What’s it like to be a young person in different parts of the world? And what do kids actually want to learn about life in other countries?
These are some of the questions being answered through ChildFund Connect, a new educational program that links children in Australia with children in developing countries. It’s a way for kids to connect and learn with each other using video and other technologies to communicate.
Teaching kids about the world is a really important part of their education, but we’re finding through this program that what kids are taught is not necessarily what they’re most interested in.
We’ve visited schools in Australia, Vietnam, Laos and most recently Timor Leste, armed with pocket video cameras and microphones. At each school, the students decide what they want to know about their peers overseas and then film each other asking their questions. Across all countries the favourite topics have been food, sports, popular games and free-time activities. For example, Grace from Australia wanted to know: “What do children eat in Vietnam?” And Mai from Vietnam asked: “What do you do for fun in Australia?”
By using technology to record questions and answers, children have been able to discover how similar and different their lives are compared to young people in other parts of the world. As one participant from rural Australia put it: “I learnt that the Laos children are not that different from us.”
We began this program because we wanted more children to discover what life is like for someone of a similar age, living in a different country. It also gives children a chance to communicate what’s important to them and show us their lives in their own way. We might not use the language of child rights with kids this young, but essentially it’s child rights in action – children lead every step of the program, from what they choose to film to the design of the website.
They also provide feedback on the activities, which helps us ensure the program is working for them. As one girl said to me: “It is really cool to see the kids in Vietnam and Laos answering our questions.” And I really believe that the best kind of learning happens when kids use their own creativity and inquiring minds to find out about the world.
Water is life. Without this most basic necessity, people cannot survive. When access to water is difficult, time and productivity – and educational opportunities – are lost. When water isn’t clean, children and families are at risk of illness and death.
With World Water Day coming up, we thought we’d take a moment to pause and reflect on the ChildFund projects that are working towards equal access to clean water and proper sanitation.
What is World Water Day and when is it celebrated?
Celebrated every 22 March since its ratification by the United Nations in 1992, World Water Day aims to raise awareness around water’s fundamental role in development. Promoting access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene is a central component of ChildFund’s ongoing work in developing countries.
Launching a water, sanitation and hygiene project in Timor-Leste
In Maliana district, in the western part of Timor-Leste, lack of access to clean water and sanitation is a typical concern expressed by communities. In a country where health services are often inadequate, and infant and child mortality rates are high, prevention of waterborne disease such as diarrhoea is key to improving children’s health.ChildFund Timor-Leste, working with its local partner Hamutuk, is undertaking a water, sanitation and hygiene project in Goulolo village, Maliana.
How does unclean and unsafe water affect life in a rural village?
Before the water project commenced in Goulolo, diarrhoea was prevalent in half of all children under five years of age. Villagers typically had to walk between 1-3km to the nearest water source, a river, for their household and hygiene needs.
Laundry and washing was done on the river bank, while water for cooking and household consumption was carried back in plastic containers, usually by children. The water wasn’t clean enough to drink, and needed to be boiled so that children and their families could avoid becoming ill.
What did our water, sanitation and hygiene project achieve for the community?
The project takes a two-pronged approach. This includes improving water and sanitation facilities and providing health education. Three water wells, including areas for washing and laundry, have already been constructed. The second phase of the project involves the construction of community sanitation facilities, and training parents and children in the community about diarrhoea prevention and hygiene practices.
Now, children and their family members no longer have to carry water so far, or carry their laundry to the river bank. Better still, the water is clean and can be drunk straight from the well.
Eight-year-old Angelina is happy to be able to drink fresh water without first having to fetch it and wait for her mother to boil it. She and her friends have also learned that washing their hands “will stop us from getting sick”.
Donate this World Water Day and help us change lives around the world
Promoting access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene is a central component of ChildFund’s ongoing work in developing countries. We believe that everyone around the world should have access to clean water and sanitation.
Give the gift of clean water to those in need by donating two water filters which will provide two households with access to clean drinking water. Or you can donate a water tank and provide a whole community with access to clean water.
Don’t wait for World Water Day to help a community in need. Donate now.
