NICARAGUAEVERY CHILD HASTHE RIGHT TO A

CHILDHOOD

Primary School Teachers’ ResourceThird to Sixth Class / Primary 4 to Primary 7

TrócaireLentenCampaign 2006

The story of Jaime from Nicaragua

Classroom activities and worksheets

Poster and artwork

Prayers for Lent

Trocaire Better World Award

Solidarity Action Card

inside

The Irish Catholic Agency for World Development

Lenten Campaign 2006

Trócaire’s Lenten Campaign 2006

Our Lenten materials for Primary schools comprise two separate booklets – one for Junior Infants to SecondClass / P1 to P3 and one for Third to Sixth class / P4 to P7. The materials for Third to Sixth class / P4 to P7 tellthe story of Jaime and his family who live on a coffee plantation in Nicaragua. Issues around children’srights are explored with special emphasis on education and child labour. The materials contain backgroundinformation for the teacher on Nicaragua and on Trócaire’s work. Also included is a Prayer Service and aClass Mass for Lent, children’s worksheets and posters.

We are again including the Trócaire Better World Award. The award is in recognition of the time andenergy teachers and children put into exploring the Lenten theme. Every child who participates receives acertificate and there are awards for groups whose entries are of special merit. Once again, we inviteteachers to encourage groups of children or a class as a whole, to enter their work on this year’s theme forour Trócaire’s Better World Awards. See page 3 for details. We are also inviting children to be part of oursolidarity campaign with Nicaragua. See insert for details and join with us in our dream for a better futurefor children everywhere.

Additional copies of this resource are available from Trócaire free of charge as well as versions as Gaeilge.

Page 3 Trócaire Better World AwardPage 4 Teacher’s NotesPage 5 Introductory ActivitiesPage 6 Convention on the Rights of the ChildPage 7 Jaime’s StoryPage 8 Child Labour Case StudiesPage 9 3rd & 4th class/ P4 & P5 activitiesPage 10 5th & 6th class/ P6 & P7 activitiesPage 11 3rd & 4th class/ P4 & P5 worksheetPage 12 5th & 6th class/ P6 & P7 worksheetPage 13 Coffee Plantation RoleplayPage 14 Prayer ServicePage 15 Class MassPage 16 Useful resources and addresses

Contents

ORDER FORM

I would like extra copies of the 3rd to 6th class / P4 to P7 Booklet

I would like copies of the 3rd to 6th class / P4 to P7 booklet in Irish

Name:

School Address:

E-mail address: Telephone:

Please send to Trócaire, 9 Cook Street, Cork or to Trócaire, 50 King Street, Belfast BT1 6AD.

Contents

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Lenten Campaign 2006

TRÓCAIRE Better World AwardAim:To encourage children to work co-operatively in exploring Trócaire’s Lenten theme.

Entries must be:• Based on Trócaire’s Lenten theme 2006• Done by pupils working co-operatively in groupsEntries can be photographed or sent in their original format.

What to do:• As children undertake the activities, keep their work or record their activities for submitting to the

Trócaire Better World Award. To help keep track of progress, fill in the Better World Award Postereach week.

Suggested activities:• Research the fair trade campaign on the internet and put on a display, design postcards to distribute

to your local shops to stock fair trade goods.• Make a video of the children undertaking the activities in this booklet such as the role plays.• Paint a mural depicting the issues covered in the booklet (contact Trócaire for information about the

Muralismo project - a project which Trócaire supports in Nicaragua which explores issues throughmurals).

• Put on an exhibition on the Lenten theme for the rest of the school, the parents, the local library,church.

• Put on a display of the Millennium Development Goals and how they could improvethe lives of children around the world.

• Hold a Nicaraguan cultural event for parents or other classes and record onvideo:- Distribute friendship bracelets- Display posters/art work/map of Nicaragua- Welcome people in Spanish- Prepare some Nicaraguan food - see Junior booklet for recipe for

nachos, serve with beans and rice.• Complete Solidarity Action Cards enclosed.

What schools will receive:

Members of each group who submit an entry willreceive a Trócaire Better World Award Certificate anda Trócaire Better World Award Sticker. In addition,there will be awards for groups whose entries areof special merit. The merit awards will include:• Rafiki – Trócaire’s CD Rom featuring over 10 hours of

games, stories, puzzles and adventures which link children inIreland with children in other parts of the world.

New Awards!

This year we have added some new awards for schoolswhose entries are of special merit - those which aredeemed to have made an extra special effort. • Fairtrade hamper• Laminated Peter's Projection wall map• Artefact from Nicaragua• Books or music cd for the classroom with a

global theme.

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Facts on

NicaraguaSize: 129,494 km2.

Population: 5,465,100. Capital: Managua. Currency: Cordoba (1 Cordoba= 5cent/ 3p. Ethnic Groups: Mestizo (mixed European and Amerindian)69%, European descent (mainly Spanish) 17%, Afronicaraguense 9%,Indigenous groups (including Nicarao, Miskitos, Ramas and Sumos) 5%.

Religion: Catholic 72.9%, Evangelical 15.1%, Moravian 1.5%, Episcopal 0.1%, other 1.9%,none 8.5%. Languages: Spanish (official) 97.5%, Miskito 1.7%, other 0.8% (English and

indigenous languages on the Atlantic coast). Life Expectancy: 70 years. GNP per capita: $2,470.Poverty Ranking: Ranked 118th poorest country in the world. School Enrolment: Primary 82%Secondary 37%. Government: Constitutional republic with elected president.

