Tag Archives: ChildFund International

Learning to Dance in a Wheelchair

Posted on July 3, 2012 | Comments Off

Reporting by ChildFund Belarus

Nastya was born with a congenital disability that required her to use a wheelchair starting at an early age. She’s now seven.

Nastya’s parents wanted their daughter to be educated; however, they believed in-home education would probably be the best choice for her. They worried that the social problems she would face at school would be too much for her. As a result, she never attended kindergarten and did not have opportunities to develop communication skills.

This situation is typical for families of children with disabilities in Belarus, where ChildFund began working in 1993. Parents wish to protect their child from discrimination and aggression. Yet, an overprotective upbringing is one of the major barriers to a child’s inclusion in society and participation in community life.

girl in wheelchair

Nastya learns to dance.

In 2011, ChildFund’s USAID-funded program “Expanding Participation of People With Disabilities” began to reach children like Nastya. Working with another NGO partner, Special World, we started “The First Step to Independence Project.” Nastya and her parents were among 30 families to participate.

The project provides social adaptation tools for children in wheelchairs and resources for their families. Children enjoy the art studio, dance and the Healing of Magic class, while parents work on parenting skills, discuss challenges and share successes with their peers at the parents’ club. Since the project began, children and their parents have experienced physical and psychological improvements and have become more sociable and self-confident.

Successful adults who have disabilities and use wheelchairs act as trainers and leaders, providing inspiration for the children and their families.

When Nastya joined a wheelchair dance class in June 2011, everything was new to her. She was shy and afraid that everyone would laugh at her if she failed. Step by step, with encouraging support from volunteers, peers and her parents, she started to dance.

All of the hard work and achievement was spotlighted during a youth forum in Belarus dedicated to an inclusive society. The event brought together on stage children with disabilities, their typical peers and young volunteers. Nastya appeared with three other children in a special performance, “Dance With Us.”

“Thanks to ChildFund, my daughter opened up and overcame her shyness,” says Nastya’s mom. “I look at the progress Nastya made during the last six months. Now, my daughter is looking forward to going to school. I am absolutely sure that she will find many friends at school.”

Discover more about ChildFund’s work in Belarus.

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A Photo Diary: Day of the African Child Events

Posted on June 29, 2012 | Comments Off

Having children in our ChildFund programs participate in the Day of the African Child ceremonies at the African Union earlier this month was a shining moment. We asked Joan Ng’ang’a, communications officer for ChildFund Kenya, to post about the experience of traveling with the children from Kenya to Ethiopia.

Wednesday, 13 June
It is 11 a.m. when Jane and James meet for the first time. Discussing what they hope to get out of the trip, their respective projects, and the excitement of flying for the first time, both students are anxious to start their voyage.

One hour before check-in, Jane and James get their passports. They have waited a long time but it is worth it. We get to the airport at 4:20 p.m., check in and proceed to gate number 7 for boarding.

“You mean, they just jump off the ground,” James questions, as he watches a plane take off for the first time. We all laugh. Our flight takes off as scheduled at 6:20 p.m.

three women

Joan (center) catches up with ChildFund colleagues.

We land at Bole Airport in Ethiopia around 8:40 p.m. and are warmly greeted by Tenagne Mekonnen, ChildFund’s regional communications manager in Africa. It’s been nearly a year since our last meeting, so I am excited to see her and she is happy to finally meet Jane and James. After dinner, the children run off to recite their work. Everyone is in bed by 10 p.m.; it has been a long day.

Thursday 14 June
On Thursday, we rise with the sun around 6 a.m. We enjoy a good breakfast and meet the team from Gambia for introductions. We meet Abdulahi and Ramatoulie for the first time. Together, we ride to the U.N. complex in our van. We really like our van because it displays our countries’ names.

boy and girl with ambassador

Abdulahi and Ramatoulie meet with the deputy head of mission at The Gambia’s embassy.

