All over the world there are people trying to make the planet a better place. Through Jelisa's story and the worksheet find out more about being an ‘active citizen’.
Jelisa's story
This is Jelisa Johnson. She is ten years old and lives in northwest London.
Jelisa has three sisters and two brothers. She is in year five at school and is very sporty. She says, ‘I want to be a gymnast at the Olympics!’
Jelisa and her friends are in the 2nd Sudbury Brownie pack. Brownies is a weekly club for girls aged 7 to 11.
‘I like Brownies – it’s fun,’ says Jelisa. ‘You go on trips and do arts and crafts and cooking.’
When you join a Brownie pack you make a promise to help other people. Jelisa’s Brownie group has been learning about the lives of people in other parts of the world, and they decided to make cakes and sell them to raise money for charity.
Jelisa says, ‘I wish everyone could have proper homes, water, education – all the things we enjoy here.’
What unfair things have you heard of happening around the world? What could you do to help?
The Brownies sold the cakes they made to their friends and families.
‘Children can do things to help others – they can give clothes, shoes, raise money, give to charities,’ says Jelisa.
Jelisa’s friend Niamh says, ‘And children can write to the prime minister too. Children have the same right as anyone else.’
All over the world people are doing amazing things to transform lives and make the planet a better place for themselves and for others.
Sometimes this means speaking up when something is unfair and sometimes this means doing something practical.
Jelisa and her Brownie group are being ‘active citizens’.
