Using Animal Care to Promote Empathy in Children

Hi, I am Niina, a Finnish intern working at Hlanganani Pre and Primary school in Piggs Peak, Swaziland.

In Finland, I grew up enjoying the companionships of pets, but many of the students attending Hlanganani did not. By having the two cats at the school, our objective is to support students learning to enjoy pets. Recently, I took 2 kittens to the school for additional sharing.

The kittens spent most of their school day up at the preschool where the children from grade 000 and 00 got to pet them and follow them playing around the classrooms. Some children were more reserved, where others wanted to hold them.

It makes me happy to see how the students are starting to show affection and care towards pets, because most of the students were very afraid of cats before the school started this project.

Much of the negative behaviour towards cats and dogs arises because children did not grow up with them in a positive manner. This is the negative cycle we are trying to turn around.

This project has three benefits - the veterinary services provided to dogs and cats at the community spay day, and at the school by the local vet; the positive impact observed by people whose animals received these services; and the influence this has on our social norms.

Thank you so much for your continued support to carry out this activity.  Thank you for sharing the greater message about the social norms arising from positive animal care.  It is these little things that overtime add up to big changes.