Today is the day that all the children, from Ethiopia, The Gambia and Kenya, will compete in a Q&A before the African Union. They will also be able to share their prepared art work. Both Jane and James read their poems. We conclude the day with a lunch and a visit to the Gambian embassy. It has been an exciting first day.

Friday 15 June

boy and girl

James and Jane in their traditional dress.

On Friday, by 7:30 a.m., we have all had breakfast and the children have dressed in their traditional attire. The fabrics and colors of their clothing display their rich African culture. They are proud to represent their countries.

On our way in, James sees the Kenyan flag and we take some pictures. I am truly humbled to finally arrive at the African Union, a place I had only read about over the last 10 years. We take even more photos!

Our sessions begin at 10 a.m. with opening remarks from the Commissioner of Social Affairs, followed by more speeches from the organizers and representatives from the government of Ethiopia and ChildFund International. Like celebrities, the children get interviewed by two radio stations. Someone from a local newspaper interviews James, as well. Before long, the children are treated to tea time. They really like the break and enjoy their cake and soda.

After lunch, we tour the University of Addis Ababa’s museum. There we absorb the history and culture of Ethiopia. We are all fascinated by the stuffed lion at the entrance of the museum. It looked so real!

Saturday 16 June
Today is the actual anniversary of the uprising in Soweto, South Africa, in 1976. But since it’s a weekend, the children are allowed to sleep until 7:30 a.m. After breakfast, we all head to the Arada community to visit a children’s art club. Abdulahi speaks on behalf of the group. He briefly recaps the last two days of our stay in Ethiopia and the children get to know each other. Split into four groups, the children break off to view and learn more about pieces of art posted in the club. Some of us learn a new word, today: Jambo – hello in Swahili.

children in traditional dress

ChildFund Regional Director Jumbe Sebunya welcomes the children.

Our van picks us up at 5:30 p.m. and takes us to the awards ceremony and closing reception at the African Union. A surprise to us, Tenagne brings ice cream! We arrive at the AU and meet ChildFund’s regional director for Eastern and Southern Africa, Jumbe Sebunya, with whom the children take photos. The highlight of the evening is the presenting of awards by ChildFund. We are excited when Jane wins first place in literature in the high school group and James wins first place in literature for the middle school group. We take more photos than ever at this event!

Monday 18 June

Kenya children and ChildFund National director

ChildFund Kenya’s National Director Victor Koyi congratulates the children on their achievement.

It is 8:15 a.m. and we have arrived at the airport. We depart from gate number 7 and before long, the plane lands in Nairobi. We are finally home. James and Jane meet with ChildFund Kenya National Director Victor Koyi for a debrief. They tell him about their exciting trip, yet we all express happiness to be home!

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KISS Star Makes Unique Business Deal in Zambia

Posted on June 28, 2012 | Comments Off

By Cynthia Price, Director of Communications

Gene Simmons is a rock star, a reality-TV celebrity and a businessman. He recently entered into a most unusual business contract.

youth in doorway

Esther doesn’t want to give up on her nursing education, but money is scarce.

It all began with a two-hour car ride in Zambia, with the final stretch along a bumpy dirt road, delivering Gene and his wife, Shannon, at the home of Esther, a young woman who recently lost her mother. She is being raised by her grandmother in a small house with a dirt floor and a thin metal roof. A few chickens scratch in the dirt yard.

She is excited to meet her ChildFund sponsor and has called her family together to join in greeting Gene and Shannon. Esther shows the couple where she sleeps with her sister and grandmother. She shares how she walks 6 kilometers to sell vegetables. There are days, though, when she and her family have no food. And while she loves school, she has to walk long distances to attend. But she doesn’t complain. She has a dream – she wants to be a nurse.

Shannon and Gene Simmons in Zambia

Shannon and Gene talk with Esther and her family.

“So, why do you want to be a nurse?” Gene asks. Esther doesn’t hesitate: “If there were more nurses, my mother would not have passed away,” she tells him. Her mother died only last month and her father died when she was five months old.