What Trócaire is doingTrócaire’s Central America Regional Office, based inHonduras and the Trócaire office in Managua, capital ofNicaragua, support local non-governmentalorganisations. The main types of project that Trócairepartners are involved in are –

Human Rights

Groups which work to ensure that children and adults areaware of their civil and political rights and that theirrights are respected. Dos Generaciones is a training centrefor children who work on a dump in Managua. Thecentre aims to educate children and their mothers with aview to getting alternative employment. Another partnerorganisation is NATRAS which has a network throughoutNicaragua to support child workers and educate themabout their rights. They campaign to raise awareness ofchild sex abuse and provide technical training. CESESMA isa group which promotes and defends the rights ofchildren and young people, through processes ofawareness-raising, reflection and action in partnershipwith rural children and young people, and other membersof the community. Trócaire has provided funding forCESESMA’s Rural Youth Theatre where children cometogether to write and produce dramas to educate thecommunity on various issues – for example child labour.

Building Democracy

This includes projects that provide people with trainingon how to negotiate with local government offices indeciding the priorities for government spending andhow to monitor government expenditure. It alsoinvolves training for groups that negotiate withgovernments at national level and with internationalorganisations such as the World Bank and theInternational Monetary Fund at an international level.

Promoting sustainable rural development

Trócaire supports groups involved in training farmers onhow to introduce new crops and farming techniques inorder to make their farms more productive.

Lenten Campaign 2006

A Brief historyof Nicaragua

Nicaragua, known as the ‘land of lakes and volcanoes’, isone of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere.Experiences of military dictatorship, civil war and naturaldisasters have hindered its development.

Nicaragua was colonized and controlled by Spain from1524 until 1838. The Somoza family, supported by theUSA, ruled the country from 1937 to 1979 amassinghuge personal wealth. Opposition to the regimeaccelerated when the Somozas pocketed internationalaid intended for people affected by the devastatingearthquake of 1972. A rebel movement called the FSLN,or Sandinistas, began a guerrilla campaign which finallyoverthrew the Somozas in 1979. The new governmentunder President Daniel Ortega nationalised the lands ofthe Somozas and established farming cooperatives.Illiteracy levels were reduced from 50% to 13% and theintroduction of an immunization programme eliminatedpolio and reduced infant mortality to a third of the rateit had been before the revolution.

The US government was alarmed that the Nicaraguanswere setting a dangerous example to the region and in1981, began a campaign of destabilization in Nicaragua– by suspending aid and funding counter-revolutionarygroups known as the Contras. In 1985 the USA imposeda trade embargo that lasted five years and strangledNicaragua’s economy. By 1990, when the Sandinistaswere defeated in elections as part of a peace agreement,Nicaragua’s per capita income had fallen by 33.5% fromits 1980 level. Since 1990 there has been a relativelystable democracy which has resulted in very limitedeconomic growth, but Hurricane Mitch devastated thecountry in 1998, killed thousands and caused billions ofdollars worth of damage.

In 2005, Nicaragua’s foreign debt was cancelled underthe Heavily Indebted Poor Countries initiative. However,the money freed up has been used to pay off theinternal debt within the country rather than supportinginitiatives that would improve access to education orimprove conditions for families who depend on childlabour to survive.

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Lenten Campaign 2006 5

Introductory ActivitiesConvention on the Rights of the Child

Aim: To introduce the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

You will need: The boxes from page 6 cut up.

To do:

1. Brainstorm with the class what people need in order to live a full life. Record their responses on theblackboard – you may need to differentiate between ‘needs’ and ‘wants’.

2. Explain that the United Nations believes that every child in the world is entitled to certain basic rights, andthey are listed in the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Any country that signs up to this Conventionagrees to protect children and promote their rights. Ireland signed the convention in 1990.

3. Ask individual children to take a card and mime the right for the rest of the class.4. Explain that you are going to be finding out about children living in Nicaragua whose rights are being denied

because of child labour. Encourage children to suggest which rights might be denied to child labourers.(See Lift Off and Rights in Flight for more activities on rights and responsibilities)

Mapwork

Find Nicaragua in the atlas. Ask the children to copy the map into their geography copies. Find and mark inthe following – Managua, colour and label Lago de Nicaragua, the Caribbean Sea, and the Pacific Ocean.Label Costa Rica and Honduras which border Nicaragua.

Millennium Development Goals

Aim: To make children aware of the Millennium Development Goals and the ongoing campaign to achievethem.

You will need: Copy of the 8 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) between every 2 children. (A copy wasdistributed to all schools in 2004 with the 'Trócaire at Work' booklet. The poster and booklet are alsoavailable to download from www.trocaire.org/education).

To do:

1. Explain the following:‘In 2000, world leaders met at a United Nations Summit. They set themselves eight goals aimed at halvingworld poverty by 2015. The Irish government was one of the first to sign the Millennium DevelopmentGoals. In July 2005 leaders from 8 of the world’s richest countries met together at the G8 summit.Hundreds of thousands of people around the world came together at ‘Make Poverty History’ concerts andcampaigns to encourage the leaders to make sure they achieved these goals.’

2. Distribute the MDG posters. Discuss with the class which goals will make sure that all children can go toschool. It has been estimated that it would cost about €4.5 billion per year to achieve Goal 2 – which is theamount spent in the USA on ice-cream every year.

