As one of the FutureLife-Now! Phase 1 pilot schools, Fobane High School bears witness to the positive impact the programme is having on its learners. This is true for climate change, with many learners demonstrating improved awareness of climate issues, and importantly, now engaging actively to address some of the challenges. There is even evidence of positive behaviour change not directly related to their schooling.
Nkuebe Moshoeshoe, the FutureLife-Now! focal point teacher at the school, provides some background. The community where the school is situated has only recently (2019) been supplied with electricity: before that, the population was dependent on having to cut down trees to supply firewood for cooking and heating. This resulted in severe de-forestation: unfortunately, the cut-one, plant-two rule was unknown in these parts. The school faced the same challenges as the community: with trees gone, it was difficult to find firewood for cooking the daily meal provided to learners. Furthermore, it had to buy the produce, such as cabbage, to be cooked.
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The effects of climate change are increasingly felt across the globe, not least in southern Africa. Malawi has been particularly badly hit, with, for example, the monstrous Cyclone Freddy having wreaked devastation across the country last year. So FutureLife-Now!’s focus on climate action has resonated in the schools where it has been introduced.
This was the backdrop for two exciting virtual interschool climate dialogues that FutureLife-Now! facilitated in October 2023. Under the theme, “Understanding Climate Change: Exploring its Impact on Different Sectors”, the main objective was to afford learners a platform to exchange experiences, share best practices, discuss challenges and propose solutions pertaining to climate change. Ngowe and Natola Community Day Secondary Schools engaged together in the first of the dialogues on 9 October, with Mbinzi Community Day Secondary School and Dowa Secondary School following the next day.
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SC financially supported the Zambian Law Development Commission (ZLDC) to undertake consultations with communities and traditional leaders and conducted joint advocacy activities with the Joining Forces Alliance, which led to all six major international organisations working in the child rights sector in Zambia to prioritise advocacy on the Children’s Code Bill. SC joined forces with the National Child Rights Forum (NCRF) to lobby representatives of Italy, France, Ireland, Japan, Germany, Canada, Slovenia, Sweden, and Slovakia to urge the Zambian Government to adopt improved child legislation while building the advocacy capacity of local partners (e.g., NCRF).
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UNESCO
The links between education and health have received increasing attention, both of which are basic human rights.
In a bid to strengthen the capacities of future educators, online Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) training workshops took place during the month of September 2023 in the Khomas, Oshana, and Zambezi regions. The training was hosted by the International University of Management (IUM) Dorado Campus, the University of Namibia (UNAM) Main, Hifikepunye Pohamba and Katima Mulilo Campuses, and facilitated by the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture, UNESCO, and UNFPA.
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To commemorate the fourth International Day against violence and bullying at school including cyberbullying on 2 November, UNESCO is highlighting the strong links between school violence, mental health and learning outcomes.
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A significant number of children and adolescents around the world face school violence and bullying including cyberbullying, affecting their health, well-being and education as a result.
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According to the Mapping of Children on the Move in Africa2 , developed by the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child in 2018, «in total, between 2015 and 2017 approximately 18.2 million children moved on the African continent. [...] As the number of undocumented movements (e.g. seasonal movements in spaces allowing for the free movement of people) is not taken into account, this means that the scale of movement may in fact be much higher.»
Children’s mobility in West Africa is motivated by multiple factors: economic reasons, education, social context, family and domestic violence, conflict and insecurity, climate change or food insecurity are the main ones.
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In a groundbreaking effort to address the concerning low literacy and numeracy rates for early-grade children in Malawi, Save the Children has, since 2019, collaborated with the Ministry of Education to revolutionize teacher support and enhance inclusive education in the country. This collaborative approach includes partnering with local organisations - Livingstonia Synod, Community Action for Sustainable Development (CASDO) and Blantyre Synod - with the shared goal of creating sustainable and impactful solutions.
The initiative is aligned with the National Education Sector Implementation Plan (NESIP) 2020-2030, which emphasizes the need to review and digitize the teacher education curriculum to prepare Malawi's youth for the challenges of the 21st century.
Malawi's National Reading Programme Assessment in 2017 revealed disheartening statistics, with a stark lack of special needs teachers in 94% of schools, hindering inclusive education efforts. Save the Children recognized the urgency of the situation and embarked on a transformative journey to empower teachers and elevate the quality of education, thanks to support from NORAD.
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Children are among the most vulnerable members of society and need special protection. It's our shared responsibility as parents, families, communities and government to ensure that all of our children are safe from harm and grow up in nurturing environments. To ensure this, children have special legal rights which are enforced by the state.
What are children’s rights?
Children’s rights are entrenched in Section 28 in the Bill of Rights in the Constitution of South Africa. These rights are in the best interest of all children under the age of 18 years old. The drafters of our Constitution have made children's rights a priority. When it comes to any matter affecting a child’s well-being, the Constitution states that the best interests of a child are of paramount importance.
Understanding children’s rights
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Gaborone/Nairobi, 23 November 2023 – The prevalence of sexual, physical and emotional violence in several Southern African countries is among the highest in the world, according to a new report by UNICEF and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Across the region, an average of 17 per cent of girls and women experience forced sex in their lifetime and 80 per cent of children experience violent discipline at home in Southern Africa.
This report compiles a statistical profile of the prevalence of violence against children and women in Southern Africa and found this violence to be pervasive and persistent, affecting millions of lives.
The mortality rate from homicide among children, adolescents, girls and women in the SADC region was nearly double the average for the rest of the world. Child marriage is also prevalent in Southern Africa, with 30 per cent of young women married before the age of 18. Among these young brides, nearly a third (31 per cent) have experienced some form of intimate partner violence in the past year and across the region.
This violence takes many forms, including physical, sexual and emotional violence along with neglect and exploitation. Violence is often hidden, under-reported and perpetuated by harmful social norms, gender inequality, poverty, conflict and other structural factors, destroying not only individual lives but also threatening national economies, mental health and educational outcomes.
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