Secondary activity
Objective:
• To find out what young people think are the problems faced
by African countries in providing education for all primary
school age children.
You will need:
• Copies of the ‘Reasons’ statements cut up, one set for
each group of 4/5.
• Copies of the ‘Priority’ sheet, one for each group.
Time required: Approximately 30 minutes
Instructions:
• Give a set of the ‘Reasons’ statements and a ‘Priority’
sheet to each group of 4/5 in the class.
• Ask the groups to read the statements and decide, as a
group, why they think 40 million children in Africa will not
be at school today?
• Tell the groups to place the ‘Reasons’ statements on the ‘Priority’ sheet, limit the
number of statements in the Most Likely part of the sheet to three.
• Ask each group to feedback their thoughts about the question; make a record of the
most common ‘Reason’ statements.
Discussion:
The ‘Reason’ statements can be used to explore a range of issues:
•
Prejudice – statements like ‘Because they don’t want to go to school’ and ‘Because
they don’t need an education’, can be used to explore the negative ideas and images
the class have of children in developing countries.
•
Cultural – statements like ‘Because they can get their education elsewhere’, and
‘Because it is more important to educate boys’ can be used to explore how different
cultures view education.
•
Economic – statements like ‘Because they can’t afford to go to school’, ‘Because girls
are needed to work in the home’ and ‘Because they have to earn money for their
families’ can be used to explore how poverty restricts access to education.
•
Political – statements like ‘Because there are not enough teachers’, ‘Because schools
are not near to where they live’ and ‘Because there are not enough schools’ can be
used to explore the reasons why some governments are unable to provide an
education service for all.
The ‘Obstacles’ sheet can be used as background information to make the link between the
difficulties African countries have in providing an education for all and global economics and
politics.
Learning Africa secondary activity relating to Investing in people
http://www.learningafrica.org.uk/investing_activities.htm
Reasons statements
Because they don’t want
to go to school.
Because there
are not enough
teachers.
Because they can get
their education
elsewhere.
Because girls are
needed to work in
the home.
Because they
can not afford to go
to school.
Because they do not
need an education.
Because they have to
work to earn money
for their families.
Because the
schools are not near to
where they live.
Because there
are not enough
schools.
Because it is
more important to
educate boys.
Learning Africa secondary activity relating to Investing in people
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Priority sheet
Most
Likely
Likely
Least
Likely
Learning Africa secondary activity relating to Investing in people
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Obstacles to primary education for all in Africa
The governments of African countries would like to provide primary education for all their children by
2015 but have difficulties finding the money to pay for it. The main obstacles are:
Trade:
African countries don’t get enough money from the sale of their products on the world market – foods
like cocoa and coffee, minerals like copper and manufactured goods like clothes. African producers
are also adversely affected by subsidies paid to producers in rich nations and by tariffs which make it
difficult for African products to enter ‘western’ markets.
The Commission for Africa has called on rich nations to dismantle the unfair subsidies they pay to
their producers and lower tariff barriers on African goods. At the G8 conference in July 2005, rich
countries made a commitment to work towards cutting subsidies and tariffs, but did not agree how, or
on a timetable for doing so.
Debt:
African countries have to use the money they earn to pay interest on international loans. These debts
are owed to both individual countries and financial institutions like the World Bank and International
Monetary Fund (IMF).
The Commission for Africa has called on rich nations to cancel 100% of the debt owed by poor
countries in sub-Saharan Africa. At the G8 conference in July 2005, rich countries agreed to cancel
the debts of the 18 poorest nations in Africa. However, critics argue that this cancellation comes with
strings attached (‘conditionality’) and that the debt relief package is being used as a way to force
countries to open up to private inward investment and privatisation.
Aid:
African countries have often had little say in how international aid is to be spent – donor countries
tend to fund large scale projects such as hydro-electric dams which do not always benefit the poor.
The Commission for Africa has called on rich nations to donate an additional US$25billion per year to
Africa and commit to giving 0.7% of their annual income in aid. This aid should be predictable and
untied they say. At the G8 conference in July 2005, rich countries did agree to increase aid to Africa
by $25 billion over the next few years, more than doubling the amount of aid given to Africa in 2004.
There was also a promise by G8 leaders to provide access to anti-retroviral drugs for all people living
with HIV/AIDS by 2010. However, there was no agreement on donating 0.7% of their annual income
towards aid; European countries have agreed to work towards this figure, but not until 2015.