Working Children

Aim: To introduce children to the concept of child labour and itseffect on education.

To do: Read out the following school report -

Estella's results in school this year are very disappointing. She hasbeen late for school most days, and in October and November shewas absent from school for days at a time. She rarely hands in herhomework on time and she doesn’t concentrate on her school workduring the day. Estella will need to make more effort next year ifshe is to succeed in school.

1. Ask the class to suggest reasons for Estella's poor performance in school. Then give the followinginformation – Estella works on a coffee plantation in Nicaragua. In the mornings she has to get heryounger brothers and sisters ready for school because her mother goes to work very early. In October andNovember the coffee is harvested and all the family has to help out. Estella works long hours after schooleach day, either weeding or picking coffee.

2. Discuss how Estella's home and working life may affect her school work. Explain that while Estella's story isfiction, it is based on the fact that one in three children do not complete primary school in Nicaragua.There are approximately 115 million children not attending school around the world today.

Lenten Campaign 20066

United Nations Conventionon the Rights of the ChildAll Children, from birth to 18 years, have:

The right to life;

The right to be with their parents or with those who will care for them best;

The right to have ideas and say what they think;

The right to practice their religion;

The right to get information they need;

The right to special care, education, and training, if needed;

The right to enough food and clean water; The right to play;

The right to free education;

The right to learn about and enjoy their own culture;

The right not to be used as a cheap worker;

The right not to be hurt or neglected;

The right not to be used as a soldier in wars;

The right to know about their rights and responsibilities

The right to be protected from danger;

The right to speak their own language;

The right to health care;

The right to meet with other children;

The right to a name and nationality;

Summary of Extract from the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Lenten Campaign 2006

JJaaiimmee''ss SSttoorryy**

Pronounced 'Hymee'

Jaime Ruiz is from Nicaragua. He is 9 years old and liveswith his family on a coffee plantation in Los Placeres about200 km from Managua, the capital city of Nicaragua. Thereare six children and one grandchild in the family and theyall live in a three roomed house. There are 40 families livingin a barracks on the plantation. The houses are made ofconcrete blocks and are joined together in rows. Jaime andhis family have lived here for five years. Before that theylived on another farm. Jaime was only four years old butstill remembers being woken up at 3 am in the morningwhen the family had to quickly pack up all they owned andtravel by truck to their new home. His mother explainedlater that the farm was bought and the new owner didn’twant to keep on all of the workers. Jaime hopes that theywon’t have to move again because he has made newfriends. He knows that his family don’t have much choicewhere they can live and work. There isn’t muchemployment in Nicaragua and at least in the plantationthey don’t have to pay for accommodation.

Jaime’s mother, Maria, works full time on the plantationand gets paid 29 cordobas (about €1.50) for 8 hours workevery day. Maria works very hard, because she knows shewill get fired if all the work is not done. The plantation’sSupervisor checks the work. It is hard, back breaking work.The children are allowed to help during coffee picking time,which is November to February, when they are on holidaysfrom school. Jaime works from 6am to 1 pm. The coffeebeans have to be picked by hand because they all ripen atdifferent times. They are paid according to what they pick –they earn 8 cordoba (45 cents) per 10 kg basket. The coffeeis exported to other countries. Many of Jaime’s friendsstarted picking coffee as young as 6 years of age, helpingtheir parents. Children between 10 and 12 years old workon their own. Jaime has seen the Supervisor beat workers ifthey leave coffee beans on the plant or pick beans that arenot ripe enough. Jaime feels it is very unfair but he knowspeople who complain about the situation are fired. Theplantation owner is a wealthy man from the US who ownsmany other plantations. Sometimes Maria and otherworkers have to go to these other plantations to work.They leave home at 2 am and arrive back at 5pm. Mariaworks hard and tries to keep her family healthy and safe. Ifanyone gets sick, the nearest health centre is two and a halfhours walk away and the hospital is two and a half hoursdrive away in Managua. Workers only get paid for half a

day if they are sick and if they are sick for longer than 3days they don’t get paid at all.

Education is very important for the children. Jaime enjoysgoing to the school on the plantation. Some days teachersfrom an organisation called ‘Cesesma’ come to the schooland teach the children about their rights. Jaime was veryinterested in learning about the UN Convention on theRights of the Child, and realised that a lot of his rightswere being denied to him. They also learn about naturalmedicine. One day in school they made an ointment fromVaseline and garlic to treat bites and cuts. In other areas,Cesesma also teaches about farming and how to farmwithout using pesticides but because Jaime’s family haveno land to grow crops on they cannot use thisinformation. Learning about such things has inspiredJaime to want to be a teacher one day. He would love tocontinue on to secondary school, but it costs 24 cordobasevery day to travel to the secondary school and his motherearns just 29 cordobas. Because of the cost, only twochildren in the plantation go to secondary school.

After school he plays chasing games with his brothersJuniakle and Kevin. His friend Raphael carved him aspinning top from wood and he and his friends havecompetitions. He winds the string around the spinningtop and throws it to the ground holding onto the stringand making it spin. Jaime likes to watch television for awhile in the evening.

When his mother finishes work, they have dinner. Thefamily eats rice, beans and tortillas, but sometimes theycan’t afford beans or tortillas, because the price has goneup. Maria would like her children to eat meat sometimes,but she can’t afford it. Cesesma tried to give the familieshens but they weren’t allowed to keep them.