Gene pauses and looks at Shannon, who nods in unspoken agreement. “I am a businessman,” Gene begins.” I want to make you a deal. We will pay all of your expenses for school.”

Sponsor hugs child

Esther, happy to learn she can continue school, embraces Shannon.

Loud chanting and cheering break out among Esther’s family members.

Gene isn’t finished, though. “You have to do well in school,” he tells her. Esther nods vigorously in agreement.

Shannon adds, “You don’t owe us anything. You don’t have to pay us back. You owe us to be a good nurse.”

As Gene leaves the village, he reflects on the time spent with Esther. “We just met an amazing 16-year-old girl with lots of charisma, who can change the cycle, but the odds are stacked against her,” he says.

“We can help,” he notes. “And ChildFund points us in the right direction. Hopefully, she’ll become a great nurse.”

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Excitement at Muchuto Basic School

Posted on June 27, 2012 | 1 Comment

By Cynthia Price, Director of Communications

Gene and Shannon Simmons recently traveled to Zambia to visit several of the children Gene sponsors through ChildFund. The trip became the basis for the June 25 episode of their reality TV show, Gene Simmons Family Jewels.

Two girls with art

Today is all about learning. Gene and Shannon visit Zambia’s Muchuto Basic School, loaded down with notebooks, pens, pencils and crayons. The children eagerly look through everything, giggling and smiling. Suddenly they give a robust shout, “Thank you!” The children also belt out a healthy rendition of If You’re Happy and You Know It, Clap your Hands.

youth with new bicycle

While at the school, Gene and Shannon meet six children they sponsor: Miyoba, Lydia, Cecilia, Isaac, Kaoma and Robam. While the couple learns about the school and explores the classrooms, the children are busily drawing pictures for their honored guests. Gene and Shannon have brought a gift for each child, and a much-needed one for Roban, whom Gene has sponsored for more than two years. Robam loves school, but he doesn’t always make it to class because he has to walk more than 3 kilometers each day, each way.

youth with new bike

Meeting Gene and Shannon is a thrill for Robam, but, truthfully, he’s even more excited when they present him with a bicycle. He jumps on the bike and makes energetic circles around the school yard, as his classmates cheer. This bicycle is more than a vehicle for fun; it will help Robam get to school on time and complete his education.

As Gene and Sharon prepare to leave, the children come running out of their classroom and surround the couple, eager to present them with drawings they created using their new school supplies. It’s been a good morning at Muchuto Basic School.

children present cards to guests

Students have special thank-you notes for Gene and Shannon.

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Rock Star Brightens Sponsored Child’s Day

Posted on June 26, 2012 | 2 Comments

By Cynthia Price, Director of Communications

boy sitting

Edward awaits his sponsor’s visits.

Fourteen-year-old Edward has waited patiently most of the morning. He’s sat on bench outside his one-room home with his hands clasped in his lap, gazing eagerly down the dusty road that leads to his home. His extended family members are gathered around him.

It’s an important day because Edward is going to meet his ChildFund sponsor. In his eyes, a sponsor is like a rock star – someone whose monthly contribution enables him to attend school and have the books he needs. Little does he know that his sponsor is actually a rock star.

And then the big moment unfolds. Gene Simmons of KISS and star of Gene Simmons Family Jewels arrives with his wife, Shannon, warmly greeting Edward and his family. Gene hears the traditional Nyanja greeting of “Bwanjia,” or “How are you?” Edward breaks out into a big grin.

Edward and guests

Edward gives Gene and Shannon a tour of his village.

A gracious host, Edward shows Gene and Shannon around his home, made of mud thatch, and notes that one of his chores is to wash the dishes. He shows them where his mother cooks the food. A pot is simmering on the small fire, and Gene inquires what is in it. “Sweet potatoes,” Edward answers softly.

