White Orange Youth

Children stakeholders meeting report

9.10.2012 YWCA Moshi

1. Introduction

White Orange Youth ran a one day children stakeholders ‘meeting in Moshi on Tuesday9^th October 2012 at YWCA conference hall. The meeting target 30 participants from Moshi though around 20 participants participated. All of the participants hold a role or position that has an effect on children’s development. Among of participants was a child from the White Orange Youth children’s club. The goal of meeting was to introduce the PSS concept to the participants and discuss and find the best way to help the children. There were both males and females present and the ages ranged from children to adults. The included a PowerPoint presentation, individual testimonies and a group discussion that encouraged participants to actively engage in conversation. A child participated in separate activities during the meeting in order to make sure she was comfortable.

1. Purpose of the meeting

This was the second meeting after the June meeting. And the purpose would remain the same as the previous meeting. White Orange Youth organized this meeting with three main purposes. Currently, WOY is running a PSS program for children in Moshi. The program is unfamiliar to many people, especially those who work closely with children; therefore it was important to introduce this new concept so that they may know how PSS works and realize its importance in children’s programs. Another reason for conducting such a meeting was to strengthen the networks of people working with children by giving them an opportunity to meet and share their experiences with one another. They were able to get to know each other thereby increasing the opportunity to share resources that could make a difference in the children’s future. Furthermore, this meeting intended to encourage local government officials to incorporate PSS in the government’s budget planning.

1. Participant’s profile and Selection criteria

This meeting targeted 30 participants from Moshi Urban as follow:

• We had three religious leaders from Muslim, Anglican and Lutheran the religious that are very common to the area/wards that WOY runs PSS activities.
• We had three local government leaders from Pasua Ward (one among three wards that WOY run children clubs and PSS activities) the leaders that attended were Executive Ward officer, Ward community development officer and Ward community health officer
• Two WOY board members attended the meeting in order to understand not only about PSS but also how the relationship between WOY and its stakeholders functions
• Two teachers from two different primary schools attended. They were chosen from schools that participate in the WOY children’s clubs
• Two Moshi Municipality officials (Municipality Community development officer, Municipality Social Welfare offer) attended the meeting
• Two orphanage center representatives attended the meeting
• Two people from media (radio sauti ya Injili and Kili FM)
• Police from Central station attended (the county that WOY operates in) concern the children and gender violence send his presentation to be present in to the meeting.
• One child (members of WOY children’s clubs) attended the meeting
• Five guardian/parents of the children who are members of WOY clubs attended the meeting.

1. Meeting proceedings
   1. Opening

Meeting officially opened by John Kessy by welcoming participants and thanking them for their presence and active participation

1. Introductions

Participants got opportunity to introduce themselves. They gave their name, where they come from, and there roles and organization they represent if applicable. Participants were very eager to meet one another.

1. Introduction to Counseling

A facilitator introduce the meaning of counseling, how it work, the quality and principles of conducting counseling, she also explained the different between counseling and advice. Counseling is “ to empower the client to use his/her own resources to solve his/her problem or to be able to stay/live with his or her problem ” In counseling process counselor spent only 15% while the client contribute 75% of his idea. Counseling starts at home, if you want to be a counselor you should start to provide counseling to your marriage, families and children before you decide to provide counseling to the broader clients.

You may think of:

• What is grief is in your hart.
• What kind of wounds and thorns do you have in your hart so that you may heal them before you started to provide counseling
• Counseling start by yourself, then your family and later you will become a counselor
• Learn to forgive and to forget
• Always ask this question “What issue have I done or have I not done that may course this problem?”

Counseling norms

• Keep people’s secrets. Don’t dispose peoples mater
• Be a good listener to the client
• Prepared friendly and welcomed environment
• If client share his/her problem respond pole “sorry” this word give him/her much comfort.
• If a women or men wanted to get married they should receive counseling
• When you provide counseling tell your client that now we have 45min then tell me what have you brought you here? Introduce your name and let her/him say her/his name

How can children be affected psychologically?

• When couples (mother and father meet for sexual intercourse) if there in hate and there is no peace .
• Watch the words that people say for fetus (un born child)
  • Wounds and bad hart that from the families member ( husband, mother in law etc)
  • Lack of health food
  • Medical doctors/nurses (they might say the kid is not move/is not a live

What the family speaks about the kid? What words does the house girl use?

In schools

What does teacher says about the child?

What does the community says about the child?

What words does the parent use for child?

How about other relatives?

                                How psychologically affected child can be identified?

                                Use of flower model

Put ten good different flowers and ask child to pick up flowers that represent each good thing that he treated by his parents/community. After he put down the flowers then ask him to explain what was that good thing about? Then you should congratulate him

Then after put 10 different size of stones and asked child to put stones according to the level of problem ( from big to small) Start to deal with the big problem and when the solution is obtained some time might also solve other minor problems

Use of drawing art

Give child 5 papers and ask him/her to draw photos, after drawing ask about each draw. What the message is in the picture. Then child will explain e.g this draw is represent my mother when took me to other family and left me there, etc

Use of toys

You may have a room with different toys, cars baby toys then observe what they are doing with those toys. Some time they might destroy a female toy and you may ask why did you do that and they may respond this is my aunt and I hate her because she always beat me. etc after received information from them you can ask please can I have a toy back? Please call her/his name and start counseling with child, then parent/guardian and be friend with your child.

