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After hearing about ChildFund Australia’s Start Strong, Stay Strong project in Zambia, the students at Kingston School in Medan, Indonesia were inspired to take action. Each grade decided to raise money in their own way to support children in Zambia.

Vicki, a teacher at the school and a long-time sponsor with ChildFund Australia, says: “The children were very moved by the statistic that about 300 children under five die every day [in Zambia] – this is the size of our school. They found it hard to believe that a child could die from a high fever, which they just go to the doctor for and take an aspirin. That put everything into perspective for them.”

Monica, Nicole and Ira are in Primary Five. They shared their experience with us:

“We, Primary Five students, started fundraising from October 2012 to help Zambia, especially the babies and mothers. We had a donation box and each of us donated money. P5N raised about Rp 1,000,000 ($100AUD) and P5E raised Rp 600,000 ($60).

On the 7th December 2012 we had a Christmas celebration and we had a bazaar, fundraising for Zambia. We sold toys, which we made ourselves at home, food and drinks made by us, and flashlights. Our total effort came to Rp 4,000,000 ($400).

We enjoyed donating and selling because it was so exciting and like our parents in real life! We also think this is a good thing because we helped mothers and children in Zambia. And we did it as a team.

We want to encourage more people to donate. Go Zambia! Start strong! Stay strong!”

The seniors at Kingston School also commented on the event:

“We had fun selling for the Zambian children and mothers. This was a great experience for us and it’s good to help others. We learned how to sell and appreciate teamwork. We hope that our donations will be useful to improve the health and education system there.”

A special thanks to Monica, Nicole and Ira for sharing this story with us, and to all the teachers and students at Kingston School for supporting our work – together you raised almost $3,000 to help young Zambian children have a healthier start to life. Thank you!

As the communications manager at ChildFund Australia, I have the wonderful privilege of immersing myself in the many incredible and life-changing stories that come from the countries in which we work.

At times too, I must read heart-rending accounts of the difficulties so many children face in their everyday lives in so many developing countries around the world. These stories never get easier to digest or comprehend, and make me feel so lucky that an accident of birth has given both myself and my own children the joy of an Australian childhood.

One of our newest programs in Africa, though, has really made its mark on my consciousness. Our fantastic staff in Zambia are now in the process of implementing the Start Strong, Stay Strong initiative. The objectives are simple – to give mothers in rural communities a place where they can take the newest members of their family for regular check-ups.

Through the Start Strong, Stay Strong program, ChildFund will give Zambian families the reassurance that I have so often taken for granted – children will be monitored, life-saving immunisations will be administered, and mums will get the support they need.

Becoming a mother is exciting and frightening and wonderful and life-changing. The birth of your first child is also the day when worry becomes a constant feeling in your daily repertoire of human emotions. The least we can do for women in Zambia, and other countries around the world, is lessen those worries. Basic healthcare is the right of every mother and child, and we should support those who are most vulnerable.

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