Edward takes Gene and Shannon down the long dusty road to the community well where he pumps water for his family to use for drinking and cooking. He points further down the road in the direction he has to walk so he can attend school. As they return to the house, sponsor and child are at ease, with Gene’s arm comfortably resting on Edward’s shoulder as if they’ve been friends for life. And in a way they have. Gene has sponsored Edward since 2006.

As the cameras roll and capture the reunion, a teary-eyed Gene has a difficult time talking. “Just be courageous,” Shannon whispers.

Edward tells Gene that he wants to be a teacher. A delighted Gene observes: “He will continue to give and raise up people.”

Gene and Shannon visit Edward

Gene shows Edward the sign for “I love you.”

At the end of the visit, Edward hands his gifts to the couple. “I don’t want gifts,” Gene protests. “I want to give.” But he accepts the gifts graciously – a flag depicting Zambia’s win of the Africa Cup, a Zambia cap and a skirt for Shannon. After consulting with the interpreter, Gene turns to say thank you to Edward in his native language: “Zikomo.”

Gene and Shannon also have brought gifts, including a soccer ball, which Edward and Gene immediately put to use.

Before departing, Gene takes a moment to talk with Edward’s mother, who is raising him on her own because her husband left when Edward was 6 or 7. “Mothers are the most important people in the world,” Gene tells her, adding that she is raising “an amazing young man.”

As Gene leaves, Edward’s grin doesn’t fade. “I am very happy, very happy.”

And what child wouldn’t be if they could meet their sponsor?

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Hanging Out with Gene Simmons of KISS

Posted on June 25, 2012 | 2 Comments

By Cynthia Price, ChildFund Director of Communications

ChildFund Director of Communications and Gene Simmons

With Gene on location  in Zambia.

OMG! I’m in an African village with Gene Simmons of KISS. Yes, that KISS.

He’s an imposing man. Six-feet, two-inches, and all action. He’s here in Zambia to take action – to meet the children he has sponsored through ChildFund for years and to determine what else he can do to help.logo

The experience will be captured for an episode of his reality TV show, Gene Simmons Family Jewels. His wife, Shannon, helped organize the trip.

I’ve been to ChildFund programs before. I’ve seen the dirt roads. The thatched houses with no running water or electricity. The classrooms with nubby pencils and recycled newspaper as activity books. I know what we’re about to see. Gene and Shannon don’t.

“We came here with a TV show. Let’s go to Africa and visit the children. It’s a nice sound bite,” Gene says. “But what happened along the way is that real life got in the way. We’re going to do something about this.”

Shannon adds, “Poverty and starvation… once you see it in person, you can’t walk away.”

And they don’t. They go for total immersion. And they’ve brought gifts for the children: school supplies, soccer balls, backpacks and clothing. There’s even a bicycle for one of Gene’s sponsored children, so he doesn’t have to walk the long distance to school. Shannon gives one young woman the shoes off her feet.

As we talk about what they saw and experienced, Gene often has to pause because he’s choked up. I’ve seen KISS perform – who would ever expect Gene to be quiet? But it was a lot to take in. “Here is a wake-up call,” Gene says, after meeting Edward, one of his sponsored children. “We must do something.”

Gene Simmons with guitar and children

Music is a universal connector.

Gene and Shannon are absolutely great with the children. They spend tons of time with them. At the schools we visit, they often sing with the children and in one school, Gene plays guitar.

What’s really amazing about the visit is that Gene and Shannon don’t act like rock stars. They’re truly humbled by the experience. “It really makes you appreciate the little things,” Shannon says. “I will waste less, spend less and appreciate more.”

The trip to Africa, Gene adds, is a “stark reminder that life doesn’t treat everyone the same.”

ChildFund supporters like Gene and Shannon help change those circumstances. Although the children didn’t recognize Gene as a celebrity – even when he handed out KISS swag – he’s a rock star in their eyes because he is their ChildFund sponsor.