For further information on aid, debt and trade, see the student-friendly pages from Global Eye:
http://www.globaleye.org.uk/secondary_autumn2002/focuson/index.html
Learning Africa secondary activity relating to Investing in people
http://www.learningafrica.org.uk/investing_activities.htm
Primary activity
Objective:
• To find out what pupils think are the problems faced by African
countries in providing education for all primary school age
children.
You will need:
• Copies of the ‘Reasons’ statements cut up (one set for each
group).
Time required: Approximately 30 minutes
Instructions:
• Give a set of the ‘Reasons’ statements to each group of 4/5 in
the class.
• Ask the groups to read the statements and decide, as a group,
why they think 40 million children in Africa will not be at school today?
• Tell the groups to arrange the nine ‘Reasons’ statements in a diamond pattern, so that
the whole group agrees with the arrangement. The statement the group agrees with the
most is at the top, the one they disagree with most at the bottom, and the others placed
in between.
•
•
•
Ask each group to feedback their thoughts about the question; make a record of the
most common ‘Reason’ statements.
The groups will need to look at and discuss each statement separately, if the final
decision is to be a considered one. The mechanics of the making of the diamond
encourages discussion, although the discussion itself is the most important part of the
activity.
Bilingual groups may value the opportunity to operate in common language groups.
Discussion:
• Groups could feedback their first and last choices and discuss why they were chosen.
• Finally, in groups, talk about how the group came to its conclusions. Did the group
come to the same choice easily? Was everyone involved?
Learning Africa primary/lower secondary activity relating to Investing in people
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Teacher Notes:
• Depending upon the age and ability of the class the ‘Reason’ statements can be used
to explore a range of issues:
o Prejudice – statements like ‘Because they don’t want to go to school’ and
‘Because they don’t need an education’, can be used to explore the negative
ideas and images the class have of children in developing countries.
o Cultural – statements like ‘Because they can get their education elsewhere’, and
‘Because it is more important to educate boys’ can be used to explore how
different cultures view education.
o Economic – statements like ‘Because they can’t afford to go to school’, ‘Because
girls are needed to work in the home’ and ‘Because they have to earn money for
their families’ can be used to explore how poverty restricts access to education.
o Political – statements like ‘Because there are not enough teachers’, ‘Because
schools are not near to where they live’ and ‘Because there are not enough
schools’ can be used to explore the reasons why some governments are unable to
provide an education service for all.
•
The ‘Obstacles’ sheet can be used as background information to make the link between
the difficulties African countries have in providing an education for all and global
economics and politics.
Learning Africa primary/lower secondary activity relating to Investing in people
http://www.learningafrica.org.uk/investing_activities.htm
Reasons
Because they don’t want to go to school.
Because they can get their education elsewhere.
Because they can not afford to go to school.
Because they have to work to earn money.
Because there are not enough schools and teachers.
Because girls are needed to work in the home.
Because they do not need an education.
Because the schools are not near to where they live.
Because it is more important to educate boys.
Learning Africa primary/lower secondary activity relating to Investing in people
http://www.learningafrica.org.uk/investing_activities.htm
Obstacles to primary education for all in Africa
The governments of African countries would like to provide primary education for all their
children by 2015 but have difficulties finding the money to pay for it. The main obstacles are:
Trade:
African countries don’t get enough money from the sale of their products on the world market
– foods like cocoa and coffee, minerals like copper and manufactured goods like clothes.
African producers are also adversely affected by subsidies paid to producers in rich nations
and by tariffs which make it difficult for African products to enter ‘western’ markets.
The Commission for Africa has called on rich nations to dismantle the unfair subsidies they
pay to their producers and lower tariff barriers on African goods. At the G8 conference in July
2005, rich countries made a commitment to work towards cutting subsidies and tariffs, but did
not agree how, or on a timetable for doing so.
Debt:
African countries have to use the money they earn to pay interest on international loans.
These debts are owed to both individual countries and financial institutions like the World Bank
and International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The Commission for Africa has called on rich nations to cancel 100% of the debt owed by poor
countries in sub-Saharan Africa. At the G8 conference in July 2005, rich countries agreed to
cancel the debts of the 18 poorest nations in Africa. However, critics argue that this
cancellation comes with strings attached and that the debt relief package is being used as a
way to force countries to open up to private inward investment and privatisation.
Aid:
African countries have often had little say in how international aid is to be spent – donor
countries tend to fund large scale projects such as hydro-electric dams which do not always
benefit the poor.
