Children are particularly vulnerable to pesticide exposure, as their brain, nervous system and inner organs are still developing. In the Lao uplands, they can face different kind of exposures: from direct exposure when the pesticides are sprayed in the field or when playing with chemical bottles, to indirect exposure through consumption of food & water containing pesticide residues or while bathing in contaminated streams. These risks can be mitigated through actions, among which: an awareness raising campaign adapted to children that allows them to understand the risks to avoid them.
As future adults and potential future farmers, children have a key role to play to solve pesticide issues in Lao PDR in the long run. They also have a role in passing on knowledge about pesticide issues to their parents and relatives who might not have this knowledge yet, creating a ripple effect of better awareness about the topic.
From July to October 2020, CCL worked with the author-illustrator Joséphine Billeter, to develop a specific book: “Farmer Tuy’s challenge”. The book was developed through a participatory approach with project partners from SAEDA and Oudomxay authorities from Education, Agriculture, Health and Environment departments and offices. 2 workshops were organised to i/draft and rank the key messages to be included in the book, ii/discuss the storyline and the content of the book, iii/review the drawings, iv/discuss the use of the book at school level, v/review the Lao translation.
From July to October 2020, CCL worked with the author-illustrator Joséphine Billeter, to develop a specific book: “Farmer Tuy’s challenge”. The book was developed through a participatory approach with project partners from SAEDA and Oudomxay authorities from Education, Agriculture, Health and Environment departments and offices. 2 workshops were organised to i/draft and rank the key messages to be included in the book, ii/discuss the storyline and the content of the book, iii/review the drawings, iv/discuss the use of the book at school level, v/review the Lao translation
The children’s book mixes a mystery story with funny games and didactic pages. The different levels of reading the book facilitate the children’ understanding of key questions, such as i/what are the pesticides, ii/what are pesticide impacts on health and environment, iii/how they can protect themselves and their relatives from being exposed.
Published under Creative Commons licence (Attribution – Non-Commercial – ShareAlike), “Farmer Tuy’s Challenge – A day that change our village” can be used freely by any organisation to raise awareness on pesticide at both school and village level or even as a tool for training of trainers. Contact the editors (CCL & SAEDA) and/or the author (Joséphine Billeter – Oikeo projects) for more information.