Jaime would like to have more time to study and play,but he knows that the money he earns will help hisfamily to get by. He dreams of a better future for himselfand his family. He knows that some small coffee farmershave formed a co-operative and are getting a fair pricefor their coffee through a ‘Fair Trade’ brand. He isdetermined to get a good education which will help himto have more choices for his future.

Questions1 How does Jaime spend

his summer holidays?

2 How is Jaime’s life likeyours? How is itdifferent?

3 Look at the UNConvention on theRights of the Child.Which rights do Jaimeand his family nothave?

4 Trocaire supports theorganisation Cesesma.How has Cesesmahelped to improvethings for Jaime andhis family?

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Lenten Campaign 2006

Child Labour Case StudiesAim:

To learn about children who work and distinguish between children working and the worst forms of childlabour

You will need:

Copy of the case studies below for every group of 4 children. Sheet of paper for every group divided into 2columns – positive and negative.Poster accompanying this pack with photos of children at work.

To do:

1. Divide the class into groups of four. Give each group a copy of either Set A or Set B casestudies. Each child reads out one case study to the group, and identifies the child fromthe poster. (Francisco does not feature on the poster). They then decide on positive andnegative effects of working for each child (working with dangerous material, danger ofworking near roadway, less time for school/play, learn good work experience, earnmoney to help the family to survive.) (For younger age groups, this could be a whole class activity).

2. Explain that the worst forms of child labour is work done by children which can damage their health anddenies them their rights to play or go to school. Work which involves children helping out at home orworking for a few hours a week in a safe environment would not be considered hazardous. Discuss whichof the case studies could be described as examples of some of the worst forms of child labour. Discusswhat would have to change for children to give up work and spend more time on school work.

Follow up Activities:• Collect photographs of children working and write captions for them. • Hotseating – children take on the different roles of children in the poster, and are interviewed by the

class about their work and their lives.

Set A

Pedro Garcia is 11 years old. He works and lives with hisfather and family on La Chureca dump in Managua,Nicaragua. He collects tin from the dump and sells it onto companies for recycling in the morning and then goesto school from 12 to 3pm. He is in 5th grade and islearning to read and write. Every day a truck from thelocal hospital dumps waste, so there is a danger ofgetting sick from old needles or infected blood.

Francisco is 15 years old. He works in the quarry that hisfather owns for 3 – 4 hours per day after school. Hechisels out blocks using an iron rod and mallet. He islearning carpentry in a training centre. He preferscarpentry as he can earn more money and the work isn’tvery dangerous.

William Obando is 13 years old and works on the streetsin Managua. He works all day selling cashew nuts todrivers who stop at the traffic lights. He doesn’t go toschool. The man who supplies the cashew nuts pays him80 cordoba per day. He gives half of the money to hismother and uses the rest for food. It’s dangerous walkingin between the lines of traffic and his supplier can beathim if he feels he isn’t working hard enough.

Margarita Olibar is 11 years old. She sells Quequi (avegetable) which her aunt buys from a farmer outside thecity. She spends all of her afternoons walking around themarket selling a little bag for 3 cordobas. She comes tothe market with her aunt who is at another stall.Sometimes she feels nervous walking around the marketalone; she would rather be at home with her family.

Set B

Mercedes Natalia is 11 years old. She lives inManagua with her two brothers and parents. Shegoes to school Monday to Friday from 7 am to12.30 pm. Every second day she goes to a dumpnear her house. Mercedes collects big pieces ofmaterial and spools of thread and brings them toher mother who makes clothes for the family.

Katia Fernandez is 10 years old. She goes to schoolevery morning and then works in the market withher mother. They buy chilli, peppers, and potatoesin bulk then wrap them in little bags to sell at theirstall.

Kenya Velaquez is 15 years old. Her parents workedon a banana plantation. They have healthproblems from the pesticides that were sprayed onthe bananas. They are now fighting for justicefrom the government. Kenya does not go to schoolbecause she has to help out at home taking care ofyounger children, cooking and cleaning.

Daniel is 13 years old and lives in Galway. Hisparents have a farm and he helps out withfarmwork in the evenings after school and duringthe holidays. He would like to be a farmer when heleaves school.

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Lenten Campaign 2006

3rd & 4th class / P4 & P5 Activities

LanguageTeach the children the following phrases inSpanish. Ask the children to greet each other andintroduce themselves in Spanish.

Hóla (OH-lah) - HelloAdiós (ah-dee-OHSS) - GoodbyePor favor (pohr fah-VOHR) - PleaseGracias (GRAh-see-ahs) - Thank youCompañero (kohm-pah-NYEH-roh)- FriendComo te llamas? - What is your

nameMe llamo… - My name is…Barriga llena, corazon contento - ‘Full belly,

happy heart’said after you’ve had a delicious meal(bah-REE-gah YAY-nah, cor-ah-ZON con-tent-toh)

Geography mapworkFood around the WorldAim: to explore the links betweenIreland and the wider world.You will need: Foods or food labelsfrom around the world for thisactivity. Large map of the world.To do:1. Read out the following quotation -

“Before you finish eating your breakfast thismorning you’ve depended on half the world. . . .We aren’t going to have peace on earth until werecognize this basic fact.” Martin Luther KingJr.

2. Discuss what the quotation might mean. Do youthink it could be true? Direct attention to thefoods/food labels and list the raw materials inthe product. Use the list of raw materials belowand attach the food label or a sketch of the foodto its country of origin on the class map of theworld.

