Volunteering over 5 years with organizations engaging, interacting and facilitating sessions in deprived communities on rights and education issues were as a result of being involved in capacity building workshops, conferences, advocacies and campaigns.
Most of these opportunities come in the form of direct and indirect engagements, trainings and facilitation with adults and young girls between the age-range of 15 – 18 years using participatory methods such as focused group discussions etc.
At MTW, I was introduced and trained to facilitate through experiential learning process. Its key framework on personal development has allowed me to make self-awareness and personal responsibility a priority.
Through MTW Get Global sessions, my knowledge on the SDGs has improved as I am challenged each time to research and plan ahead before running or taking up a session on an SDG.
In the realms of global and community citizenship techniques, feedback and reflection sessions especially from the core team after each session prepares me to be an active global citizen. It helps me analyse issues and believe that amidst challenges, there’s a silver lining.
For example, I once had a difficult experience with a school I was facilitating a GG programme. Where things looked blur because the school’s collaboration was weak, the professional support by the team led to massive improvement and my exposure to this challenge strengthened me more.
Being a change maker highlights different causes and effect but with the right tools, you will sail through.
Have a good read and stay immersed for the next episode of my personal impact with MTW
Volunteering has always been an easy commitment to me because of my personal goals of being an active changemaker wherever and whenever the need arises. Working with Move the World (MTW) has however been a learning and development phase of my life and experience in working with NGOs thus far.
One thing that sets MTW apart from different organizations of similar stature is the attention and emphasis on training. Training as a facilitator for the Get Global Programme was fun and challenging; challenging in the sense that it made you unlearn some things and also equipped you with new skills.
As a team, we had to go through every single activity that would be done for the thirteen sessions with the kids. Going through these activities not only equipped me with the skills needed for facilitating Get Global sessions, it also put me into the shoes of the children and made me understand some of the likely challenges the kids might face using different scenarios of facilitation. It also gave me a deeper sense of the importance of these activities in teaching about the SDGs.
My highlight during the entire training sessions was however setting for myself goals for the programme and writing them down so I could reflect on them all through the duration of the programme up until it was over. I still hold on to these goals and I am positive they are still attainable despite the Corona Virus disruptions on the programme.
“To eliminate hunger, everyone must be involved” – Bono
Human Rights Based Approach highlights elements as such Empowerment, Solidarity and Campaign. Empowerment comes in different forms; education, training, livelihoods/skills amongst others.
I quote: “Give a person a fish and you feed them a day. Teach them how to fish and you feed them for a lifetime ” Lao Tzu
Move the World as part of its rich programme, inculcates these in it’s sessions that is to encourage the practice of gardening to feed generations.
SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) seeks to eliminate all forms of hunger and malnutrition, especially amongst children. To help achieve this, we all have to be involved.
During Zero Hunger sessions, children are empowered through education, activities such as the Lines of Communication, True or False and Project Grow a Bean. These encourage skills acquisition in these young ones in order to make efficient use of available resources such as using coconut shells in making small gardens in their homes and thus to harvest organic foods. They are also instilled with quality personal and leadership skills by caring for their plants and to see their crops grow as well as teaching others in their communities on sustainable livelihoods.
During a session in one of our partner schools on Gender Equality, the students debated vehemently among themselves as to who should do what and who should not do what. It was disappointing hearing some statements being made by our future leaders. Some children were of the view that girls are responsible for household chores. There were many questions in mind. Then I realized who I was, a Change Maker!
As a change maker, it was a wakeup call when the late Kofi Annan, 7th United Nations Secretary-General said “Knowledge is power, information is liberating; education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family.”
This was an opportunity to take these young ones from their homes to travel the bigger world and wake the reality up in them. Timely, well planned and well taught through programmes such as the Get Global Programme liberate the minds from some old fashioned ideologies.
Children are generally influenced by what they see and hear. This goes a long way in forming the lifestyles of individuals. The 8th United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon, once said “Achieving gender equality requires the engagement of women and men, girls and boys”.
For us to develop as a society, as a nation, it is our collective effort not to discriminate against gender.