The Commission for Africa has called on rich nations to donate an additional US$25billion per
year to Africa and commit to giving 0.7% of their annual income in aid. This aid should be
predictable and untied they say. At the G8 conference in July 2005, rich countries agreed to
increase aid to the developing world by $50 billion and much of this will go to Africa. However,
there was no agreement on donating 0.7% of their annual income towards aid; European
countries have agreed to work towards this figure by 2015.
Learning Africa primary/lower secondary activity relating to Investing in people
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Secondary activity
Objectives:
• To encourage empathy towards refugees and asylum
seekers from Africa.
• To explore why there are refugees and asylum seekers
from Africa.
• To explore the impact of the migration of skilled workers
from African countries.
You will need:
• Eleven large envelopes, one for each ‘station’ – put the
corresponding statements in the envelopes together with
any images (without the captions)
• A copy of the Information Record Sheet for each group.
Time required:
• 60 minutes
Instructions:
• Prepare the envelopes and distribute them around the
classroom.
• Write the headline: UNKNOWN MAN FOUND DEAD NEAR HOSTEL on the board
reporting the murder of an unknown individual/ foreigner/ migrant.
• Tell the students they have the task of finding out as much as they can about the
murdered man.
• Put the students into six or seven groups and give each group an Information Record
sheet.
• They will have approximately 20 minutes to visit eleven ‘stations’ around the classroom
where information will be found in envelopes.
• Each group is told which station is their starting point but after that it is important that a
group decides together where to go next.
• Any photos they find may give clues. They should be collected up at the end of the
activity and displayed on the board.
• They can read as much (or as little) of the information as they want before returning the
information to the envelope for the next group and moving on.
• They should be encouraged to work quickly to see which group can find out the most in
the allotted time. NB They will not find out everything. They may decide only to read
part of the information in an envelope before moving on. But in the class discussion
missing information will be shared.
• After the students have found out as much as they could about the murdered
man, the information on their sheets about his life can be shared and suggestions
made as to the identity of the people on the photos.
Learning Africa secondary activity relating to Investing in people and Governance
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Discussion:
Debrief the activity bringing out the following points during the discussion of the responses
on the Information Record Sheet.
•
Where did he come from?
o explore some well established myths around migration. The following links seek
to challenge the myths surrounding refugees and asylum seekers by focusing on
the facts:
http://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/downloads/news/PostElectionguideonlineversionE.pdf
http://www.refugee-action.org/information/challengingthemyths.aspx
•
•
•
•
o understand some of reasons behind migration
o understand the impact of migration on Africa
Why did he come here?
o explore differences in development within and between countries
o understand reasons behind migration
Why did he leave his country?
o understand differences in quality of life among different groups of people
What problems did he face in his new country?
o explore the value of good relationships and respecting differences between
people.
o explore bigotry and prejudice
What work was he doing and why?
o Understand why developed countries need migrants
o Understand the consequences for countries if skilled workers feel forced to
leave.
Learning Africa secondary activity relating to Investing in people and Governance
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The story of Keshor Chisanga
The students will be discovering this information in a variety of ways and it is important that
they know nothing to begin with.
Keshor Chisanga worked as a paediatrician in a hospital in Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe,
and was well respected by his peers and the patients. He came from a poor background. His
mother had picked coffee as well as bringing up 6 children. He had done well at school and
when his youngest baby sister died after contracting gastro enteritis he decided to become a
doctor. He was married with three daughters and a son back home.
For some time he had felt frustrated because he was not being promoted. Several times he
applied for senior positions and each time was not even granted an interview. He suspected
that this was because as a young doctor he had belonged to an anti government group
protesting about conditions in hospitals in rural Zimbabwe. Once, when he was on a
demonstration a police bullet had caught the back of his leg. He’d felt lucky to have such a
minor injury – one of his friends had been killed. He received some very threatening letters
through the post warning him that if he did not actively support the government his family
might “find themselves in difficulties”.
He decided to leave Zimbabwe and prepare a new life for his family in England. He had read a
great deal about England and believed it to be a free and fair country where people could get
a good education and live peacefully. But in England he could not find employment as a
doctor. He was passionate about his career and this made him very unhappy. He took work
wherever he could. Once he worked in a car-wash and once in a supermarket. He thought it
was easier for his workmates to accept him if he gave himself an English name – Joseph.
He believed that one day things would improve. Once the government gave him refugee
status things would definitely get better. But he didn’t realise it would take so long. There were
many things that he didn’t tell his family back home when he rang them or e-mailed them – like
the time he was fingerprinted .The man from the home office said it was just a formality but it
made him feel like a criminal. He didn’t tell them about the hostel he had been living in for 2
years either. This was one time he had felt most depressed – there was no privacy, something
he desperately needed while he was missing his family so much. The hostel was almost as
bad. He wanted a decent house so that he could bring his family over. He missed them all so
much.
