Inspired by Malala's Magic Pencil, Temeke children use magic pencils to ask: What community do you dream of? Who can help build it? What concerns you, and how will you solve it? Welcome to their dreams and voices

My name is Dina. I wish for a loving and compassionate community. In my illustration of my dream community, a student with a disability is being supported and safely accompanied home from school by a fellow classmate

Poor infrastructure causes accidents. I am concerned by bad roads in our area. I ask the government to build good infrastructure so people and animals benefit and avoid accidents.

My name is Rehema. My drawing shows rental housing challenges. Tenants suffer from toilet issues, small rooms, and electricity payment conflicts. These housing challenges concern me deeply.

As a solution, I have illustrated a community with numerous construction builders. I hope students study hard to be professional builders, ensuring that every family owns a house and eliminates the hardships of living in rented houses.

​My name is Lina. I wish to see our community care for the environment around streets and markets by burning and burying waste. It troubles me that many families, including my own, do not share household chores fairly, leaving girls tired.

I will use the magic pencil to advocate for gender equality in household labor, encouraging boys and girls to share responsibilities so everyone has time to rest.

My name is Bahati. I dream of a law-abiding community where thieves are handed over to the police for lawful punishment. Theft ruins lives, pushing victims into poverty and leading to mob violence.

It distresses me to see young women turning to sex work. I wish people could leave laundry outside without fear of theft, and for girls to attend school to achieve their goals instead of selling their bodies.

My name is Aneth. I envision a community with well-constructed mud-brick houses, tree planting, and equal rights for girls to attend Madrasa. My community faces a shortage of houses with electricity and accessible Madrassa facilities.

It saddens me to see boys being sent to Madrasa while girls are left behind to do domestic chores. Through my drawing, I express my concerns to the government. I hope it constructs better mud-brick houses equipped with adequate elecricity.

My name is Mariam. My dream community ensures all children, boys and girls alike, can attend school without hindrance from parents. It deeply bothers me to see people dumping waste in undesignated areas and polluting our surroundings.

I have illustrated a community that actively preserves the environment by disposing of waste in designated collection points, knowing that when we protect nature, nature protects us.

​My name is Dorcas. I dream of an inclusive community without gender discrimination. We must not marginalize children with disabilities or albinism; everyone should play together. It saddens me when neighbors mock disabled people.

This troubles me deeply. My drawing shows an inclusive community where people love each other. I will remind my neighbors that persons with disabilities have equal rights in our society and should never be subjected to ridicule.

​My name is Grace. In my dream community, people support each other during funerals, weddings, or illness. However, theft deeply concerns me. People steal, commit violence, and leave victims for dead, which hurts me deeply.

I will use the magic pencil to eliminate theft and hatred. My dream is to see community members work together to maintain environmental cleanliness both at school and at home.

​My name is Sophia. My ideal community is characterized by mutual aid, such as assisting a peer involved in a road accident. It distresses me to see elderly individuals carrying heavy loads without assistance from their children or students

I have drawn respectful and obedient children assisting elderly members of the community with heavy loads. With the magic pencil, I depict a community grounded in civic responsibility, respect, and positive social values.