Naod participating in gender club

“Before, we used to laugh or tease girls if they got blood stains on their clothes. We didn’t know. I feel ashamed when I remember that after I joined the gender club, and I learned through a KFW-funded UNICEF project implemented by Imagine1day. Now, I help them. I tell others to help, too,” says 13-year-old Naod Kassahun, a 7th-grade student at Sidafage Primary School in Afar, Ethiopia.

Naod is the son of a church servant and a mother who works in the hotel business. The moment the KFW-funded UNICEF project began implementation through Imagine1day in Sidafage, it brought with it gender clubs, life skills training, and community discussions that sparked a change in Naod’s school and Naod himself. Naod says, “Now, when a girl is in trouble, I help her. I tell the other boys, ‘Stop! Don’t laugh. This is normal, and we should help.’ We even teach other students and parents about periods and why girls should not be ashamed.”

In Afar, where harmful traditional practices like FGM are common, Naod also received training on ending these practices. He learned about the physical and emotional harm caused by FGM, and he decided to share this knowledge with others. “I told people in my community, ‘FGM can hurt a girl for the rest of her life.’ Before, I never knew this. Now, I know, and I tell others so we can stop it.”

The life skills training Naod received changed him in other ways, too. “Before the training, I would get so stressed, even if it was a small problem,” he says. “Now, I know how to think, how to solve problems, even when it is hard. I feel confident.” Naod’s transformation is not just in what he says, but in what he does daily—standing up for girls, educating peers, and being a quiet leader in his community.

“I want to say thank you to KFW, UNICEF, and Imagine1day. You changed me. You helped me see what is right. But as a 7th-grade student, I need to learn technology for my future. We need an ICT room. We need computers. Please help us get computers so we can learn.” Naod dreams of becoming a dentist, fueled by his love for biology, while he is transforming into a young advocate for girls’ dignity and child rights.