He was beginning to hate the hostel – there were some people hanging around lately who
shouted racist comments whenever he or his friends came out. When he talked to his family
he tried to sound cheerful, even when he was exhausted after a 12 hour shift at work – or had
been walking the streets for hours while his room mate in the hostel slept after working a night
shift.
But recently getting through to his family was becoming very difficult. He tried to e-mail at least
twice a week or phone. Either there was no answer or the phone would be cut off in the middle
of a conversation. He knew that things were getting increasingly difficult for his family; there
were widespread food shortages in many areas. And, he was aware that they were in danger
of being victimised by the authorities. (In Zimbabwe his family were being carefully watched by
the police and all phone conversations listened to).
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Information Record Sheet
Try to find out as much as you can about the murdered man. When you
have visited a ‘station’ decide quickly and carefully which ‘station’ to go to
next. You have about 20 minutes.
Where did he come from?
Why did he leave his country?
Why did he choose to come here?
What problems did he face in his new country?
What work was he doing and why?
What else have you found out?
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Hostel
Cleaner 1
Friend 1
Friend 2
He was tall with nice brown eyes and a big smile. He had black hair
going a bit grey at the temples. He kept it neat and trim. He was
slim for his height.
He liked casual clothes but he thought he was a bit old for jeans. Of
course I told him that was daft – even grannies wear them
nowadays.
When it was our turn to use the kitchen he would make the most
delicious suppers. He said he was looking forward to his wife’s
cooking; she was the real expert. One thing was really weird
though….. that scar on the back of his leg – he wouldn’t tell me
anything about it.
I once heard him play a guitar - he was pretty good – he borrowed it
from that friend of his – the café owner. You want to know about the
day he was killed – I don’t know much - he went out to e-mail his
family that day and he seemed very agitated about something.
The Happy Wanderer
Acquaintance 1
Publican
Acquaintance 2
He took care of his appearance. Said it was important to look your best;
didn’t want anyone to think that people from his country didn’t know
how to dress properly.
Did he ever get angry – no! I never saw him angry but he was really
upset about the fingerprinting – he said it made him feel like a criminal.
He bought a paper about twice a week - he loved reading the news.
When I had time we would chat about things happening all over the
world. He was really interested in African countries.
He had great respect for this country. He believed England to be a free
and fair country where people could get a good education and live
peacefully. Not like in his own country.
The Travellers Return
Acquaintance
Barmaid
I think the government over there doesn’t like it when you disagree.
That’s what he said.
We all called him Joseph – didn’t know it wasn’t his proper name. He
often spoke about his family – said it wouldn’t be long before they could
join him over here.
Recently getting through to his family at the internet café was becoming
very difficult. Either there were no replies or the phone would be cut off
in the middle of a conversation.
Look – I’ve got a book he left here one day – I wanted to give it back to
him – there’s an email address on it.
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Detention Centre
Chief warden
Official
He stayed here for 9 months while he applied for refugee status. Then
he moved to the hostel in Leeds. Asylum seekers are not allowed to
work until they get refugee status. I’m afraid this takes a long time – the
rules are very strict.
I remember him talking about Zimbabwe and his family. He was doing
this for them – he said. He showed me this picture of his mother in her
village.
He did get fingerprinted once – it’s just a formality.
Home Office
Official
Minister
We were finding out about his professional background – he was a very
well respected children’s doctor in Harare in Zimbabwe. But he had
good reasons for being an asylum seeker. Ask his family. Here’s the
email address of his eldest daughter.
We now know that his family were being carefully monitored by the
secret police over there. Their phone calls were being tapped.
I know he was desperate to practice medicine; but these things take
time.
He told us that as a young doctor he had belonged to an anti
government group and protested about conditions in rural hospitals.
Café El Refugiado
Waitress
Café Owner
Friend
He came in every Wednesday for Fish and Chips – said it made him
feel really English – English people liked these he said –and so do I!.
He came in the other week and showed me a blue dress he’d bought
for his wife at the Oxfam shop. He was delighted – blue was her
favourite colour and he couldn’t wait to give it to her. He was really glad
he’d managed to get a job at the supermarket.
But he was really upset about those kids – said he never expected
something like this in such a fine country like England.
I was worried about him lately – he seemed very depressed. He
showed me this picture of his daughters.
He told us about his garden back home where his wife was trying to
grow roses. I think he really missed her.
