News Archive

Tammy Zyderveld
Connections editorial intern

An illustrated storybook written by an Avondale College lecturer will help the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) raise awareness of health among children in Laos.

Brad Watson wrote Fat Mouse Gets Clean after he and several of his development studies students saw the need for basic resources at a remote primary school in the north of the country while visiting ADRA projects there in 2007 and 2008. "Some of the schools are so poor the children have never read a colour picture book," says Brad. "Even the teachers don't use them."

Fat Mouse Gets Clean, published in English and Lao, is the first book of a planned 10-part series.

According to country director Grant Hillier, ADRA Laos will distribute the book initially to schools in its target districts. The aim is to reinforce the health messages of ADRA Laos's water, sanitation and hygiene, or WASH, projects.

Bronwyn Fowler previewed the book in her role as a primary school teacher at Macquarie College. "Its message is aptly written to convey an important health risk that is posed in these developing countries," she says.

The launch of the book at Avondale School this past Tuesday (September 8) showed Fat Mouse Gets Clean will appeal to students in developed countries, too. Brad's seven-year-old son, Zachary, read the book to an attentive audience-all of his Year 2 classmates. Earlier, head of primary Len Farquharson reminded the students of what the late English Congregational minister and writer Edwin Paxton Hood referred to as the only two important things in life: the company you keep and the books you read. The launch ended with a presentation of the book to librarian Jenny Litster.

"We often give old books to those in developing countries," says Brad. "So, working with ADRA to provide beautiful, colourful books with a message to help children in Laos live healthy lives and children in Australia learn about ADRA's work in the country is fantastic."

ADRA Laos is seeking support from donors in Australia who are willing to sponsor the development of the second book in the series.

Caption: Brad Watson's son Zachary reads Fat Mouse Gets Clean during the launch of the book at Avondale School.
Credit: Ann Stafford