A Place for Joy, Made by Their Own Hands

Questa nuova Foto della Giornata shows three children in Haray with a branch-made toy. One boy sits on the wooden frame, another holds its handles, and a third crouches nearby. We took this photograph while installing electricity at a school, during an activity that also included medical care. These children make room for play.

Children make room for play

Look at the boy in blue. His hands grip the wood beside him; his feet rest along the branches. Another child has taken the handles. A few pieces of wood and recovered materials have become a game they can share.

We see this ingenuity in the villages where we work. Children find ways to play and enjoy being together, even when they have very little at home. These moments bring real happiness, even when the rest of the day is difficult.

The things a child may go without

Here, families have little or no money to spare. A toy bought in a shop, a birthday cake, candles to blow out can be beyond a household’s means. For many of the children we meet, these familiar gestures of childhood are far from ordinary.

There are harder absences too. Without enough water, washing every day is not possible. Illness and fragile health are part of the lives of children in these communities. We meet these children during our work, and we see how much their health depends on things their families cannot easily provide

We need to see the whole childhood

And still, children make room for play. They make something with their own hands, and for a moment, they have a game to share. We want that part of their lives to be seen too.

When we look at this photograph, we think of the water they need, the care they deserve, and the ordinary pleasures so easily taken for granted elsewhere. Their ability to find joy matters deeply. That doesn’t make those missing things any less important.

29 October 2026 | Alex Wettstein

• Futuro equo | Primary Medical Care: Our Primary Medical Care programme connects rural health agents, medical supervision and referrals with prevention close to families in East Sumba.
• Futuro equo | Water Connections: Water Connections links rural water systems with hygiene, maintenance and community participation, supporting everyday health in East Sumba.
• Fair Future | Child Health: Our Child Health programme brings prevention, first-line support and referral closer to children living far from clinics and reliable transport.
• Fair Future | Educational Posters: Our illustrated health posters help communities discuss hygiene, nutrition and prevention through practical pictures and accessible explanations.
• UNICEF | Children’s rights: UNICEF explains children’s rights to play, healthcare, safe water, food and education in a clear version of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.