And I know he lived in a hostel near by. It’s just around the corner. He
said he shared a room with two friends.
I know he was worried about his family; especially his eldest son who
was getting into trouble with the police – just like he did when he was
young.
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Car Wash
Migrant worker
Manager
Worker
He used to do something really important – doctor or something. I know
he went to a local pub sometimes.
Don’t know whether he was legal or not – I don’t ask questions. He only
stayed a couple of months.
The moneys rubbish – you have to be pretty desperate to work here.
Not many English people look for work here.
Supermarket
Manager
He worked here for a few months. Always on time and a good worker.
Said it was better than the last place he worked at.
I don’t know what we’d do without the foreign workers. There would be
none of this cheap food on the supermarket shelves.
Lately he was different – not so happy. Something was bothering him.
He mentioned that he was worried in case his family back home didn’t
have enough to eat.
Probably that gang outside the hostel – but he said they were just kids
and they didn’t know what they were doing.
Oh, and I know that he loved music – he often looked at the CDs we
sell here; he bought a couple for his son. Once he bought a packet of
chocolate buttons – said he was going to buy these for his little girl
when she came over.
He once told me he was a doctor at home – he was desperate to work
as a doctor here.
I know he wanted to get out of the hostel. There were some people
hanging around there lately shouting racist comments when he and his
friends came out. I think they came from an anti-immigration group.
Maybe the police know more about it. They have a unit especially for
these cases.
Co-worker 1
Co-worker 2
Police Hate Crimes
Inspector 1
Police officer
Police statement
1
Victims brother
We were told about the racist incidents outside the hostel and were in
the middle of investigations. I remember Joseph saying they were just
kids. He was upset about it – said he never expected something like
this in such a fine country as England.
The victim was: An African male; weight around 95kgs; age around 45;
distinguishing marks: scar on back of shin.
This individual may have been an illegal immigrant; he may have been
involved in terrorism; as you know the government insists we must be
constantly alert.
We are making every effort to find out who this individual is and who
murdered him.
We believe we have a witness and are waiting for him to come forward.
I have come here from Zimbabwe to identify his body. Our mother and
his family are devastated by this news. He called himself Joseph. He
thought it would be easier for people here to remember.
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Anti-immigration Action Group
Member 1
All we want is for the government to be really tough on immigrants.
They are flooding in from all over the place. Taking our jobs and our
houses. They even get free TVs!
He only came here to take our jobs – he was perfectly OK at home.
He’s only got himself to blame.
Don’t go blaming my lad – he wouldn’t hurt a fly. From what I hear that
man shouted at my boy outside that place they all live.
Member 2
Member 3
Internet Café
Wife
(Zimbabwe)
Eldest Daughter
(Zimbabwe)
Joseph? Who’s Joseph? My husband is called Keshor Chisanga –
that’s his family name.
About 5 years ago we got threatening letters demanding he publicly
supports the government. It frightened all of us. He decided to make a
new start for us all in the UK.
But he seemed to be becoming increasingly depressed. He was trying
so hard to get us over there. He knew we were being targeted by the
authorities here and the Home office in your country didn’t really listen.
Our grandmother told us that he decided to become a doctor after his
little sister died of gastro enteritis. He was the eldest of six children. Our
grandmother raised her children and earned money from harvesting
coffee beans. She was so proud of Keshor.
He was shot by the police while on a demonstration against the
government. He was lucky – his friend was killed.
He couldn’t get promotion here. He was such a good doctor. He
became increasingly frustrated about this.
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Photo Clues
Photo clue: Keshor’s first place of work
Photo clue: Keshor’s fingerprint
Photo clue: A witness to the crime
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Photo clue: Keshor’s grandmother in Zimbabwe
Photo clue: Two of Keshor’s daughters
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Photo clue: Manager at the Café Refugiado
Photo clue: Friend at hostel
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Primary activity
Objectives:
• To support children in their understanding of the disruption that
armed conflict causes to the patterns of every day life.
• To encourage children to empathise with Emma and her
situation.
You will need :
• Copies of Emma’s story.
• Access to computers or paper with which to make the ‘New Pupil
Brochure’.
Time: 45-60 minutes
Instructions
• Read ‘Emma’s Story’ to the class.
• Talk through the main events in Emma’s story and the
consequences of the conflict in her life. Highlight the number of moves and the reasons
for them.
• Ask the children about their own experience of having to leave a place, friends etc. and
the challenge of going to new places and meeting new people.
