All children need the opportunity to feel like their actions matter and that they are powerful and capable of making change. We feel that children and adults are bombarded with big problems on the TV and social media which can lead to apathy and feelings of hopelessness that make us feel powerless to act. We focus so hard on our children learning knowledge and information in schools, but we forget to give them the opportunities to create and innovate with that knowledge.
This platform was designed with three key things in mind, firstly to create connection and awareness in children about the lives of others with the intention to generate more compassion towards others.
The second goal was to get children involved in, and to understand children’s’ rights and to give them the opportunity to be agents of change. Lastly, we aim to forward our goal as a children’s rights charity that all children are given a voice.
The activities on this page may help you and your child engage with the very principles that we are providing for our recipient communities in Tanzania, including educational opportunities, a chance to raise the profile of children’s rights and promoting leadership & entrepreneurship.
Who we are as an organisation is reflected in how we operate, both on the ground and to our partners and supporters.
Watch this video: “Be a Hummingbird” and discuss with your child/children what it means. Parent should pose questions to their children uch as:
“why do you think the hummingbird kept going when the other animals stopped?” or “do you think the hummingbird is helping everyone around him?“
If they struggles to answer these questions at first, then you can ask them to help you figure out what actions you as a parent could take to make a difference in this scenario.
Then once you have worked together through that thought process, pose the question back to them again of “what can you do to make an impact?”
Conclude with a concrete example of an action that they can hopefully implement as their project.
To get an idea of what your kids might want to do, then ask them to draw simple pictures of what they like to do.
You above anyone has a great insight into what they like to do with you, maybe they like reading, baking or dinosaurs...
Maybe you can see a talent of theirs that they haven't recognised yet?
Can they turn what they are really good at into an entrepreneurial activity?
Look on YouTube for examples of a day in the life of children from different countries.
Read a book that depicts a life that is a different culture to your own.
Find some famous or relatable kids who are from different countries.
Talk about common humanity.
Drop a stone in water. Watch the ripples and see how far they go. Talk about the stone being our actions and our values. Discuss the thought of the first circle reaching our family, the second circle reaching our friends, the third our neighbors etc.
Slightly older children could benefit with the introduction to Ubuntu, the African concept of compassion and humanity. Nelson Mandela explains the concept:
If you feel your child has a strong level of empathy, and would be able to confidently handle a discussion on war then watch this:
Rather than using terms like: “those poor children”, we encourage parents to use inclusive dialogue such as “isn’t it good we have … [Schools, food and opportunities] – I believe that all children should have this and it’s sad and must be hard for the children that don’t.”
Using the first example can make the child struggle to relate and can cause ‘Othering’ because the person becomes a concept that may be far too abstract for children to fully be able to grasp or empathize with, depending on their level of processing. Talking about extreme hunger, or having no parents to look after you, can be hard to process and so far-removed from the child’s own experience, that they may find it hard to process and internalize.
Your child may process this by thinking: “so those children must be different to be able to experience that” or as a protective mechanism that this only happens to the other people, not people like them. These are natural and healthy responses to things we can’t grasp or that overwhelm us. The aim of this conversation is not to make children afraid, or overwhelmed.
Famine, losing parents, homelessness etc, are tragic and no child should have to experience them. Therefore, take your child’s lead. If some of these things overwhelm them, talk about what the opposite looks like and how we can make it better. A very good video to watch on this topic – if you deem it appropriate – is the one above from Save The Children called “Most Shocking Second a Day Video” which depicts the experience of a child in Syria as if it was happening to a child in west London.
“Eat your dinner because someone else is starving!” this statement is flawed in many ways. Most kids aren’t eating due to a power struggle or a conflict of opinions and it is not appropriate or beneficial to bring in this concept as a threat or a way of shaming. It is also very difficult logic to comprehend for a child “how does my not eating, put food on that persons plate?”. They will probably also witness a lot of waste within their family home and in their communities, so for them to feel guilty about not eating their dinner when they see waste around then every day may be a confusing concept.
Even adults struggle to comprehend what it means to be hungry when they have always lived with plenty of food. A child will most likely not relate well to this example. Address the reason for the not wanting to eat separately and then you can talk about waste and hunger as its own discussion. You may chose to discuss as a family how to be mindful of your waste. The concept of living within our means. How we can be mindful of waste and the impact it has on the world.
Address these as separate and positive values. Asking how can we reduce our waste, or what if we didn’t buy that and bought this for someone else. These are tangible conversations that engage our children into critical thinking. Also, don’t be surprised if your child catches you out with an area you are wasteful! That’s how you know you are having a really engaging conversation. Children can be our most authentic mirrors.
When fundraising, we hope that you will be able to make people aware of the reasons you are raising this money. We ask all our partners to think carefully about the way you talk about poverty and the children you are working towards supporting.
Our job is to make donors more aware, educated and promote understanding.
This video gives us a brief insight into what poverty means to many different people around the world.
Watching just 5 minutes of this video may spark some of your own thoughts of WHAT IS POVERTY?
In 2015 the United Nations established the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.By taking part in these activities with your children you are directly helping Pamoja Leo to contribute to Goals: 1, 4 & 10 of this agenda.
“This Agenda is a plan of action for people, planet and prosperity. It also seeks to strengthen universal peace in larger freedom. We recognise that eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, is the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development.” (UN Division for Sustainable Development)
Definition from UNICEF: “A Global Citizen is someone who understands global interdependence, respects and values diversity, has the ability to challenge injustice and inequities, and takes action in a way that is personally meaningful. (UNICEF)
