60 children from Namwala district receive journalism and advocacy skills from World Vision Zambia

By Kambani Phiri, Communications Specialist, Zambia

World Vision in Zambia recently trained 60 children from Namwala district in Journalism and Advocacy to empower them with skills to report and advocate for their well-being.

Muchindu 15, a participant was excited to learn how they can speak up against ills affecting children in the communities.

I am happy to have had the opportunity to learn about various ways I can help end violence against my children in my community.

And Chipende, 14, thanked World Vision in Zambia for making it possible for children in his community to learn about children's power in shaping their future.

The children were drawn from six schools under Mbeza and Muchila Area Programmes namely; Muchila Basic School, Niko Technical Boarding School, Simanje Secondary School, Moobola Primary School, Shababwa Primary School, and Nachumba Primary School.

“World Vision believes that children and young people can play a significant role as agents of transformation with the capability to engage in decision-making processes,” said James Zimba, Ending Child Marriage Campaign Coordinator.

Mr Zimba said when children and young people learn to communicate opinions, take responsibility, and make decisions, they develop a sense of belonging, justice, responsibility, and solidarity.

World Vision in Zambia uses Communications for Development (C4D), which enables community members to tell their own stories happening in their communities. It is a form of citizen journalism that expresses the needs and successes that are taking place and is told by the dwellers of the very community. Trained journalists train the community members in story-telling abilities to enable them to have basic skills to write stories that create awareness, understanding and trust for impact and influence.

The C4D model is an approach adopted by World Vision and provides a developmental and participatory foundation for community-voiced and created stories, narratives, audios, videos, and photos.

World Vision in Zambia adopted the C4D model as one of the ranges of tools that contribute to community participation and empowerment in stopping and preventing violence against children, especially sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). C4D enables communities, especially children and youth, to become the empowered subjects, storytellers, and change agents of their development.

Although community voice does not only depend on C4D, it can be enhanced by C4D to achieve higher levels of community ownership, impact, and sustainability; C4D can also increase the relevancy and quality of community voice that can be captured and shared by communities.