The Continent of Children: What Moves the Youngest in Africa?

Africa is a continent of children. Approximately 40 percent of the population is younger than 15 years old. In contrast, the share of the youngest demographic group in Switzerland is only 15 percent. "The world knows virtually nothing about the children in Africa," says Michael Kesselring, Co-Director of Menschen für Menschen. "What occupies them? That's what we wanted to find out and asked the children to create drawings."

In the city of Debre Berhan, a two-hour drive north of the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, the Swiss foundation supports 1,800 children from the poorest families. One of these children is Rediet Mamo. The twelve-year-old lives with her brother and mother as her father abandoned the family. The picture Rediet painted is a self-portrait: "I am sitting at a table and writing." Writing stories is her favourite activity.

"One of my stories is about two sisters. One willingly shares her meagre food with the neighbours, while the other holds back. 'We barely have enough ourselves,' she says. In the end, they reach a compromise." Because you have to carefully consider what you can give away, explains the girl: "I like to share. But it's about finding the right balance to avoid suffering from lack oneself."

"This little story shows how, in our experience, many children in Ethiopia think," says Kesselring. "They reflect a lot on justice, responsibility, and community - themes that directly shape their lives."

While children in Ethiopia unlock their world with pen and paper, peers in Switzerland are long since turning to smartphones. Already 60 percent of ten to eleven-year-olds own a device, and among twelve to thirteen-year-olds, it's almost 80 percent. On weekends, teenagers spend an average of four and a half hours online. In Ethiopia, however, the internet remains inaccessible for most - 80 percent of the population lack access. For children like Rediet, drawing and writing remain the primary means to stimulate their imagination.

Undiscovered Talents

In many poor families, creative talents remain undiscovered because there is neither time nor means to nurture them. Therefore, Menschen für Menschen specifically focuses on creative programs. "Drawing and writing are ways to process experiences, organise thoughts, and find a voice," claims Kesselring.

This is evident from the picture of Yosef Wondewossen, ten years old. He has depicted himself with his little sister under an umbrella as heavy raindrops fall on their house. "The roof is full of holes. When it rains, everything gets wet - even our blankets. Then we can't sleep," Yosef shares.

Such living conditions are a reality for many families in Ethiopia: they live in cramped spaces, often in wooden, cardboard, and metal shanties, without sewage systems and no protection against rain floods. "Often, an entire family shares a single room of twelve square meters," Kesselring states. "The contrast to Switzerland could hardly be greater: around 46.6 square meters of living space are available per person on average." Menschen für Menschen builds simple mud houses with tin roofs in Debre Berhan for particularly needy families, providing children like Yosef with a piece of security.

Hiwot Abate, eleven years old, has painted the Ethiopian flag, with a group of children in front of it: Every morning, students gather in the schoolyard and sing before lessons start. "I forgot the lyrics," says the student. The reason: She is no longer allowed to attend school.

Her father explained that the family doesn't even have enough money for food, let alone for a school uniform. Her mother works as a day laborer while Hiwot looks after the two-year-old twins. "I miss school and my friends," she shares, "English was my favourite subject - I wanted to speak it as well as foreigners do."

"Hiwot illustrates what poverty means," explains Kesselring. "Without school, children have no prospects." Therefore, Menschen für Menschen involves parents in the children's project: Mothers receive training and start-up capital for their own businesses. With the start of the new school year, Hiwot can return to school - supported by the foundation's program: "The children receive school materials and uniforms, and needy families are supported with food."

Rent or School

Biruk Fanta, eleven years old, also had to temporarily leave school. In his picture, he has drawn himself herding cattle - a memory of the time he lived with his grandmother in the countryside. In the mornings, he was a student, and in the afternoons, he drove oxen, goats, and sheep to the pastures with his friend. "I was a good student. I was usually first in my class," he recalls.

But soon, the grandmother did not have enough food for both. So Biruk had to return to his mother in the city. There, the teachers required each child to pay 1,000 Birr (approximately seven francs) for chalk and materials. His mother had already laboriously saved the money. But then the landlord demanded the rent and threatened eviction. She paid - leaving nothing for school.

Every day, Biruk stood by the road, watching other children hurry to their classrooms. His mother reflects: "That sight was so painful!" With support from Menschen für Menschen, Biruk can now attend lessons again. "I want to learn. I want to be a teacher," he expresses. "I want to help children."

"Remarkable is that, in the children's images - except for the wish for a more solid roof - there are hardly any material wishes," emphasizes Kesselring. "While in Switzerland, on average, nearly 300 francs are spent per person on Christmas gifts, the children in our project mainly wish for security and community - and better prospects for their families."

Another example is Dawit Getachew, eight years old. His picture shows him in uniform as the pilot of an Ethiopian Airlines aircraft. "I see the planes in the sky," he says. "As a pilot, I could help my parents and my three siblings." If that dream does not come true, Dawit already has a Plan B: "Then I'll become a truck driver. They also earn money."

Whether pilot, teacher, or writer - the children of Debre Berhan dream not of gifts but of a future they can shape themselves.

Donation account: Postal account 90-700 000-4, IBAN: CH97 0900 0000 9070 0000 4, Online donations: www.mfm.ch

Media Contact:

For additional information or interviews with experts, please contact:

Michael Kesselring

m.kesselring@mfm.ch

Tel.: +41 (0)43 499 10 60

Editor's note: Image rights belong to the respective publisher.