As people around the world are taking precautions to protect themselves, their families and their communities from coronavirus disease (COVID-19) it’s also important that children can continue to learn, and that they can do so in an environment that is welcoming, respectful, inclusive, and supportive to all.
Our stuff at Smile a child Uganda play a vital role in this. Sharing accurate information and science-based facts about COVID-19 helps diminish children’s fears and anxieties around the disease and support their ability to cope with any secondary impacts in their lives.
What we are doing at SAC to protect the children.
- Communicating good health behaviours, such as covering coughs and sneezes with the elbow and washing hands.
- Encouraging regular hand washing, for at least 20 seconds.
- Trackig how children are washing their hands and reward them for frequent/timely hand washing.
- Use puppets or dolls to demonstrate symptoms (sneezing, coughing, fever), what to do if children feel sick (like if their head hurts, their stomach hurts, or if they feel hot or extra tired), and how to comfort someone who is sick (cultivating empathy and safe caring behaviours).
- When it’s circle time, children sit farther apart from one another by practicing stretching their arms out or ‘flapping their wings’ – to keep enough space between each other so that they are not touching their friends.