Unlocking the power to lead a better world - Day of the African Child 2021

NewsPublished on: Jun 9 2021

Day of the African Child (June 16th) is a day that calls for social justice, and every child’s right to a quality education, unlocking the limitless leadership potential of our African youth.

That leadership is evidenced daily by CAMFED Association Learner Guides – young women who completed school against great odds, now working to keep the most vulnerable children safe and learning. Delivering our My Better World life skills and wellbeing curriculum – which inspired an engaging TV and radio series, created by Impact(Ed) International – these role models help vulnerable children recognize and grow their world-changing “powers” – the inner strengths that help them improve their wellbeing, and that of others.

We follow up if children drop out of school, and work to keep girls learning and out of child marriage. As a Learner Guide I am a motivator, a role model to pupils in schools, and also in my wider community.
Dyness, a CAMFED Learner Guide in Zambia, trained as part of CAMFED’s UK Aid Match project

Meet three CAMFED Learner Guides from Zambia, who have been using their powers – like empathy, resilience, and selflessness – to look after the learning and wellbeing of vulnerable children in their communities:

We can’t afford to lose our future leaders – it’s in our power to keep girls learning and safe from abuse.
Learner Guide Dyness

Supported by CAMFED to complete secondary school, Dyness graduated in 2018, joined the CAMFED Association of women leaders, and seized the opportunity to be trained as a CAMFED Learner Guide. Now she delivers My Better World life skills sessions and provides social support to vulnerable girls – using her lived experience to recognize and support children in crisis.

Read Dyness’ blog: “We can’t afford to lose our future leaders”

Naomi

“Parents in the community are happy that they have me as the testimony of education.” – Learner Guide Naomi

Naomi, one of the first CAMFED Learner Guides trained in Zambia, is passionate about helping girls to understand their sexual health and reproductive rights, and preventing early marriages. Deeply committed to her work, Naomi took a teen mother into her home and supported her return to education. Following her experience as a Learner Guide, she hopes to train as a teacher.

Read her inspiring life story.

Chise

“The learners are attending because of the My Better World book — they want to learn it each and every time.” – Learner Guide Chise

When schools were closed due to the pandemic, CAMFED Learner Guide Chise helped children remain hopeful for a return to the classroom. Chise loves delivering the My Better World curriculum, guiding students as they discover their powers and become more engaged with education as the first step toward achieving their life goals and career ambitions.

Read her inspiring life story.

The activism of CAMFED Learner Guides like Dyness, Naomi and Chise in their remote rural communities was deemed an “essential service” by governments during the COVID-19 pandemic. The fact that these young women “first responders” were ready to step up came as a result of CAMFED’s #UnlockFutures UK Aid Match appeal: In 2018 we were able to train 211 additional Learner Guides in Zambia, thanks to the generosity of UK residents, with £1.3 million in donations were doubled by the UK government. At the end of the project this year, they had reached 16,761 marginalized children with My Better World life skills and wellbeing sessions, as well as additional social support. Read how Learner Guides are keeping girls in school and out of child marriage.

Now meet six African teens discovering their power to navigate life’s big challenges in this exciting adaptation of My Better World. CAMFED supported the development of this multimedia series, created by Impact(Ed) International, based around the themes of our curriculum, developed with, and inspired by, the stories of young women like Dyness, Naomi and Chise

Supported by CAMFED and working with young people and educators in five African countries, our partner Impact(Ed) produced 55 My Better World episodes, combining animation with short documentaries, following the adventures of six African teenagers as they face scenarios and make decisions relating to their education, family relationships and friendships. The series explores personal strengths (powers) and the development of life skills, entertaining viewers while fostering social emotional wellbeing. Characters discover opportunities, consequences and their own strengths. At each episode’s core, real people share their experiences in inspiring mini documentaries. These everyday role models – including CAMFED Learner Guides, Association Members and girls supported through school by CAMFED – and their personal stories of struggle, courage, and perseverance highlight the theme of the animated story.

Follow the series on the Aspire Africa Youtube Channel

The My Better World TV series has already reached viewers in five countries on nine television networks and in three languages, to a broadcast reach of over 140 million. A radio adaptation was developed in English, Hausa, Somali and Swahili to respond to distance learning challenges amid the COVID-19 crisis. Impact(Ed) International made the episodes freely available to support national educational radio programming in Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria, helping to keep out-of-school learners engaged. CAMFED worked closely with the Ministry of General Education in Zambia to adapt the series to air through the Education Broadcasting Service, as well as on local radio stations. The radio reach across all stations has already been upwards of 76 million

It’s in all of our power to keep girls learning and safe from abuse. By investing in CAMFED, you are catalyzing the power of the most vulnerable girls and young women to create the future they imagine — for themselves, for their communities, and for Africa.

Read Dyness’ blog: “We can’t afford to lose our future leaders”
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