Did you know that 27% of the worlds population are children under the age of 15? That's a LOT of children! Every child is unique, and we believe every one is special.
The way YOU live may be completely different to how a kid lives in another part of the world. What do you think a schoolchild learns about in Africa? Can you think of the kinds of food they might eat in China? What games do children play in India?
In this part of Little Angels we are going to have a regular look at different countries and and continents and take a peek at how children grow up all around the globe.
Sadly not ALL children have an easy life - they may not have a warm bed to sleep in at night, or a hot meal every day... but that is why WE are here to help make the world a safer and kinder place for them, and we hope you will help them too.
AFRICA
This month we are going to learn about the vast continent of Africa, it's many countries and wonderful people!
So, what is a day like for an African child?
A normal day for an African child differs from country to country and whether they live in the city or in a rural village. In general children’s days begin early with morning chores and if they are lucky enough to go to school then they will need to wake early to start their long walk...many children go to school far from their homes.
At school children learn Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, and different languages. Children also have playtime.
Soccer is a big favorite in Africa. In the afternoons children go home to do chores, homework or play in their communities.
Games played in Africa.
Many African kids spend a lot more time working as part of their family and looking after siblings (especially girls) than there counterparts in the North, but there is some play as well. Here are just some of the things they like to do
Homemade toys from wood, straw, animal skins and bone, stones, found objects, etc.
Boys: Rolling hoops or tyres, soccer, basketball, volleyball, kickball, athletics, wrestling (Gambia), boxing (Ghana), bicycling; playing with trucks hand made from wood (palm), wire, tin cans and other found objects; play-dancing masks (Gambia); checkers, coin toss, marble race, go carts, hackey-sack
Girls: bicycling, kickball, jump rope, hopscotch (teley-teley in Eritrea); playing with dolls, often hand-made from wood, cloth, straw and found objects,"jacks" with stones (no bouncing ball); squat jumping.
Boys and girls: Hide-and-seek, marbles (not always with marbles; nuts, seeds, stones and dried fruit); dance, singing and music ( many of the instruments are made from old tins or cans)
So, no playstations or computers! Do you ever play any games like these?
There are many languages in Africa. Kiswahili is a language used throughout eastern Africa, including Kenya.
Kiswahili greeting: Jambo! Habari?
English translation: Hello! How are you?