“A quality education grants us the ability to fight the war on ignorance and poverty.” – Charles Rangel
The aim of this goal is targeted achieving a state where youth have access to early pre-primary education, universal primary and secondary education, being equipped with relevant skills necessary for decent work and education that leads to sustainable development.
Interesting Facts To Note
Enrolment in primary education in developing countries has reached 91 per cent but 57 million primary age children remain out of school.
617 million youth worldwide lack basic mathematics and literacy skills
103 million youth worldwide lack basic literacy skills, and more than 60 percent of them are women.
Progress Made So Far
Over the past decade, major progress was made towards increasing access to education and school enrollment rates at all levels, particularly for girls. The total enrolment rate in developing regions reached 91 percent in 2015, and the worldwide number of children out of school has dropped by almost half.
MTW’s Involvement In Achieving Goal 4
During the Quality Education session, MTW through its Get Global Programme help participants have a broader sense of their communities, the offers they have for them and how they form apart of it. Of course, being a Global Citizen requires having an understanding of the SDG(s) and how education progresses them all.
Youth through specific innovative activities like the Human Hand-knot, What-Do-You-Know (Power of Education), Reading Buddy, Musical Chair, Passport Exercise and the Talking World Pillow help to develop youth in areas such as teamwork, active listening, mentoring, personal responsibility, creativity and self awareness!
The feedback gathered from not just the youth but also the teachers and the school authorities communicates that the inclusion of the program in their curriculum is helping their students enjoy lessons better and increase participatory engagements even in class.
State of Goal 4 During COVID19
In 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the globe, a majority of countries announced the temporary closure of schools, impacting more than 91 per cent of students worldwide. By April 2020, close to 1.6 billion children and youth were out of school. And nearly 369 million children who rely on school meals needed to look to other sources for daily nutrition.
What You Can Be Done To Achieve Goal 4
The goal is to transmit not only the basics, but also the skills and values to make our societies more equitable, resilient, and inclusive.
Implementing this ambitious vision of education will require new and broader partnerships.
Education has to receive higher billing, nationally and globally. New emerging-economy donors such as, the private sector, foundations, and philanthropists – must be mobilized.
A massive global push is required to address the plight of children and young people in conflict-affected countries
On a personal note, supporting institutions like MTW through donations and expertise to keep a program such as the Get Global running is considered highly vital. Nonetheless, getting others involve even at your community is essential as well. You can help raise funds and organise events and workshops to better educate your community and even your network about the essence of quality education and ways they can contribute.
In conclusion
Education is the key that will allow many other Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be achieved. Obtaining a quality education is the foundation to creating sustainable development. In addition to improving quality of life, access to inclusive education can help equip locals with the tools required to develop innovative solutions to the world’s greatest problems.
As global citizens, achieving institutional goals and SDGs by 2030 requires that we all work together by pooling our resources to bring about the needed changes in our world.
As the name implies, the circle of trust is a Game-Based learning activity which teaches students the essence of working together as a team in achieving the most unlikely results and solving problems.
How the game is played: Items needed
Human rights cards: a couple of cards with some human rights printed on them.
An open space
Activities
Just as is accustomed, the entire group is split into different teams. Preferably two if the class size is considerably small.
A circle is drawn on the floor for both teams. Preferably both teams should be at opposite sides with an open space between them.
The teams clump together inside their respective circles.
The space outside the circles is the lava and students are not allowed to touch this space.
The human rights cards are scattered on the lava at a fair distance from both circles.
Both teams have to devise a way to get as many cards as they can from the lava without touching the ground. This can only be achieved by working together.
Winner
The team which picks the most cards without touching the lava is declared the winner.
It is heart-warming to hear children call upon you when time is up for their activities. It is never a dull moment working with future leaders, especially when it’s aimed at shaping them for that future. After the distribution of the COVID 19 Workbook, most parents became curious about this book and Move The World as a whole.
Every parent wanted a workbook for their child upon seeing the contents. It is a great excitement within because I feel I have impacted the lives of others positively just by availing myself for this initiative. I believe change is not only about the physical things changing from bad to good but also making others see things differently.
Children in my community now have started to see themselves beyond their immediate community. It is our collective efforts at Move The World that has brought about this impact. In my community, I do not only inspire the children but they also have the name of Move The World embedded in gold in their hearts.
