The aim of the National Children’s Day celebration is to highlight progress being made towards the realization and promotion of rights of children.
Children’s rights encompass not just food and shelter but also emotional and social wellbeing. Each child needs as family or an adult that cares for them and is able to support them emotionally, guide them and protect them.
In many cases when parents suffer hardship children’s emotional wellbeing is forgotten or not considered at all. School is the place where children spend the most time outside their home. Children’s’ teachers are often the first ones who notice that something is not well in a child’s life.
At Life Child we believe in the value of providing a holistic care to our children. All our teachers are trained educators and have a heart for children which means they invest their personal time in getting to know each and every child and their family personally.
A child’s emotional wellbeing is at utmost importance to each of our teachers. One of our students in Malawi Melissa is a prime example how a caring teacher was able to help an emotionally struggling child to get to a better place mentally which subsequently improved her overall behavior, attitude and academics.
4-year-old Melissa was a normal, healthy and happy child who loved coming to Life Child Moyo preschool. She has a vibrant personality and loves interacting with her friends.
Unfortunately, Melissa encountered trauma when her parents divorced in November 2018. The parents were fighting over who will have the custody of Melissa. Her life was turned upside down when her parents finally, decided that Melissa will stay with her mom. Since Melissa had such a strong bond with her father it was very difficult and traumatic change for her. The absence of her father made Melissa was very emotional at school, she started crying during the classes, she often fell asleep at school which eventually led to her to not participating at all at school.
Melissa’s teacher noticed the sudden change in her and made sure she gets the extra attention at school. He also made sure he prays for Melissa’s emotional healing and life at home. He prayed that she bonds with her mom and she can recover from the trauma she encountered due to her parents’ divorce. We are happy to report that Melissa is feeling much better, her grades have improved and she’s bonding with her mom.
It is vital that the teachers have a proactive approach when dealing with children as their social wellbeing and academics are majorly affected by their home life. At Life Child the holistic care we offer our children has four main focus areas: health and nutrition, education, spiritual development and social development. We emphasize the importance of one, we value our children and care for them in a way that they can reach their full potential in life. Each child has the right be to loved and supported. Thank you for supporting the work of Life Child.
