Make it a thing of the past

Stories of children forced to become soldiers, prostitutes and labourers will be on display from September 11 to 20 at the Bondi Junction shopping centre.

The Make it a Thing of the Past exhibition is touring the country, displaying its stark images to make people aware of the tragic conditions many children grow up in and their lack of access to education and health services.

Save the Children’s child rights specialist Annie Pettitt said the exhibition has been displayed in shopping centres and train stations.

“Having these in every day places encourages people to make the comparison with their lives,” she said. “And it’s a chance for children to learn how other children around the world live. Reactions have been very positive.”

The images and installations, created for the exhibition, are housed in glass cabinets to evoke museum displays.

“We want it to look like an exhibit of ancient history because we want these tragedies to be a thing of the past. We want people to think ‘can you believe this used to happen?’”

The exhibit includes a child soldier manikin, a pair of old shoes that show how far children walk to get water, and photos with stories attached, mostly from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Save the Children has reunited more than 4500 children with their families; nearly 2900 of them had been forced to join armed groups.

“In this current financial climate there’s more pressure on our work. There are so many children around the world who desperately need our help,” Pettitt said.

“We want to raise awareness of what we’re doing to address these problems so people can help if they want to.”