“The diversity in the human family should be the cause of love and harmony as it is in music where many different notes blend together in making perfect chord” –Abdu’l – Baha
Connecting with others often feels good. It is the feeling of empathy and kindness for others. Feeling enough trust with someone to share a sad experience or something you are upset about can be a very strong way of connecting with someone as well.
Feeling connected is the ultimate human condition. We as an organization are able to be our best possible self and feel valued and rewarded for this. We love what we do and as a team we connect to each other, this feeling of connection builds a critical foundation of trust in which employees feel they can have a voice and can make a difference. This is the best possible result for both leaders and employees, teams and organisations.
When employees are encouraged to connect, communicate and collaborate better, this leads to an increase in productivity, not to mention happiness. This, in turn, has a positive impact on retention, company loyalty, and of course, the overall performance of the organisation.
“Our greatest happiness does not depend on the condition of life in which chance has placed us, but is always the result of a good conscience, good health, occupation, and freedom in all just pursuits” -Thomas Jefferson
The aim of Goal 3 is to achieve a possible win over the fight against almost every disease. By promoting healthy lifestyles, preventive measures and modern, efficient healthcare, we are making huge strides in achieving this goal.
Interesting Facts To Note
17,000 fewer children die each day than in 1990, but more than five million children still die before their fifth birthday each year.
Children born into poverty are almost twice as likely to die before the age of five as those from wealthier families.
Children of educated mothers—even mothers with only primary schooling—are more likely to survive than children of mothers with no education.
Despite determined global progress, an increasing proportion of child deaths are in Sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia. Four out of every five deaths of children under age five occur in these regions.
Progress Made So Far
Over the last 15 years, the number of childhood deaths has been cut in half. Before the pandemic major progress has been made in improving the health of millions of people, increasing life expectancy, reducing maternal and child mortality and fighting against leading communicable diseases.
Coverage of the required three doses of the vaccine that prevents diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis increased from 72 per cent in 2000 to 85 per cent in 2015 and has remained unchanged between 2015 and 2017
MTW’s Involvement In Achieving Goal 3
Goal 3 is one of the key goals treated under the Get Global Program designed by Move The World.
In helping achieve this goal, Get Global Programme has the objectives of enhancing the understanding of mental health as important as physical health and the importance of their health and bodies.
Our effective facilitation procedure ensure by the end of the session, skills in leadership, self-awareness, coordination, memory, active listening and empathy have been improved.
The Passport Exercise coupled with other engaging activities such as the Half-Way Check In, Health Bingo and Lines of Communication consist of some of the creative ways through which the youth are engaged.
State of Goal 3 During COVID19
COVID19 classified as a pandemic that has literally affected every aspect of human life and has literally caused a halt to almost human activities has proven to have a considerable level of impact on achieving good health for the people. The pandemic provides a watershed moment for health emergency preparedness and for investment in critical 21st century public services.
What You Can Do To Help Achieve Goal 3
More efforts are needed to fully eradicate a wide range of diseases and address many different persistent and emerging health issues. By focusing on providing more efficient funding of health systems, improved sanitation and hygiene, and increased access to physicians, significant progress can be made in helping to save the lives of millions.
In conclusion
Concerted efforts are required to achieve universal health coverage and sustainable financing for health, to address the growing burden of non-communicable diseases, including mental health, and to tackle antimicrobial resistance and determinants of health such as air pollution and inadequate water and sanitation.
A happy mind is a healthy mind. And a healthy mind is good for the body. ~ Dalai Lama.
SDG #3 Good health and wellbeing pledges to ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages. Health is affected by a multitude of factors from environmental, psychological, social and economic.
Health relates to physical, mental and social status, and therefore our wellbeing centres on connection, being active, learning as well as give and take.
Get Global Programme in its session activities as well as the Covid19 Workbook lay strong emphasis on children’s health and helping them understand the importance of their bodies, mental and physical health.
With this interest in mind, we took inspiration from the Covid19 workbook donated by MTW which rekindled our energy and enthusiasm to workout.
Take your workout with you, inspire your families and friends. Our health is key as we survive.
