News and Opinions  –  2025

Children lead the way: ReAct’s novel approach to address antibiotic resistance

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2025-01-30

A meeting was held at the National University of Loja, Ecuador on 2 December 2024 with the participation of more than 50 students from the Faculty of Human Health, teachers, and university authorities.

This event, organized in collaboration with ReAct, focused on the role of microorganisms in sustaining life and the challenges associated with bacterial resistance, under the "Mother Earth One Health" approach.

Smiling woman holds a sign about the importance of microbes in a classroom setting.
A participant proudly displays a sign reading, “Pequeños, invisibles, pero indispensables siempre” (Small, invisible, but always indispensable), highlighting the importance of microbes in our daily lives. Photo: Private.

Innovative teaching tools

The day was highlighted by the presentation of the Alforja Educativa (Educational Saddlebag), a participatory tool developed by ReAct Latin America for educating children about antibiotic resistance, ecology, and health. The event was enriched by workshops, exchanges of ideas, and dialogues that promoted a collective understanding of microorganisms and their crucial role in human, animal, and planetary health.
Klever Calle from ReAct Latin America shared his presentation “The Microbial World and Life: Dancing with Bacteria,” an invitation to move from the “metaphor of war” to a deep dance of understanding and connection with microorganisms.

Young women working on an educational project with books and posters.
Participants engage in a hands-on learning activity, using books and creative materials to explore microbial life and health. Photo: Private.

Celine Woznica , Director Child to Child of the Americas,highlighted the “Child to Child” strategy as an approach to empower children, recognizing them as active agents in society. Meanwhile, Christian Tarqui emphasized the use of play and art as key tools to foster participation and understanding.

Testimonials from participants

Group of students sitting on the floor around an educational board game.
Students participated in an interactive group activity, using a large educational board to discuss microbial life and health concepts. Photo: Private.

According to one of the participants it was a workshop

“with a lot of knowledge and information, learning about the importance of child participation and their role as agents of change in health, really makes me think about how to contribute from my space as a student and future professional”

“I really enjoyed listening to the children and seeing how they are learning about the microbial world. I thought I knew enough about microorganisms; now I know that I still have a lot to learn,”

said another delegate.

Event posts available on Instagram here:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DDIoVZcNEDt/?img_index=1
https://www.instagram.com/p/DDN2sCWt47p/

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