On a lazy Sunday afternoon, I was scrolling through the TV channels, idly trying to find a TV show that sparked my interest in a way that suited my current sloth-like state of mind.

I came across a British TV series, The Secret Life of 6 Year Olds. The show explores the way a 6-year-old child’s mind works – how they respond, what they are thinking and feeling and how they interact with the world. It was just before Christmas, so naturally, it was the Christmas episode and the kids were chosen to put on a Christmas play, depicting the birth of Jesus.

Shakir, a bright and somewhat dominant and outgoing character in the episode came home to his mother one day after rehearsal and said to her “there are lots of different kids who believe different things and I’m not sure whether to give them Christmas presents or not.”

Shakir’s mother responded with a meaningful sense of insight that made sense to the 6-year-old. She explained that firstly, many people’s ‘God’ manifests in different ways, but we are all people. Just because you like cricket and your sister likes ballet, doesn’t mean you can’t be friends and love each other.

World Religion Day falls on the third Sunday of every January, this year being 15 January. For me, Shakir’s mother has managed to articulate exactly what this day represents in a few mere sentences. It is a day where we can recognise and celebrate the different ways in which ‘God’ is represented. Yet, it is also a day to appreciate the idea that even if what we believe is different, we can still be connected and still care for each other. We are all still people and this doesn’t change.

Navihan Nisha is a woman who often reminds me of this. A quiet, thoughtful and well respected woman in her village, Navihan Nisha lost her husband over a decade ago and struggled to raise her then young children and keep her family afloat. She received a small loan from Opportunity and started a roadside shop, which has helped to create income, along with her family’s small farm.

In her small village, health issues such as typhoid and diarrhoea are commonly caused by high rates of open defecation and poor quality water. After attending classes to train as a health leader, Nivihan Nisha realised how important hand washing was and began to encourage her own family and other members of the community to wash their hands regularly. Whilst her family’s health significantly improved, Nivihan Nisha noticed that fellow community members were not too responsive to her suggestions. Undeterred, Nivihan Nisha turned her focus to 60 school children and as part of their lessons, taught them about hand washing. She also had the idea of walking with the children down the street, singing about the importance of hand washing. At first, people laughed, but then they started to pay attention.

Nivihan Nisha is an inspiring woman, but also a woman who reminds me, that despite our differences and backgrounds, we can still be connected and support each other. I can often find strength and almost a sense of pride in what Nivihan Nisha, a fellow human, has achieved and continues to achieve.

World Religion Day is about connection. It is about understanding our differences, but finding that bond with another human that reminds us that we aren’t always so different. Like Shakir’s mother explains, it doesn’t matter if you like cricket and your sister likes ballet, you can still be friends and care for each other.