Outreach project for children focusing on SDG’s set to nurture and encourage future leaders
The United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Windhoek is embarking on an outreach project for children that accessibly relays development issues, particularly the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to nurture and encourage future leaders across the capital.
UNIC said in a statement that the project will involve doing various reading on an engaging children’s story book, ‘Frieda and the Sustainable Development Goals’, published by UNIC Windhoek in 2018.
According to the agency, Frieda chronicles a young Namibian girl’s journey in discovering what the SDGs mean while coming to terms with her power in achieving these goals as well as the power of those around her to change.
“Stories play a vital role in the growth and development of children and allow young readers to become friends with the characters, therefore teaching learners about the SDGs through reading, helps children with their confidence levels in how they can make a difference in their everyday lives,” said Anthea Basson, Head of the UNIC Windhoek.
The reading project aims to reach children between the ages of four to eleven at pre-primary and primary schools, special schools, kindergartens in addition to after care or day care centres in Windhoek.
UNIC said the educational reading initiative is designed to be fun for children and encourage their creativity and confidence, and it also provides a safe way of exploring strong emotions and inspires children to make their own predictions on what may happen next in the story
UNIC Windhoek has since invited volunteers with performance backgrounds to lead these inter-active readings to help children clarify and understand new words, build comprehension skills and increase attention spans.
Furthermore the UNIC said volunteers will implement an instructional practice by reading aloud with variants in pitch, tone, pace, volume, pauses, eye contact, questions, and comments to produce a fluent and enjoyable deliver of Frieda and the SDGs.
Since 2018, more than 3000 Frieda and the SDGs books have been distributed across the country, establishing Frieda as a reliable character for Namibian children to become more self-aware of the SDGs.