• Tell them they are going to write a brochure for new pupils in school. Ask them to reflect
on how they feel in new situations.
o What would make them feel welcome?
o What information might they need?
o What would help them relax and feel at home?
o Are there ways of behaving that make it easier for new pupils?
o Can they name the values and human rights on which this kind of behaviour is
based?
o How do the children welcome newcomers into their class and school community?
Note: Remind the children that not everyone speaks English so it is important to include visual
material.
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Primary activity
Objectives :
• To understand the situation regarding health care in Sierra
Leone.
• To empathise with Jariatu and the many health professionals in
Sierra Leone in making difficult choices.
You will need:
• Copies of ‘Jariatu’s Story’
• Copies of the ‘Reasons Statements’ cut up (one set for each
group).
Time: 45- 60 minutes
Instructions:
• Read Jariatu’s Story to the children and clarify any words or
ideas they don’t understand.
• Divide the pupils into small groups. Give each group copies of ‘Jariatu’s Story’. Ask
them to make a list of all the reasons why Jaraitu should stay in Sierra Leone and all
the reasons why Jariatu should come to the UK.
• Ask each of the groups to give one reason for staying in Sierra Leone and one reason
for coming to the UK (make a list on the flipchart / board).
• Ask the children what they would do if they were Jariatu.
o Would they stay at home or come to the UK?
o How would they feel about their decision?
•
As an extension to the above activity and discussion each group could be given a cut
up set of ‘Reasons Statements’ and asked to sort them into two piles:
o Reasons for Jariatu to move away from Sierra Leone to the UK
o Reasons for Jariatu to stay in Sierra Leone.
• When they have finished dividing up the Reason Statements’ ask the groups to
feedback and discuss their choices.
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Reasons to Leave Sierra Leone and Come to UK
Pay unreliable and small
compared to UK
More choice in the kind of work
available
Better pay and working conditions
in the UK
Fewer people die unnecessarily,
(Mortality rates lower)
Can do further training and get
promotion
London is exciting
Centres of medical
excellence/good hospitals
Earn more money and send some
home for the family
Better equipment and more
medicines available
Frustration at not having the
things you need to treat patients
Health care funded better in UK
More nurses on the wards to care
for people (better patient /nurse
ratio)
Fear of more fighting between
government and rebels in Sierra
Leone
Learning Africa primary/lower secondary activity relating to Investing in people
http://www.learningafrica.org.uk/investing_activities.htm
Reasons to Stay in Sierra Leone
There is a great need for nurses in
Sierra Leone
Staying at home and with people
and things that are familiar
Investment has been made by
Jariatu’s sister
You enjoy the work you are doing
Effects of the war on the people
and country
You care about your patients
You can use your skills to be part
of the re-building of your country
You will be lonely and miss your
family and friends
London has more expensive living
costs
You will have to use English which
is not your first language though
you speak it well
You might suffer from racist
behaviour in UK
Your family needs you to support
them with your salary
Learning Africa primary/lower secondary activity relating to Investing in people
http://www.learningafrica.org.uk/investing_activities.htm
Primary activity
Objectives:
• To explore the reasons why skilled people from Africa come to
work in the UK.
You will need:
• Copies of the role play characters.
• To arrange the classroom so that the children doing the roles are
facing the rest of the class.
Instructions:
Role Play
• Allocate the roles to pupils (more than one pupil can take the
part of any of the roles if they are too long).
• Set the scene – Jariatu is a nurse from Sierra Leone working in
the UK. Should Jariatu stay in the UK or return to Sierra Leone?
• Ask the roles in turn to give reasons why they think Jariatu should either stay in the UK
or return to Sierra Leone.
• The rest of the class listen to all the presentations and decide whether Jariatu should
stay in the UK or return to Sierra Leone. If there is anything on which they need
clarification they can ask any of the roles questions.
• In reaching a conclusion it may be helpful to encourage the children to think about whose
needs are the most important.
• Having listened to all the arguments the class vote. Ask the pupils for their reasons for
voting one way or the other.
• Depending on the maturity of the children you may wish to discuss some of the moral
issues that the “Brain-drain” raises.
Question Chain
• Ask the children to make a chain of questions, for example :
Why do doctors and nurses leave Sierra Leone and other African countries?
....because the governments there cannot pay for their skills…
…because they are attracted by better pay and conditions in Europe and the USA….
Why can’t the government pay for their skills?
....because of repaying their international debt…
....because of receiving inadequate aid…
Why are they in debt?
…because they borrowed money for making improvements like building schools and
hospitals and have to pay it back…
...because they don’t earn enough from trade…
Why don’t they earn enough from trade?
