Health and Wellbeing
We fund weekly wellbeing sessions for orphans and vulnerable children to help address their often overlooked emotional needs. The sessions offer children the chance to process their emotions in a safe and nurturing environment. BFZ train volunteer counsellors to lead the sessions and offer activities such as dance, drama and arts to help the children to express their emotions and identify positive solutions.
We work with communities with very high levels of poverty, where children are particularly vulnerable to abuse and neglect. Over 45.9 per cent of adolescent girls in and women in Zambia are exposed to Gender Based Violence and prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Zambia among females aged 15-49 years is 11.3 per cent.
BFZ Wellbeing sessions raise awareness of issues like abuse, early marriage and HIV/AIDS prevention, combining fun and play with a serious underlying message.
Our Wellbeing sessions provide an opportunity to “check-in” with the children on a regular basis – increasing the likelihood that instances of abuse or psychological issues will be identified and addressed. We provide a meal at every session, which is an excellent regular source of nutrition for the children and reduces the burden on their household.
“Children have got stories to tell. They will tell me stories they cannot tell their families or carers. In drawings the children can really put things in that they cannot describe. It’s really remarkable. They will draw a person asleep and we can talk about their mother or father who passed. I try to show them… when you are grieving it’s not the end of everything, there is still life ahead of you” Clara, BFZ Project Assistant and trained Child Counsellor
Buy an alternative gift and support us to provide a Wellbeing Session to a vulnerable young person.