Counseling session

The counseling took between 5 and 15 sessions depending with the magnitude of client problem. One session should not exceed 45min and counseling is a long process. In the first day of counseling you build trust to your client and take everything is saying to you, often repeat what he has said so that he can be sure you have listen to him/her. You should not attempt any confrontation in the first sessions, even if you know what he has said is a big lie you should take it and you may confront later in the middle sessions.

Sometime there is need to refer client to other services eg hospitals, police, to the religious leaders (spiritual leaders)

Many Tanzanians are poor yet many people feel shy to work in a laborer wages because they know that other people they will look them down but is duty of counselor to   encourage them to work and one day they will be able to stand by their own two feet

1. Introduction about WOY

After the participants got to know each other, slides introducing WOY were presented. The introduction included “What does WOY symbolize”, “Mission”, “Vision” and “Establishment”. WOY also presented the “Recent and current WOY PSS activities” and the “Target group and geographical location”. After the presentation participants asked what methods WOY used to help children and if WOY is read to help children in other wards because only three wards were targeted. Participants wanted to hear about the successes achieved by PSS and what changes WOY would like to make in the future. They also wanted to know about the challenges that WOY faced when implementing PSS activities. Others were curious about the demographic information of those children supported by WOY. WOY responded to all of the questions asked and participants were satisfied.

1. Participant shared what they remember most in their life (could be sad or happy moments)

The facilitator asked each participant to think of a moment in their life that they remember most, which could be either a sad or happy memory. Three people shared their personal moments. Participants mostly mentioned sad moments, however some had happy moments bud didn’t shared because of time limitations.

Memories included:

-          One was treated badly by jealous leaders who envy of development he brought in his institution.

-          One participant shared experienced conflict with her blood sister who accused her from all good she done to her.

-          Another participant remembered when she discrimination just because of her skin coulor

After many participants shared their feelings, the facilitator asked them how they felt after sharing their case. Participants responded that they relieved. Some said they can forgive but forget. Some said was difficult to select what to share and what not to share. And even some didn’t want to share anything. The facilitator commented that children go through the same situations and often have no one to talk to. It is very important to spend some time with children talking about their emotional situations so that they may also feel relieved.

1. PSS presentation

The PSS presentation was made through PowerPoint. The presentation taught the participants:

-          The meaning of the term psychosocial care and support (PSS)

-          How to understand the PSS wheel model and its indicators

-          Why focus on Psychosocial Support in the context of overall child care and support?

-          About the triple crisis of HIV/AIDS, poverty and conflict which has weakened the traditional social and security safety nets for children

-          Why do we use the term “psychosocial?” The facilitator answered this by describing the dynamic relationship between psychological and social effects of certain experiences and how they continually influence each other.

After the presentation, participants had time to ask questions and comment.

1. Sharing hero book

One child from children’s club from Pasua wards) sat in front of the adult group to share the progress they had made on her hero books. This was very interesting to most of the participants.

1. Police Gender Desk handout

It was supposed to have a presentation from Police office in gender desk but due to an excuse he could not able to show up and instead we distributed his handout to the participants. The presentation was about:

• to show the police responsibility to citizens
  • It’s the duty of police to reinforce law and to serve people. To protect their goods to protect innocent people from any unlawful practice. Protect children from any kind of immoral did.
  • Progress obtained by gender desk in Moshi
    • Many client who have visited this desk have received education about human right and other issues like a) Meaning of gender and children desk, b) Rape, c) to bit a child, d) to be irresponsible for your child/family and e) to trash a child
    • Father and responsibilities in the family
      • To make sure there was a safeness of children and to nothing can heart them
      • To empower boys and girls to protect themselves from sexual risk environments
      • To be a good role model of what you said and what you do
      • Give child incentive when performed good conduct so that he/she can learn to practice good behaviors
      • Be close to children, give them room so that they can ask questions and give out their opinions
      • Child should get his food and accommodation rights.
      • Children rights and
        • 50% of Tanzania populations are children. The children protection act 2009 no 21 it stipulate what to be done when found children in a difficult environment.
        • Children has the same right as adults “children rights no 21 of 2001”
        • Right of life and be respected
        • Right of disable children
        • Right of poses a name, to know the parents, and its citizen (RITA)
        • Right of security and safety
        • Right of express their feeling and ideas
        • Right to be protect from dangerous people
        • To protect children against exploitation of commercial sex media
        • To protect children from child labor. The act say no any person can prevent a child to use/enjoy his parents wealth.
        • The future plan for gender desk
          • To build a one stop center which can contain a doctor, social worker, a laboratory, lawyer and NGO that deal with children rights
          • To increase the number of gender desk in every region
          • To equip all necessary equipment’s to serve children and youth in more efficacy
          • To create awareness of children rights through different media

                               In general participant acknowledges the existence of gender and children desks as an entry point to deal with protect children rights issues.

1. Lessons learned

Meeting with different children’s stakeholders presented the opportunity to know what people are doing around the community thereby creating a network of references.

Participants were excited to learn about PSS because there is a great need for counseling services. Many people were able to get the contact information of the counselor.  

Having a dynamic background of participants created an interesting and variable environment for discussion.

1. The way forward

It was very important to create a network among these stakeholders so they may be able to update each other about the children’s issues in the future.

Participants will start by counseling their family to see if the method is effective before going working with other children and adults.

1. Closer

The meet finished at 4:30 in the afternoon and WOY thoroughly appreciated all participants who contributed their views and perspectives in the meeting.

1. Consideration

Though the meeting was very succeed according to the participants view there are number of participants (political leaders, three children and some business institutions) couldn’t able to come in the meeting despite of the fact that each invited participant received invitation letter one week before the meeting. Next time we should make some call follow up after the sending out invitation letters.