Martin Thomas from Viva’s Oxford office:
“What’s in a name?”
The immortalised words from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet asks a question at a time when having the wrong name was a matter of life or death. Names are important – especially the giving and receiving of names as children are born. My daughter, Megan, was excited recently to realise that the name of her new carpet (Pearl) was connected to her name. Continue reading
Many girls hold ‘sweet 16′ birthday parties to mark their coming of age with friends and family. On Saturday, 28 April Viva had its own ‘sweet 16′ to look back at its years of growth, and also to look forward to the big changes that will come with Patrick McDonald’s departure and Andy Dipper’s appointment as CEO.
Think about the times you have felt hungry. To make the hunger go away, you’d probably reach for the nearest biscuit or wait shortly for the next meal. Now imagine feeling hungry for days, even weeks, with no certainty of when you’ll have another bite to eat—on a regular basis.
A trip to Thailand sounds pretty idyllic. You could walk on gorgeous white beaches, swim in the glittering blue sea, climb the lush green mountains, or visit beautiful ancient temples. Or you could be forced to work in a brothel every night for two years.
If you have an older brother, then you know the kind of things they get up to – they tease you, they steal your share of dessert, they try and trick you into doing their chores. It’s a bit annoying, but it’s just what older brothers do. But Radhika’s brother treated her in a way that no one could excuse or shrug off: he tried to rape her.
Many kids fight with their parents about going to school. “I don’t feel well” “I don’t like my teacher” or “I don’t want to learn maths”. But for 14-year-old Jacob Kiyaki, it was his father who made excuses to keep him at home.
*Any children referred to have had their names and photos changed in accordance with our Child Protection Policy.
