At Afrogarden in Malawi, a group of teenage girls has gathered to participate in the Zamakono Club, which means “The Modern Club.” Over the course of four days, the girls will learn more about menstruation, sex, consent, and girls’ rights. The program is led by Lilleba Anckers, a midwife who is volunteering at Afrogarden for one month.
With the help of our educational materials, the girls were able to explore what human rights mean in their own lives. They were divided into small groups and worked with cards describing various rights. The assignment was to discuss and reflect on:
- Does this right apply to me?
- What's it like in our village?
- Do girls in other villages have the same opportunities?
The girls were then asked to sort the cards into two bowls. In one bowl, they placed rights that they felt were respected in their daily lives, such as the opportunity to participate in sports on the same terms as boys. In the other bowl, they placed rights that are not always respected, such as protection from harmful traditions. The exercise sparked many thoughts and lively discussions.
Knowledge That Inspires Engagement
Lilleba describes our materials as both exciting and very useful for group work.
She has worked with two groups: one consisting of girls aged 14–15 and another consisting of girls aged 16–17. The older girls already had some knowledge of human rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, but were not familiar with the United Nations and its role.
After the exercise, one of the girls said that she dreams of helping people whose rights are violated in the future. This shows how important it is to make knowledge about human rights accessible, understandable, and relevant to young people, no matter where they grow up.
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