Raw materials – main producers

Tea: India, China, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Indonesia

Sugar: Brazil, India, Cuba, China, Thailand

Cocoa: Ivory Coast, Brazil, Ghana, Malaysia,Indonesia

Cereals: Russia, US, China, India, France

Coffee: Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Mexico,Vietnam

Orange juice: Brazil, US, Spain, Mexico

Fruit andVegetables: Netherlands, Spain, Italy, France

Visual ArtsFair trade coastersYou will need: Templateof circular coasters, lightcard, contact orlaminator.When you see this signon goods you buy, you know that the workersinvolved in producing them are getting a fair wageand fair working conditions and that child labourwasn’t allowed.To encourage your teachers/ parents to buy fairtrade tea and coffee, make and decorate a coaster– use the fair trade logo and think of a slogan.Laminate.Further activity: Design a poster to encouragepeople to buy fair trade goods.

English LanguageAims: to discuss the meanings of expressions; topredict and discuss likely outcomes.You will need: Copy ofworksheet on page11for every childTo do: Ask children towork in pairs to fill inthe first section of theworksheet. Then discussthe various suggestionsas a class. Ask thechildren to suggestproblems that thechildren they havelearned about might beaffected by – naturaldisasters (volcanoes,earthquakes,hurricanes) economicfactors (price of coffeefalling) personal (health problems) etc. Further activity: Encourage children to design aposter around the rights denied to child labourersand ask them to compose appropriate slogans.Find out more about child labourers – look upwww.schoolisthebestplacetowork.org

Religious EducationLinks with the Alive-O SeriesAlive-O 5 Term 2 Lesson 7:

God’s love helps us to love the world.Alive-O 6 Term 2 Lesson 5:

Body of Christ at workAlive-O 6 Video:

Trocaire project in Nicaragua features on thesection on Lent.

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Lenten Campaign 2006

5th & 6th class / P6 & P7 Activities

Visual ArtsFriendship BraceletsThese are traditional Nicaraguan craft.

You will need: 6 strands of embroidery thread or wooleach 60 cm long. Each strand represents a letter in theword FRIEND.

To do:

1. Gather the 6 ends and tie an overhand knot leaving a20 cm tail. Arrange them in the order you would likefor your bracelet. Tie the knotted end toa chair.

2. Take the first string on the left F andwrap it over and around the next string Rto make a knot. Tighten by holding Rand pulling up on string F.

3. Make a second knot the same way withstring F over and around string R. Pull upon F to tighten.

4. Now drop string R and pick up string I.Make two knots with string F over andaround string I.

5. Repeat on strings E, N, and the last stringD making two knots on each with stringF. Now F will be on the right. This makesone complete row.

6. Continue the next row by taking the firststring on the left, string R, and makingtwo knots over and around each of theother strings I,E,N,D and F. With eachrow the string on the left is worked overto the right side.

7. When you have woven enough to fitaround your wrist, tie another overhandknot to complete. To wear the bracelet,tie the two ends together in a squareknot and trim the extra strings.

English Language: Oral LanguageDebateTo do: Put up the signs ‘Agree’, ‘Disagree’ on either endof a wall. Invite all children to stand in the centre of theroom. Call out the statements below and invite childrento stand by the sign which reflects their response to thestatement. They should place themselves according tohow strongly they agree or disagree with the statement.

Statements: Children should never work. Child labourwill not end until there is no poverty in the world. All work and no play make Jack a dull boy.

Religious EducationLikes with the Alive-O SeriesAlive-0 7 Term 2 Lesson 3: Christian CommunityAlive-0 7 Term 2 Lesson 8: Spirit WindAlive-0 8 Term 2 Lesson 2: Spirit - Filled FireAlive-0 8 Term 3 Lesson 5: Kingdom Justice (Trade Game)

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PoetryTo do: Read out the following poem written on theanniversary of Nicaragua’s Independence.

If you see the streets getting widerIf you see the flowers blooming everywhereIf you see that in the hands of our childrenInstead of bombs they hold the dreams of our heroes.

It’s because today we’re all a year olderIt’s because today we grew a little moreIt’s because today our house is opened to youIn this Nicaragua that is free.

(‘El Anniversario’ Carlos Meija Godoy translated by RosaCarlotta Tunnerman-Pereira)

• Discuss what the poem tells you about Nicaragua’spast and present, about the people of Nicaragua

• Write out and decorate the poem.

• Write your own poem about Nicaragua e.g. aboutJaime or about what life is like for other child workers

Geography – Trade and development issuesYou will need: Copy of the coffee cards for each group

To do: Talk about the importance of fair trade. Give eachgroup of 4 a copy of the cards. Each group improvises ashort sketch around the following scenario: A shop isselling fair trade coffee from Nicaragua. A customer inthe shop is unsure whether to buy it. Three othershoppers try to persuade the shopper to buy it. Eachgroup acts out the sketch. Then discuss the importanceof fair trade.

Shopper 1 – You say that the fair trade coffee costsmore than your usual coffee. You’ve never heard ofNicaragua and don’t see why you should care about thepeople who live there.

Shopper 2 – You say you always drink fair trade coffeebecause it is delicious – the best coffee you have evertasted.

Shopper 3 – You talk about a programme you saw abouta Nicaraguan family who were selling their coffee to afair trade company. They now had enough money tosend all their children to school.

