnamese artists joined residencies and learning exchanges on environmental awareness.
• We opened a free public library where children can explore nature and art through reading and creativity.

Most recently, I was selected as one of 14 Kofi Annan Changemakers, continuing to build a community of artists creating environmental stories in Vietnam.

GFC’s Spark Fund gave me stability. It gave me community. It gave me the confidence to act without fear of uncertainty. 

Today, I am not trying to change society in one sweeping gesture. I am helping children step lightly into the world with curiosity, care, and courage about climate.

And that, I believe, is how change truly begins. 

What is the Spark Fund in Asia?

Global Fund for Children’s Spark Fund in Asia is a funding initiative that supports young, climate-focused leaders across Southeast Asia.

Spark Funds provide multi-year, trust-based funding so young people can pursue the solutions their communities truly need. Alongside financial support, participants receive mentorship, peer learning opportunities, and access to a regional network.

The goal is simple: trust young leaders, resource their ideas, and give them the stability to build lasting, community-rooted change.