SAFETY, SKILLS AND PLAY
FOR CHILDREN IN MALAWI
WHAT IS A CHILDREN’S CORNER?
Community volunteers like Olivia train to become facilitators at the Corners. Olivia is passionate about making a difference.
“We teach various skills at Children’s Corner. There is the lesson called “My Journey” about life’s daily experiences. And when children have conflicts, we counsel them, but also calm them and unite them. We train them how to have group discussions. Also, we teach about forms of abuse and about children’s rights. When a child comes to us about a problem, we discuss it and explain how it affects his rights. Then we go to the parent and explain to them, so they can change their behaviour. After learning, children’s heads are full, so we do a run-around and some dancing so that children can unwind.”
WATER ON TAP
By helping to install solar powered water systems, UNICEF is supporting more children to attend their local Corner. Piped clean water frees children up from travelling to rivers and open wells and carrying heavy containers. And they can follow the hygiene advice they learn in the Corners and at school.
“When the water is pumped into the drum, chlorine is added and other relevant chemicals. This water is good for drinking, washing, cooking – we prevent disease and we’re healthy. Before the taps came, we were drinking unsafe water and getting sick frequently. And sometimes the doctor couldn’t treat us because of the overwhelming number of patients. And it was quite a distance to get to the water we used in the past, about an hour of walking.” Caroline, 15.
WINNING AT SCHOOL
Praise, 14, explained the impact of the solar-powered water supply on children’s education. “Things have changed here since the installation of this safe water. Now that we have water within the school, most learners have stopped coming late. When they come, they easily do their work. We are very thankful for bringing us this water here. The way things were then, we were getting unsafe water from very far away.”
Praise loves how the water supply allows them to grow plants other than crops. He enjoys the flowers children have planted around the school.
Teacher Dickson Khapira is seeing positive changes among the pupils. “There is also improvement in their performance because they are busy learning. Pupils at this school are doing well in class. All standard 8 pupils are passing and going on to secondary school.”
MAINTAINING THE FLOW
“My job is to monitor and maintain any problems that may arise with the system,” says community volunteer Kondwani Kawina. The children enjoy seeing him demonstrate how the system works. “I do this work as a volunteer because I love my home area, helping it to prosper and grow. We are lucky to receive this water development project. Some of our friends don’t – like our friends who had cholera cases – but here we were spared because we use safe, chlorinated water.”