....because of the unfair trade rules imposed by the rich countries…
….because they get taxed if they process any of the raw materials for export…
Learning Africa primary/lower secondary activity relating to Investing in people
http://www.learningafrica.org.uk/investing_activities.htm
Role Play Cards
Jariatu Sesay
My name is Jariatu Sesay and I come from Sierra Leone, West Africa. I was brought up in
the countryside where there were few clinics and doctors. When I was very young I
decided that I wanted to become a nurse when I grew up. I began my nursing training at a
time when Sierra Leone was involved in a terrible war.
I became a nurse at a hospital in Freetown as soon as I passed the exams. There were
almost no medicines or equipment at the hospital where I worked. If people did not have
the money to buy medicines then they could not be treated. The government often did not
pay us for months at a time. Often there were not enough nurses on the ward as they
could not get to work because they didn’t have the bus fare to get there.
I volunteered to work on a medical ship for a couple of months. My volunteer expenses for
this work were more than my previous salary had been. My friends at the hospital had
stopped going there to work, as they had to look for other paid work to feed their families.
Then I heard from colleagues that there was a shortage of qualified nurses in the UK and
that I could earn a good salary there. I left Sierra Leone at the end of 2003 and started
work in a London hospital as a nurse. It is so good to be in a hospital where there are
medicines and the things you need to treat sick people.
I earn a lot more than I did whilst nursing in Sierra Leone and there are more opportunities
for getting a better job. I can send some money home for my mother and sister. However,
life in London is not easy for me. I miss my home and family and I am lonely. It is hard to
know what to do for the best.
Government Health Minister in Sierra Leone
I am very worried because we do not have enough doctors and nurses. This is partly
because we don’t have the money to train them but it is also because those that we do
train leave our country and go to countries like England. We are very concerned because it
takes a lot of money to pay for education and training for someone to be a doctor or a
nurse and we are not a wealthy country. It is very bad for us. It is not fair that rich countries
get our doctors and nurses. Poor, sick people here cannot be treated because we haven’t
enough doctors and nurses. I can understand that opportunities are better in England and
they get paid more but I think they should stay here and look after their own people. We
need them more. You should be training your own doctors, not taking ours. Do you know
that 12,500 doctors who are working in the UK come from African countries which are
short of doctors?
Patient in Sierra Leone
I had been injured in the war here. It went on for 10 long years. I was not a soldier but I
was injured when the building I was in was bombed. It took ages to get to the hospital and
I had to wait for hours for a nurse to be free to treat my wounds. You see, we are very
short of trained staff. When I did eventually receive attention the nurse was exhausted
because there had been so many people hurt and so few doctors and nurses to see to
them. We had no antibiotics or other medicines, so I was in a lot of pain. I had a very hard
time. Our country needs better health services. The doctors and nurses who have trained
here should stay and work here, not in other countries.
Learning Africa primary/lower secondary activity relating to Investing in people
http://www.learningafrica.org.uk/investing_activities.htm
Role Play Cards
Doctor in Sierra Leone
I can understand why so many of my friends who are doctors want to leave and go abroad.
The government needs to sort out the problems and improve our hospitals, give us what we
need to explore causes of illnesses so that we can find cures, then people will stay. They
need to listen to their people.
They would gladly have stayed if they got a decent wage, were paid regularly and on time.
We have the right to use our skills to earn enough to cover the basic needs of our families.
It is the “pushing factors” rather than the ”pulling“ that is causing people to leave.
Jariatu’s Sister
I knew for ages that Jariatu wanted to be a nurse, when we were little we played hospitals a
lot of the time! She used to get upset when people in our village died of illnesses because
they had no doctor or medicines. I had a job at a college training teachers and I saved money
so that Jariatu could train as a nurse. In Sierra Leone you have to pay for training. Besides
the fees she needed money to live on and buy books so it wasn’t easy. I can sympathise with
her feeling fed-up and upset working in the hospital in Freetown, with nothing that you needed
to treat the patients. I was very shocked when she found out about jobs in England; I didn’t
think she would go. After all there are loads of people here who need nursing. They won’t get
anything out of all the money I spent getting her trained. Also I am left to support my mother
and nieces and nephews on my own. But most of all I miss her; we were good friends and
helped each other if there were problems. I worry about her being so far away in a strange
land with people who don’t understand our way of doing things.
