APUA 1/2021

VILLE PALONEN / SUOMEN PUNAINEN RISTI Girls need to be respected, says Ellen Henry, 18. Muhammad, 5, received a wheelchair and can now go outdoors. Support for girls’ schooling in Malawi Ellen Henry , 18, is part of the school’s girls’ group. The group discusses early marriage and pregnancy and how to make decisions or resist harmful peer pressure. − ‘One main reason for early marriage is peer pressure. Some pupils may encourage others to drop out of school. I think boys also need to change their attitude towards girls. Girls need to be respected,’ Ellen ponders. The Malawi Red Cross Society’s workers and volun- teers train and visit groups of girls on a regular basis. The improvement of the status of girls and women is an important part of the Finnish Red Cross’s development cooperation in Malawi. The Finnish Red Cross supports the work of the Malawi Red Cross Society with the help of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland and donors. The Danish Red Cross is also involved in the development cooper- ation. O The conflict in Syria has lasted for ten years Five-year-old Muhammad has lived all his life in the middle of a conflict. The paraplegic boy had to spend almost all his days indoors until his mother heard that the Syrian Arab Red Crescent could help the family. Red Crescent volunteers referred the family to a paediatrician and the boy’s health began to be monitored regularly. Muhammad also received a wheelchair and can now go outdoors. In the middle of a conflict, people with disabilities are often in a particularly vulnerable posi- tion. The Finnish Red Cross has been supporting the Syrian Arab Red Crescent since 2013. The sup- port of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, the European Union and donors has made it possible to improve the quality of life of people with disabilities, for example. The Finnish Red Cross supports the activities of units that offer physiotherapy as well as mobile teams that make home visits in 11 localities in Syria. O SYYRIAN PUNAINEN PUOLIKUU 11