“Children should not be forgotten in any situation, more so during a global pandemic,” shared Nicole Ndawula. Nicole is making masks for children we work with as her school social project for the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma. She has asked that we distribute the masks to children with disabilities to protect them from catching the Corona Virus.
“I want to support children with disabilities, give them a voice especially during this time when we are facing a pandemic,” she said with a smile “The masks will have printed messages raising awareness on how to promote children’s safety and how we can avoid environmental degradation.”
At just 17 years old, Nicole already knows what she wants “Allow children to have a voice, to speak out. I want children to have a voice, to be listened to.” And she is doing just that, making sure that children, especially children with disabilities have a voice.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had far-reaching and will have long-term negative effects on children around the world, Uganda inclusive, and especially children whose parents or guardians are being impacted economically. “I want to help children whose families are struggling to afford masks so that this is one less thing to worry about,” Nicole noted.
Nicole is not only passionate about giving a voice to children; she is also passionate about protecting the environment. She hopes to spread awareness on how to protect the earth through printed messages on the masks. “The world needs to be conscious of the environment and make it safe and clean for children so they can grow up healthy,” she shared her passion and a cause that is close to her heart, “As young children, we can teach the older generation how to take care of the earth for our own and the older generations safety.”
We are so proud of Nicole and her support for the children we support. We celebrate her today! Click here to get involved in our work.