Shopper 4 – You looked up an Internet site of anorganisation working in the developing world. Theorganisation says the world trade rules should be changedbecause they are unfair to poorer countries. Until this isdone, they want shoppers to buy fair trade goods.

(Adapted from: Working Children Worldwide, Save theChildren)

Further Activities:

• Find out more about Fair Trade at www.fairtrade.ie

• Design a poster to encourage people to buy fair tradegoods.

• Carry out a survey of the teachers in the school askingwhat they know about fairtrade goods and whetherthey drink fairtrade tea or coffee at home.

• Ask the Principal and staff to introduce fairtrade teaand coffee to the staffroom.

Lenten Campaign 2006

Think about it!Look at the pictures below. Write what you think will happen to each person when they walk into the holes.

I think person A will ___________________________________ I think person B will __________________________________

_______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________

Talk with your partner and answer the question: What do you think the saying ‘keeping our heads above water’ means?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

For many poor people in countries like Nicaragua, life is like walking through deepwater; it is hard to keep going and even a small problem can become a big crisis. Peoplein richer countries might get help in hard times from the government. People in poorercountries have to find other ways of survival. In many cases, children are sent to work tohelp their families.

Look at the poster of Children’s Rights and in the box below, draw or write the rightsthat children who work may not have.

3rd & 4th class / P4 & P5 Worksheet

Ped

ro G

arci

a, a

ged

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11

Education for all?Using the information you have learned fill in the following chart;

Lenten Campaign 2006

5th & 6th class / P6 & P7 Worksheet

Reasons for not going toschool

What might help Who could help

No school

Have to work to help the family

Can’t afford school fees/schooluniform

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Trócaire supports an organisation called CESESMA which aims to promote and defend the rights of young people. Theywork with young people aged 10 to 19 to increase their self confidence, teach them about their rights and train them tobecome community educators. Community educators (promotores or promotoras in Spanish) get trained in areas accordingto the needs of their communities – better farming methods, health, nutrition and go on to pass on this to children andadults in their communities sometimes through community theatre.A ‘promotora’ explains “What’s helped me to change is that since I got organised with CESESMA, I’ve been working withchildren in my community. When I wasn’t organised I didn’t know anything about the Children’s Rights Code; now I knowall about it.”

For you to do:

Become a ‘promotor’ in your school! Decide on a topic to teach a younger class and devise an interesting method ofteaching it.

Find out about the Ombudsman for Children in Ireland whose job is to promote children’s rights. The job is new andshe will welcome your advice. Look up the website on www.oco.ieT

T

Millionsdon'thave

education

Can't reador write

Can’tcount

Can’t readmedicine

labelsDisplay the information onan ‘Issues tree’. Write thecauses for children not goingto school on the roots, theeffects of no education onthe branches and the possiblesolutions on the fruits.

Lenten Campaign 2006

Coffee Plantation MeetingCESESMA, the organisation which works with child workers and their families in rural

areas, has arranged a meeting between the plantation owner, workers and the localgovernment representative. The workers want to explain to the owner their complaints and to askfor better working conditions. The owner knows that because of high unemployment in the country,he can offer low wages and still be guaranteed a work force. The government representative alwaystakes the side of the plantation owners, who are very powerful in the country.

You will need: copies of the above role cards,pen and paper for each group, tables and chairsset up for a meeting.

To do: divide the class into groups of 4 to 6children. Explain to the children that they aregoing to pretend that they live in Nicaragua andthat they have been invited to a meeting todiscuss conditions of work for coffee pickers.Each group will be given a particular role card.(You may need to give the same role card tomore than one group if the class is large).

• Invite each group to read the rolecard. Checkthey understand their position.

• Invite them to write a list of the points theywould like to make at the meeting.

• Invite each group to send onerepresentative to the meeting.

The teacher will chair the meeting.Introduce each of the representatives,giving their role. Open the meetingby stating the issue to be discussed:The workers on the plantation areunhappy about their conditions of

work. They are concerned about a number ofthings and feel that their rights are not beingprotected. The plantation has agreed to meetwith them. He has invited a governmentrepresentative to support him. The workers havebrought along a staff member of CESESMA tohelp argue their case.

Your task is to hold the meeting and to come tosome agreement which will satisfy allconcerned.

At the end of the meeting, question each of thecharacters in role to see how they felt about themeeting: were they listened to? what were theareas of conflict? were they satisfied with theoutcome? Ask the group whom they representfor their views on the outcome also.

Invite the children to come out ofrole. Ask them to discuss what theythink will happen next for theworkers. Invite them to write aboutwhat happened at the meeting andto record the different viewpoints.Their final paragraph could includetheir hopes for the workers.

RolePlay

Coffee plantation ownerI employ children to work on the plantation because I don’t have to pay them very much for the

work they do. Also, because they are small it is easier for them to pick the coffee beans that are

close to the ground. The children go to school on the plantation in the morning and they work

in the afternoon. My employees get free accommodation and pay. There is a shop where they

can buy their food. I will not allow any trade unions because they are trouble makers.

Coffee plantation employeeI live and work on the plantation with my family. I work long hours and my children have towork also to bring in more money for the family. Even then I cannot afford to send any of themto secondary school. In some plantations the workers have small plots of land. If I had a smallplot of land I would grow crops for my family. They would be healthier and I would not haveto spend so much money buying expensive goods from the plantation owner’s shop. I wouldlike to learn more about my rights and maybe join a trade union but it is not allowed.

