Understanding Children’s perspectives on COVID-19

Children globally are adapting to the pandemic. Many children are reporting multiple difficulties related to COVID-19, including negative impacts to their mental health and well-being, lack of access to quality education and essential services, information shortages, and social isolation. Children are also finding innovative ways to navigate their daily lives and to support themselves and others in their new reality. Children are not only experts in their own lives but have the capacity to create and innovate that may not come easily or naturally to adults. Engaging children in understanding and creating solutions to challenges that they are experiencing in the different stages of the pandemic will lead to more tailored, contextualized approaches that draw on children’s strengths while addressing areas where they require support. However, too often insights from children and young people are not gathered or taken into account. Listen to the podcast and then watch this trailer for an insight into the lives of children living through COVID-19:

A pandemic through a girl’s eyes: 16 adolescent girls from nine countries film their lives under lockdown

Your Task

After listening to the video and watching the trailer for Coping with COVID-19, A pandemic through a girl’s eyes:

• Think of one programme that you have been involved in during the COVID-19 response.
• On a scale of 0 (No child participation) to 10 (Child-led or highly participatory), what level of child participation have you witnessed/experienced in the programme?
• Please share your rating in the comment box below and describe your thoughts on how children have (or have not) been engaged.