The SDGs aren't a list of goals. They carry the hopes, dreams, rights and expectations of people everywhere." - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Since their adoption, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have provided a global framework for tackling poverty, inequality and environmental degradation. But behind the statistics, dashboards and reports lie human stories of communities striving for dignity, resilience and opportunity. As the UN’s High-Level Political Forum in 2025 reviews progress on key areas such as health, gender equality, decent work and ocean conservation, it is a timely reminder that sustainable development is ultimately about people. To truly leave no one behind, implementation must go beyond policy targets to reflect the lived realities, priorities and aspirations of individuals and communities on the ground.
What is missing?
To break down silos between different themes of development work, adopting a people-centered approach can be a crucial yet underutilized tool in communicating the significance of the Goals and translating their significance to real life situations. A missing link in advancing these solutions lies in bringing visibility to the people who are already driving the Goals forward in practice, recognizing them as both custodians and catalysts of progress.
To address this challenge, ESCAP, Global Shapers Bangkok and Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation developed the SDGs Story Exchange as part of the 12th Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development. This space was created to foster empathy-building and awareness of the SDGs through firsthand experiences of people from diverse walks of life.
The stories included that of Kritima Jemma Samitpol, former clinic supervisor of the Tangerine Clinic at the Institute of HIV Research and Innovation (IHRI)—Thailand’s first transgender-led, gender-affirming sexual health clinic. In the absence of legal gender recognition, transgender people faced exclusion from health policies, services, and data systems, resulting in stigma and inadequate care. Tangerine Clinic emerged to address these gaps – offering inclusive, equitable healthcare and serving as a model for impactful community-led services. Kritima highlighted the vital importance of stigma-free healthcare and reminded us that addressing health issues—especially those related to HIV—requires genuine collaboration between affected communities and governments. Efforts from only one side cannot address the issue effectively; sustainable, inclusive solutions must be built together to achieve health and well-being for all.
Another story is that of Amornthep "Sanju" Sachamuneewongse, a mental health advocate and founder of Sati App, a platform dedicated to training and facilitating peer support networks and leveraging data to drive policy changes for early intervention in mental health. Drawing from his personal experiences with major depressive disorder, psychosis and suicide, Sanju founded Sati to destigmatize mental health and promote empathetic listening through peer support networks.
In the same vein, a Singapore Idol finalist and seasoned performer, Mathilda D’Silva, is living proof that anyone, regardless of profession, can become a driving force for environmental change. Today, she serves as the CEO of the Ocean Purpose Project, a social enterprise dedicated to ocean conservation and pioneering solutions that turn ocean plastics into hydrogen fuel. Mathilda collaborates with low-income communities, Indigenous groups such as the Orang Laut, and scientists to champion inclusive and innovative sustainability efforts. Her journey into conservation wasn’t born in a lab, but from a deeply personal encounter with ocean pollution in 2015 that impacted her health. As the granddaughter of a fisherman, Mathilda grew up with a deep respect for the ocean yet had no formal background in environmental science. Her story underscores a powerful truth: meaningful change often begins with lived experience and anyone, even those far outside the traditional activist mold, can spark transformative action.
Stories like these at the SDGs Story Exchange serve as reminders that the SDGs are not only topics of high-level United Nations agendas but are closely tied to the ways in which everyday people experience life. These stories and sharing opportunities enable us to situate the SDGs in the real world and reinforce the need for developing contextualized, bottom-up solutions to ensure that no one is left behind in the pursuit of sustainable development.