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A Day for All Children

Posted on June 15, 2012 | Comments Off

By Selamawit Yilma, ChildFund Ethiopia

woman at desk

Hannan, who is blind, uses ear phones and a special computer for her work.

Every June 16, the Day of the African Child, brings together representatives from African Union states, development organizations and other groups to discuss issues pertaining to the children of Africa. This year’s theme, “The Rights of Children with Disabilities: The Duty to Protect, Respect, Promote and Fulfill,” focuses on the unequal treatment of children with disabilities. We interviewed Hannan Endale, inclusive programming specialist, at ChildFund Ethiopia, who knows the challenges faced by those with disabilities due to her own impairment—blindness.

Would you please tell us your understanding of the Day of the African Child?
In my view, Day of the African Child is a very important event that needs widespread attention. By educating the public about the potential, rights and concerns of children, we have the chance to make the world a friendlier place for them to live. However, because the day is better known by child-focused organizations, there is a strong need to engage other governmental organizations and potential stakeholders.

How do you perceive the theme for this year?
This theme is timely, focusing on the right topic at the right time. We have seen a worldwide shift in the discussion of the rights of people with disabilities due to the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). The convention draws attention to the rights of children with disabilities in diverse arenas and recalls “obligations to that end undertaken by States.” Our country, Ethiopia, has been a state party to this convention since 2010. The 2012 theme for the Day of the African Child gives us the opportunity to develop our understanding about the rights of children with disabilities and to work for the improvement of the quality of their lives.

Would you address how to protect and support children with disabilities?
Children with disabilities are not enjoying the same privileges as their counterparts, nor are they receiving equal treatment. Neglect, abandonment and discrimination are among the injustices faced by disabled children.

Futhermore, there is a lack of commitment to increase their involvement in activities that may enhance their personal development. These children are also overlooked as valuable assets to the well-being of the community. For that reason, it is our responsibility to ensure that their rights are protected, respected and fulfilled while encouraging the government to bear the same duties.

If we truly have a child’s best interest in mind, we must not fail to include those children with disabilities. They deserve to have the opportunity to grow, develop and enjoy their childhood by exercising the same rights as everyone. Institutional, environmental and attitudinal barriers that hinder their full, equal and effective participation in society have to be removed. Most importantly, the children themselves have to be given the opportunity to participate actively in the development of policies that will affect them.

Could you explain how ChildFund is working in this area and how it plans to strengthen the support given to children with disabilities?
ChildFund, in partnership with Pact Ethiopia and Family Health International 360, is the technical lead organization in the Yekokeb Berhan Program for Highly Vulnerable Children—a program funded by USAID.

Yekokeb Berhan is committed to providing high-quality, age-appropriate, inclusive services for all children. In the program, we ensure that all excluded children are given the proper attention in every aspect of the project. ChildFund is playing a leading role in fulfilling this objective by initiating strategies to provide equitable access to services for individuals and groups, and specialized techniques that will foster participation of excluded individuals or groups within the Yekokeb Berhan Program.

How does it feel to work with these children and ChildFund?
Working with a program that has had this much impact in reducing the challenges faced by highly vulnerable children gives me great personal and professional satisfaction. It is my hope to see my fellow citizens lead a life free from discrimination and poverty.

As a person with a disability, I know, firsthand, what it means to live a life of segregation. And I know the feeling of being discriminated against and unaccepted because of one’s abilities. Having experienced those feelings, it is more than a pleasure to be part of ChildFund’s mission to support children with disabilities.

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Youth Eco-Scout Rescues Endangered Turtle in the Philippines

Posted on May 29, 2012 | Comments Off

by Martin Nanawa, ChildFund Philippines

Twenty-year-old Necie “Nice” wasn’t precisely sure how she’d stare down five of the local tambays [idle men] in her neighborhood. But something had to be done.

