Take Action

In HOME IS WHERE YOU FIND IT, BYkids filmmaker Alcides Soares reveals some of the challenges and the responses of AIDS orphans in Mozambique. When thinking about some of the humanitarian issues presented in his film, consider Article 25 in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights:

(1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.

(2) Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.

For Teachers: Research

Ask your students to research statistics on orphans in the US, Mozambique and Afghanistan. How are these orphans cared for and treated? What conditions apply to all the orphaned populations, regardless of geography? What issues are unique to each country? What are the larger social implications of these issues?

For Students: Reflect

  1. Besides the lack of food, clothing, and shelter, what might be the emotional and mental implications of living life as an orphan? What might be the long-term personal impact for these young orphans as they grow into adulthood? What are the broader societal consequences of having large populations of orphans? How is your life perhaps different or similar to those of Alcides and the orphans you meet in HOME IS WHERE YOU FIND IT?
  2. Download the Keep A Child Alive – Kid Power Toolkit and organize a fundraising drive at your school. Remind parents and community members in your neighborhood about the great work that kids can do when they have the tools and support. See: www.keepachildalive.org/get-involved/kid-power

For All Of Us: Respond

  1. Host a community or private screening of HOME IS WHERE YOU FIND IT to raise awareness about the plight of AIDS orphans in Mozambique and how storytelling through film can deepen our understanding of global issues. Email info@bykids.org for more information.
  2. Sign a petition or start one of your own to raise awareness about the far-reaching implications of the AIDS epidemic in Africa. Visit: www.change.org/petitions (and search AIDS/Africa)

Created and written by Big Picture Instructional Design for BYkids.

Home Is Where You Find It

Airing on Public Television

Films BYkids

Films BYkids — a collaboration between THIRTEEN and the non-profit organization BYkids — gives voice to youth from around the world. The series pairs teenagers from diverse cultures with accomplished filmmakers to create short personal documentaries that educate and encourage understanding about global issues. Ashley Judd serves as series narrator, introducing each 30-minute film in the series.

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