A helping hand

It’s easy in the day-to-day grind of life to forget how lucky we are in the UK and to appreciate the lives we have, despite the imperfections, especially when it comes to our children – the ease of high-quality education and care for little ones, public services designed to help, and a relatively temperate climate, among other things. But that’s not the same story for every child in this world.

From the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan and Palestine to Haiti, Bangladesh and Kashmir, climate disasters, wars, repression, and exploitation are affecting the daily lives of children and preventing them from receiving the level of health, care and education that little ones everywhere deserve.

It may feel overwhelming to be aware of all these struggles, whether it’s children mining for cobalt in DRC or escaping war and violence in Sudan and Palestine, because it seems as though we’re too far away and powerless to help. However, there’s a lot of simple, easy things you can do to make a difference.

Being aware of, and curious about, the wider world is essential to children’s emotional growth as well as the cultivation of empathy and kindness.

Small displays that feature facts and images of the different struggles faced around the world can be an easy way to disseminate key information and draw attention to different communities’ struggles.

Charities such as Choose Love, Oxfam, The Red Cross, War Child, Action Against Hunger and Save the Children all have a variety of targeted campaigns that you can research to locate unbiased facts and information to keep yourself – and the community you serve – updated.

While Newsround is aimed at school-aged children, watching their world news reviews and focused specials yourself can be a good way of obtaining brief but informative overviews of difficulties around the world, while also picking up on child-friendly language and sensitive approaches to discussions.

It’s important that, should a child ask you about something they may have seen on the news or elsewhere, you don’t shy away from the topic or attempt to distract them. Being aware of, and curious about, the wider world is essential to children’s emotional growth as well as the cultivation of empathy and kindness.

There are many organisations and charities set up to raise awareness and fundraise for support, and one way of having a direct impact could be to enquire with these (look for local branches of national organisations).

Build small yet dedicated displays of up-to-date information and ways to help for grownups, providing them with child-friendly talking points and suggestions for how they can talk to their child(ren) about the world.

Simple fundraising ideas – cake sales (risk assessments and allergy checks are essential here), activity days for children and their adults, fancy dress – can be a good way of both raising awareness and taking action.

There are many reputable charities and organisations (local and international) working on the ground in areas experiencing hardships that provide food, shelter and medical care, and any funds raised can be routed through these so children can see the impact their action has.

In our monthly Book Nook section, we regularly share inclusive books that focus on issues affecting children. This is to not only help you build a diverse bookshelf and create engaging story-sharing sessions, but also to raise awareness, empathy and understanding among the children for lives that exist outside of their own experiences.

This month, we’ve focused on stories about migrant and refugee experiences for you to share that are appropriate for different age ranges and discussions.

Incorporating one, some, or all of the above suggestions into your setting can be transformative, gifting yourselves and the children ways to feel like you’re having a tangible impact on the lives of those affected by hardship around the world.

We may all be separate from one another, but we are still one – and children, wherever they are in the world, are our future. Let’s invest in them by building connections of hope.