A turtle with seemingly nine lives. Photo courtesy of Philippines Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Earlier in the day, a neighbor had caught a peculiar-looking turtle in the Agos River. By evening, the turtle was in a plastic basin, and it looked like it might soon be served as pulutan [finger-food] for the local tambays when they gathered for a drink. Nice wasn’t sure, but the turtle looked like a pawikan, a sea turtle, to her.

The most remarkable thing happened, however. The turtle managed to jump from the basin, and slip away unnoticed. In the confusion following its disappearance, Nice joined the search. She had no intention of helping her neighbors reacquire their meal; Nice was an Eco-Scout, and she knew she had to save that turtle.

Organized and trained by ChildFund and its local partner in the Philippines province of Quezon, the Ecological Scouts, or Eco-Scouts, are young environmental advocates age 10 to 21. Cognizant of Quezon’s rich and yet delicate ecology, ChildFund provides young people with training in biodiversity and environmental conservation techniques. Over the past two years, the Eco-Scouts have produced videos and materials to build understanding and support for environmental issues pertinent to Quezon.

Through her Eco-Scout training, Nice knew pawikans were endangered. She wondered, however, what one of these turtles would be doing so far inland, and in freshwater. She had to find it before the others did so she could explore the mystery further.

By sheer luck, Nice did find the turtle. She picked it up, and made a break for it, running past the tambays. When accosted over her precious cargo, Nice warned them of the steep penalties they would face under environmental protection laws if they harmed the turtle. Having that bit of legal knowledge from her Eco-Scout training came in handy. Her quick feet and equally quick wit got her home with the turtle. Not entirely sure what to do next, she reported the situation to her Eco-Scout trainer, ChildFund’s Erwin Galido. He contacted the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to arrange the turtle’s turnover. Nice would have to babysit the reptile until the DENR arrived.

youth and chilldren with turtle and basin of water

Nice shows the rare turtle to children in her neighborhood. Photo courtesy of Philippines Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

In the two days it took DENR reps to reach Nice’s home, she’d taken a liking to her little guest, whom she named Pauie. Nice and her cousin Ken would forage for moss to feed Pauie. During one of their forays, Ken and Nice returned to discover that the intrepid turtle had escaped again, but they were quickly able to find her.

DENR representatives retrieved Pauie and took her to the neighboring town of Real. It was there they determined Pauie was not, in fact, a sea turtle, but an even rarer and more endangered species—the Cantor’s giant softshell turtle (pelochelys cantorii). Unique to only a few Asian geographies, Cantor’s softshell was last seen in the Philippines in 2001, in neighboring Isabela province. Regional sitings have been equally rare, with the last recorded sighting in Cambodia in 2003. The Cantor’s softshell turtle lives in freshwater, spending most of its time burrowed motionless in mud.

The discovery of such a rare specimen, and its rescue from being stewed, was duly noted by the DENR, and official commendations for Nice are being scheduled.

Nice says she was only doing what she was trained to do as an Eco-Scout, supporting conservation and endangered species. Besides, she says, “You don’t need to be an Eco-Scout to know you shouldn’t eat them.”

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Sponsorship: A Friend From Far Away and Yet Very Close

Posted on May 24, 2012 | Comments Off

Guest post by Erika, a youth in ChildFund Ecuador’s programs

My experiences of having a sponsor are many. My sponsor’s name is Pascale, and he has been my sponsor since I was very little.

youth with drawings

Erika enjoys working with younger children in her community.

One of the nicest experiences is to write and send him letters because I can tell him everything, such as what kind of music I like, my favorite sport, what I like to eat and also about my family and what I do with them.

In each letter I send, I thank him for his support of ChildFund since with the money he contributes, that helps [our youth programs] do all the planned activities in all areas of Ecuador. I especially thank him because with his support we can do activities that benefit boys and girls.

What I like the most about writing letters is the happiness I feel to know my sponsor is going to read them though he lives very far away. I also like because I know I have an unconditional friend from another country, who will also tell me many things of his life, his favorite activities and how his country is.

