This session examines through real stories the varied reasons why 40 million children in Africa don’t attend school. Children play a ranking game to explore obstacles to education. Suitable for years 5 and 6.

Discuss facts about voting in the UK: not everyone exercises their right to vote. Engage children on the right to vote and its significance in their own country. In two teams for and against, debate the issue of lowering the voting age. Suitable for years 5 and 6.

Look (again) at the list of UN Children’s Rights. Discuss whether or not children feel they have all their rights and explain how various people and organisations can help achieve them if not. Learn some words and phrases in link school’s language (or Swahili). Suitable for years 5 and 6.

Discuss the reasons why linking with a school in Africa is important & emphasise its importance in helping to fulfil the Millennium Development Goals. Chn tackle a CAFOD activity to act as advisers to an aid agency distributing funds to suitable projects. Suitable for years 5 and 6.

Look at case studies from different African countries and using the healthy box discuss what things are missing from the healthy box, which explains diffs between the UK & Africa. Children share their case studies and key points. A focus on children’s health. Suitable for years 5 and 6.

Discuss African proverbs about health and their meanings. Children design their own posters or prepare a drama /freeze frame to show meaning of healthy proverb. Compare to healthy proverbs/sayings in the UK? Suitable for years 5 and 6.

How hard can it be to carry water? Children find out the facts and discuss images of different ways of carrying water before trying themselves. Through activities on the playground children experience that water is heavy and challenging to carry over distances. Suitable for years 5 and 6.

Watch campaign films that educate people about the dirty water crisis in Africa. Children consider the hard-hitting facts learned and record how this makes them feel. Discuss what makes these films effective, in preparation for planning own films in the next session. Suitable for years 5 and 6.