The story of Natividad Sanchez, a 7-year-old girl from El Salvador whose life was transformed by a UNICEF violence-prevention programme. Duration: 2 h 30 · 40 points.
[1] Natividad Sanchez is a 7-year-old girl from El Salvador. She is the youngest of ten children, and their daily life is really hard. Every morning, her mother Maria goes to the local market to sell fish. Her older sister finishes the morning chores and her father Jose takes the youngest children to school.
[2] After school, Natividad and her brothers and sisters return home where their mother is either cooking or washing clothes. Their father is an electrician. Every day, he goes to the nearby villages to look for work. This routine posed a challenge for the family. Children had no safe and fun activity to do in the afternoon. "There's not much room at home, our street is quite dangerous and when the children wanted to play with other children, they had to go far away," says the mother. For the father, the main concern about letting them play in the street was insecurity: the town is known for its high rates of violence and crime.
[3] Everything changed for the family when the mayor of the city invited the children to attend free swimming lessons at the local sports centre. The invitation to join sports activities was extended to all children in town. This was part of UNICEF's violence prevention programme. Today, more than 1,000 children participate in these activities three times a week.
[4] The swimming coach, Wilson Galan, says that Natividad and her siblings were outstanding. "Their results were surprising; in two months they mastered all the styles pretty well," he says. The children have now accumulated a collection of 47 medals they have won in different local and national competitions. For Natividad, who has won 8 of the medals, these triumphs have boosted her confidence. "I feel very excited when I hear my family encouraging me 'go, go, go' and I keep my strength till the end," Natividad says.
[5] Through the programme, Natividad got a scholarship that covers some of her school expenses. "For us, this is of great help so that she doesn't stop going to school," says her father. Both parents agree that playing sports has changed their children's lives. "It has been good for their health and their mind," says the mother. "They are active doing exercise; they have a purpose in life and are more disciplined in school." For her father, one of the greatest benefits of the programme is that it keeps the children safe from street violence.
Adapted from www.unicef.org
| Number | What it refers to |
|---|---|
| 7 | Natividad's age. |
| 1,000 | The number of children who participate in the UNICEF sports activities. |
| 47 | The total number of medals Natividad and her siblings have won. |
| 8 | Medals Natividad has won. |
The Nobel Committee awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2020 to the World Food Programme for its efforts to (prevention) prevent famine in the world and its (contribute) contribution to peace in areas of conflict.
Complete the paragraph: "I still remember a lot of things about my primary school…"
I still remember a lot of things about my primary school. First, I remember my teachers — especially Mrs. Fatima, who taught us Arabic with so much patience and kindness. I also remember our small playground where we played football and tag during breaks. The classrooms had wooden desks where we carved our names in secret. Every Friday morning, we used to sing the national anthem before classes started. Those years were among the happiest and most innocent of my life.
You've seen an advert for a summer job at Basma Restaurant. Write an email to Mr. Naji to apply.
Subject: Application for Summer Job — Cook position
Dear Mr. Naji,
I am writing in response to your advert for summer jobs at Basma Restaurant. I would like to apply for the position of cook.
My name is Yasmine Bennani. I am 19 years old, and I have just sat for my Baccalaureate exam in Casablanca. I have a real passion for cooking and Moroccan cuisine in particular. For the past two summers, I worked as a kitchen assistant in a family restaurant in Marrakech, where I learnt to prepare tajines, salads and pastries under the guidance of a professional chef.
I am hard-working, hygienic, fast, and able to work as part of a team under pressure. I speak Arabic, French and English fluently, which allows me to communicate with foreign customers and team members.
I would be available to start on July 1st. Please find my CV attached.
I look forward to your reply.
Yours sincerely,
Yasmine Bennani