CESESMA employeeI work in the CESESMA project. We would like to support the workers to learn more about their

rights and improve their living standards. We would like the children to know about their rights

too. We can show the workers ways of looking after the health and nutrition of their families.

We also believe the owner has a responsibility to his workers and their families.

Government representativeCoffee is an important export product from our country. It helps to bring money into our

country which is poor. The owners of the plantations are very powerful people. At election

time they vote for politicians like myself and so we can work to improve our country. If the

workers cause trouble the owners will leave and move to another country to grow coffee.

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Lenten Campaign 2006

Prayer ServicePREPARATION: Show the section on Lent from the Alive-O 6 Video which shows the Dos Generaciones projectwhich is funded by Trócaire. The project trains children who work on the dump in skills such as dressmaking,hairdressing, carpentry, baking and electrical skills.

YOU WILL NEED: Friendship bracelets (5th and 6th classes), Trócaire box, children’s artwork from this pack, lightedcandle, crucifix, Trócaire Lenten posters, a copy of this page for each child. Practice reading the justice prayerbelow in Spanish.

Song Gather Round, Alive-0 6 Page 13.

Leader We come together today to thank God for the gifts He has given us and to pray for children aroundthe world. We will listen to a passage from the bible which shows how much Jesus loved children.Jesus’ disciples were complaining about people bringing their children for Jesus to bless, but Jesustold them he wanted to see the children because they were very special to him.

Reader 1 “Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them.But the disciples rebuked those who brought them. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me,and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”Mark 10:4

Reader 2 Let us pray that all the children in the world will have a chance to enjoy a good education.

All Lord hear our prayer.

Reader 3 Let us pray that children will be protected from danger and not forced to become child labourers.

All Lord hear our prayer.

Reader 4 Let us pray for world leaders that they may make fair and just decisions for people living indeveloping countries.

All Lord hear our prayer.

Reader 5 Let us pray for ourselves that we will always work for justice in the world.

All Lord hear our prayer.

Reader 6 (holding up the friendship bracelets)We will wear these friendship bracelets as a sign that we are supporting children in Nicaragua.

Reader 7 In the friendship bracelet, the 6 threads weave in and out together. Think of a person for each ofthe threads – family member, friend or one of the Nicaraguan children we have learned about. Saya silent prayer for each of these people.

PAUSE for a few moments for silent prayerReader 8 Let us pray for the people of Nicaragua and in particular for Jamie and his family. We pray that they

will be treated fairly and have their rights respected.

Leader: Let us pray together our Nicaraguan justice prayer.

All: Lord, to those who hunger, give bread.And to those who have bread, give them hunger for justice.

Senor, dales pan a los que tienen hambre,Sehn-your, dah-lays pahn ah lohs kay tee-ehn-ehn ahm-bray

Y a los que tiene pan,Ee ah loess kay tee-ehn-ehn pahn,

Dales hambre para la justiciaDah-lays ahm-bray par-ah lah yoo-stee-see-ah

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Lenten Campaign 2006

Class MassPreparation: For a class or school Mass, prepare bydecorating the altar with posters which accompany thisbooklet and show the Trocaire Lenten theme andcoloured cloths. Add flowers or foliage displaysgathered from the school grounds.

Entrance Hymn: The Spirit of God is Upon Us, Alive-0 5Page 33

Entrance Procession: Invite the children to bringexamples of their work such as artwork or written workcompleted from this resource. These may be placedaround the altar.

Penitential Rite: Invite the children to write down someof the rights denied to child labourers around theworld. As they are read out, all answer, “Lord HaveMercy” and “Christ Have Mercy” alternately. Invitethem to think of the times they have not shown love toothers at home or at school. All answer, “Lord HaveMercy”.

First ReadingA reading from the prophet Isaiah 58: 6-10Thus says the Lord: Share your bread with the hungry,and shelter the homeless poor, clothe the man you seeto be naked and turn not from your own kin. Then willyour light shine like the dawn and your wound bequickly healed over. Your integrity will go before youand the glory of the Lord behind you. Cry and the Lordwill answer; call, and he will say, “I am here.” If you doaway with the yoke and the clenched fist, the wickedword, if you give your bread to the hungry, and reliefto the oppressed, your light will rise in the darkness,and your shadows become like noon.

This is the word of the Lord

Responsorial Psalm: ‘Whatsoever you do’ Alive-O 5.

Gospel ReadingMatthew 25:14 For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, whocalled his own slaves and entrusted his possessions tothem. To one he gave five talents, to another, two, andto another, one, each according to his own ability; andhe went on his journey. Immediately the one who hadreceived the five talents went and traded with them,and gained five more talents. In the same manner theone who had received the two talents gained twomore. But he who received the one talent went away,and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’smoney. Now after a long time the master of thoseslaves came and settled accounts with them. The onewho had received the five talents came up and broughtfive more talents, saying, “Master, you entrusted fivetalents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.’ Hismaster said to him, “Well done, good and faithful slave.You were faithful with a few things, I will put you incharge of many things; enter into the joy of your

master.’ Also the one who hadreceived the two talentscame up and said,“Master, you entrustedtwo talents to me. See, I havegained two more talents.’ Hismaster said to him, “Welldone, good and faithful slave.You were faithful with a fewthings, I will put you incharge of many things; enterinto the joy of your master.’And the one also who had received the one talent cameup and said, “Master, I knew you to be a hard man,reaping where you did not sow and gathering where youscattered no seed. “And I was afraid, and went away andhid your talent in the ground. See, you have what isyours.’ But his master answered and said to him, “Youwicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did notsow and gather where I scattered no seed. “Then youought to have put my money in the bank, and on myarrival I would have received my money back withinterest. “Therefore take away the talent from him, andgive it to the one who has the ten talents.’ For toeveryone who has, more shall be given, and he will havean abundance; but from the one who does not have, evenwhat he does have shall be taken away. Throw out theworthless slave into the outer darkness; in that placethere will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

After CommunionInvite one of the children to read out the followingprayer as a post Communion reflection.