Patient in the United Kingdom
I was on the waiting list for an operation for months because the hospital had to close the
ward as they did not have enough nurses. I was getting very upset because I was feeling very
ill and was in pain. You can imagine how relieved I was to get the letter telling me to come
into hospital. It seems that a number of nurses from abroad have come to work here so now
the ward can be re-opened.
I don’t care where they have come from as long as my operation can happen soon! It will be
such a relief.
Government Minister in United Kingdom
We need people to work in our hospitals and have to ask in other countries if there are trained
people who are interested in coming here. Last year nearly half of our new nurses came from
abroad. This means of course that they are losing skilled people whom they need too. But we
have set rules to try and be fair when we are advertising for people from other countries. In
fact in some countries we don’t advertise at all. Of course people are free to apply to come
here if they want to. We won’t say no because we need their skills. We can offer more money
and our hospitals are better to work in. We can offer new career choices to them. If they go
back to Sierra Leone they will take their new skills and experience with them and then the
country will benefit. We are aware of the concerns in African countries and are now making
more places in medical schools to train more doctors. Anyway if we turn them away they will
probably go to countries like the United States or Australia.
Learning Africa primary/lower secondary activity relating to Investing in people
http://www.learningafrica.org.uk/investing_activities.htm
Primary activity
Objectives:
• To explore the health problems caused by drinking polluted water.
• To identify the solutions to problems caused by drinking polluted
water.
You will need:
• One copy of the Cholera in Benue State case study to read to the
children
• Copies of the ‘Problems and Solutions’ sheet (one copy for each
pair of pupils)
Time: 45-60 minutes
Instructions:
• Read the case study. Explain anything that is not clear e.g. that
germs can live in water.
• Children, working in pairs, read the Problems/ Solutions list. After
discussion with each other they match up each problem with a
solution, by drawing a line or an arrow.
• The children choose one of the problems and create an education poster on the solutions
or create a comic strip for use as a teaching aid for hygiene education, using the
information provided.
Extension ideas:
• Link this work with work on Victorian public health care and the difference that it made to
the well-being of city dwellers in particular.
• Carry out a “Thought Shower” with pupils, identifying ways in which we use water. They
may need some prompting on public and industrial use. On a personal level they could
keep a water diary over a few days, perhaps over a weekend, to monitor the ways and
amounts of water their family uses.
• Do the Water Conservation activity (see: www.learningafrica.org.uk/general/primary)
Resources:
The following resources will help address water related issues in the classroom:
• Clean Water, A Right for All. Active project work for children aged 7 to 12. Covers broad
environmental issues as well as those more directly water related. Available from UNICEF
• H2knOw: a Water Activity Pack for Schools. Contains information on water issues and
its use and includes class room activities such as quizzes and games, photo sheets on
water and health, access to water. Available from Christian Aid.
• Water Literate. Raising issues about water, development and sustainability in rural
Tanzania. Photos and activities for persuasive writing, poetry and stories for KS2 (upper
primary). Available from Water Aid
• Water Numerate. Maths lessons linked to Global Citizenship for Year 6 Term 3 and Year 7
Term 1, with photo posters. Available from Water Aid
Websites:
• Cool Planet: www.oxfam.org.uk/coolplanet/water An online resource “Water for All”, a slide
show with photos, activities, case study for 9 to11year olds.
• Water Aid: Ages 7-11: http://www.wateraid.org.uk/learn_zone/under_11/ Ages 11-14:
http://www.wateraid.org.uk/learn_zone/1114/default.asp Country information, case studies
and an online game.
Learning Africa primary/lower secondary activity relating to Investing in people
http://www.learningafrica.org.uk/investing_activities.htm
Problems and Solutions
PROBLEMS
SOLUTIONS
Case study
1. Shortage of water
A. Proper waste disposal by local
council
2. Waste going into the river
B. Keeping food covered, away from
flies
3. Lack of hygienic toilets
C. Using water from clean sources
4. Lack of education about healthy D. Washing hands before handling
living
food or eating
5. Food contaminated by flies
E. Washing hands after using the
toilet
6. Flies carrying germs and
diseases
F. Building latrines away from water
sources
7. Water source being infected by
polluted water
G. Government responsible for clean
water provision
8. Stagnant water (water that is
still / not moving)
H. Community taking responsibility
for keeping the area clean and free
of rubbish
9. Rubbish left lying about
I. Education programmes for
everyone especially women
Answers: 1/G; 2/A; 3/E; 4/I; 5/B; 6/D; 7/F; 8/C; 9/H
Learning Africa primary/lower secondary activity relating to Investing in people
http://www.learningafrica.org.uk/investing_activities.htm