Anyway, having a sponsor is simply unexplainable because as I said before, it is a friend from far away that at the same time is very close.

group of youth

Erika’s is part of the ChildFund-supported youth association in Quito, Ecuador.

In the Quito area, we have the youth association called “Association Quito Youth,” and I am part of the board this year. This association is formed by youth groups of all communities affiliated with ChildFund. Among the activities we do are working with children’s clubs, which are formed by children affiliated with ChildFund. This work consists of teaching them about their rights and duties through entertainment techniques, which we also learn from the youth technician for the area. I love these activities because I like to help children in my community and be a good model for them. This has also helped me become more sociable and perform better in front of the public.

children and youth walk outside

The Quito youth club leads sport and recreational activities for younger children.

Other activity I carry out in the youth group is to organize the sport and cultural events for children once a year as well as to organize the sport and cultural event for youth. The main objective is to consolidate ourselves as an association and promote participation in our project by other youth. During school vacations, we—with the community’s support—organize summer camps. Last year we had the support of Quito Municipality technicians, who trained us on the activities we carried out with children during the camp.

I have many dreams and aspirations: the first one is to finish my education and continue it by going to college. I want to study social communications to become a great TV presenter or a reporter.

I would love to travel to other countries to fulfill another dream of mine, which is to become a great actress and show that in my country there is much talent that needs to be discovered. I would like to go to Mexico too and fulfill a promise, which is to take my parents to the Basilica of the Virgin of Guadalupe.

Currently, my nearest aspiration is to pass the tests for entering into college, so I am studying very hard. I know I will achieve all of this working hard, and with dedication in all activities and dreams I have.

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Rallying for Education in Timor-Leste

Posted on May 22, 2012 | Comments Off

by Jose Felix, ChildFund Timor-Leste

boy with flyer

Benditu, age 13, has goals for his future.

“My goal is to become a leader of this nation,” says Benditu, 13,  from Aileu, Timor-Leste. As an avid student in Year 6 at primary school, Benditu is lucky. His parents understand the importance of education – not only to Benditu’s future but also for the future of Timor-Leste. “My dad and mum want me to go to school. If I do not go to school, then they are angry with me,” says Benditu. “They also buy shoes, school books and clothes that I need for school.”

Raising awareness of the importance of education, particularly among parents, is a major challenge that ChildFund is helping address in Timor-Leste. Without personal experiences of the transformative power of education – in Aileu district, more than 50 percent of people have no formal education – many parents do not understand the opportunities that schooling can bring to their children. Instead of attending class, many children work alongside their parents to farm, fetch water and collect wood. Improving education in Timor-Leste must start with engaging parents to support their children’s education.

children carry banner

Education awareness-raising events were held in Aileu and Ermera districts with children at the forefront.

As a member of the Timor-Leste Coalition for Education, ChildFund Timor-Leste recently participated in Global Action Week. Awareness-raising events were held in Aileu and Ermera districts, drawing hundreds of students, teachers, parents and representatives from government, NGOs, the U.S. embassy and UNICEF. Speeches, marches and music were followed with question-and-answer sessions between local communities and education specialists.

The focus of this year’s Global Action Week was early childhood development (ECD). ChildFund Timor-Leste is currently supporting 80 ECD centers, some of which are home-based, across the country. A key focus of ChildFund Timor-Leste’s ECD program is to build the capacity of Parents and Teachers Associations so they can advocate and take pride in their community ECD centers. Alongside engaged parents and teachers, centers supported by ChildFund Timor-Leste are currently preparing more than 3,000 children for a successful future at school.

girl with education flyer

Derina speaks out for education.

Events like Global Action Week are vital in influencing community perceptions of the importance of education. As 12-year-old Derina, a school student from Aileu, said, “We are all here at this event so that parents can influence us so that we all go to school. Parents should send their children to school because their children will be the future of this country.”

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