The Lord’s Prayer (from Central America)Our Father, who is in us here on earth, Holy is your name In the hungry who share their bread and their song.Your kingdom come,A generous land where confidence and truth reign.Let us do your will, being a cool breeze for those who sweatYou are giving us our daily breadWhen we manage to get back our landsOr to get a fairer wage.Forgive us For keeping silent in the face of injusticeAnd for burying our dreams.Don’t let us fall into the temptationOf taking up the same arms of the enemyBut deliver us from the evil which disunites us.And we shall have believed in humanity and in lifeAnd we shall have known our kingdomWhich is being built for ever and ever.

Closing Hymn: ‘Go Now in Peace’ Alive-O 5.

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Lenten Campaign 2006

The following resources are available from Trócaire Resource Centres

Our World Our History: The Maya of Guatemala.

Trócaire 2004 €6/Stg £4

3rd and 4th class. Strand Unit: Ancient Civilisations. Thisresource for teachers contains activities, A4 photographs andchildren’s worksheets on the ancient civilisation of the Maya.

Our World Our History: Nomadism,Slavery and Conflict.

Trócaire 2004 €6.00

5th and 6th class. Strand Units: Slavery,Nomadism andConflict since 1960s. This resource for teachers containsactivities, A4 photographs and children’s worksheets. Inthe section on slavery the history of the slave trade isexplored as well as slavery today, nomadism looks atnomads of Somalia and Irish Travellers, conflict looks atEast Timor and the Vietnam war.

Trocaire at Work, The MillenniumDevelopment Goals – Worksheetsfor 5th and 6th class / P6 and P7

Trócaire 2004 Free

This set of worksheets focuses on the MDGs and includesteacher’s instructions and worksheets profiling how projectssupported by Trócaire are working towards the goals. The 9worksheets for 5th and 6th / P6 and P7 class children providea range of activities linked to the Primary curriculum.

Global Gift pack for Primary schools

Trócaire, annually Free

This pack provides fundraising ideas for making adifference to poor people in different parts of the world.Children are encouraged to think of those who are lesswell off and to buy a global gift – a gift which will helpchange the lives of poor families around the world. Theglobal gifts change each year. Examples include a pig for afamily in Colombia, a schools kit for children in Haiti, agoat for a family in South Africa.

Rafiki – CD ROM

Trócaire 1999 €38.09/Stg£29.99

Contains over 10 hours of games, stories, puzzles andadventures which link children in Ireland with children in

USEFUL WEBSITE www.trocaire.org/education- Trócaire Kids Website contains fact sheets, stories from around the world,

activities and ideas for taking action on the environment.

Cork9 Cook St., Cork. Tel: (021) 427 5622, Fax: (021) 427 1874,e-mail: corkinfo@trocaire.ie

Resource CentresMaynoothMaynooth, Co. Kildare. Tel: (01) 629 3333, Fax: (01) 629 0661, e-mail: info@trócaire.ie

Belfast50 King St., Belfast, BT1 6AD.Tel: (028) 9080 8030, Fax: (028) 9080 8031,e-mail: infoni@trocaire.ie

Dublin12 Cathedral Street, Dublin 1. Tel/Fax: (01) 874 3875,e-mail: resources@trocaire.ie

Design and Print | Genprint (Ireland) Ltd.

E Printed on recycled paper

Written by Anne-Marie Kealy. Artwork by Olga Tiernan

Photography: Noel Galvin/AllPixThe Irish Catholic Agency for World Development

other parts of the world. Countries featured include: India,Guatemala, Kenya, Brazil and Rwanda. The section onGuatemala looks at coffee production. Rafiki is interactiveand participatory and linked directly to the aims andobjectives of the Revised Primary Curriculum. Age 7+

The World in the Classroom –Development Education in thePrimary Curriculum

Primary School Development Education Project CDU,Mary Immaculate College €12.70/ Stg10.00

A resource for teachers exploring developmenteducation methodologies and identifying opportunitiesfor a development perspective in each of the subjectareas in the new Primary Curriculum.

Lift Off

Amnesty International 2004. €15.

Activity pack for 3rd& 4thClass/ P4 & P5 on rights andresponsibilities. Pack sent to all primary schools in 2004.

Rights in Flight

Amnesty International, Available March 2006. €15.

Activity pack to educate 5th & 6th / P6 & P7 childrenabout rights and responsibilities. Both packs availablefrom Amnesty International Irish Section, 48 Fleet St.,Dublin 2. Tel. 01 6776361

MAPS

Peter’s Projection Map (laminated) 85cmx60cm,Traidcraft, €12/Stg £8

New - Video on ChildLabour in Nicaragua

Trócaire 2006, 10 mins, €5/Stg £3.

This video focuses on one of Trócaire’s partnersFUNARTE who use murals to explore human rightsissues with young people.