Zambia for WAAW: Maarifa kids book day

2025-11-26

To celebrate World AMR Awareness Week 2025, the ReAct Africa project Maarifa Kids partnered with Belleza Talent Agency to host an AMR Awareness Book Day on 22 November 2025. This at the ReAct Africa Regional Office in Lusaka, Zambia.

The book-day gathered 26 children and centered on a reading of “Kisembo the Gifted Teacher” by Maureen Kisaakye. The book follows Kisembo, a teacher with the ability to see the future, who warns her community after one of her pupils stops taking his medicine because it tastes unpleasant, leading him to unknowingly spread illness. Using this narrative, the session introduced children to antibiotic resistance, health and hygiene through storytelling as a fun and accessible learning tool.

The day raised awareness about :

• taking medicine as prescribed
• preventing the spread of germs
• practicing good hygien
• eating nutritious food and
• washing hands with soap and water for at least 40 seconds.

Facilitators guided the children through the story, after which they acted out scenes, answered questions, and wrote healthy habits on a wall display. The children also demonstrated handwashing techniques they remembered from previous Maarifa Kids engagements.

The activity was highly interactive, with the children showing a strong understanding of the story and its lessons, especially the importance of handwashing to prevent illness. Moving forward, Maarifa Kids will continue using storytelling and creative activities to help children spread AMR awareness at home, in school and among their friends.