By Godwin Mongi | Project Leader
Lots has been happening since our last report!
Our team has been able to start three student clubs in and out of the schools since moving into our center. We are closer to the communities in need. We are currently able to serve 120 children with The Virtues Project and Social Emotional Learning.
The focus of the past 3 months has been in promoting the virtue of cooperation over competition. The Key Question: “How can we cooperate if only one of us has to be applauded?”
This was a tricky and tough question to answer during our games and
learning activities that required children to cooperate. Instructions in these
learning activities range from requiring participants to cooperate by sharing their
ideas with group members and considering the perspective of others, to supporting each
other in the process, and that for a group to win, every group member has to
play an active role.
While solo winning is highly praised by schools and families, teamwork is
rarely a prioritized skill during childhood. To support and nurture the spirit of
cooperation, our sessions have been incorporating games and exercises that
unleash cooperation in the groups of children. This includes: group
discussions, brainstorming activities, problem-solving games and role plays.
The children learn that, for one to do well, they have to collaborate with
others, and that despite personal abilities that each of them possess, they are better
together. At this point, children gain insight into the meaning of a common
Swahili saying,“Umoja ni nguvu, utengano ni dhaifu.”
Children were further able to identify responsibilities and activities in their daily
lives that required cooperation. They unveiled that, tasks such as
taking care of their bodies is an individual responsibility, but accomplishing
some tasks such as cleaning our environment, studying, and helping chores at
home could be accomplished through cooperation with their siblings, friends
or classmates. This understanding goes hand in hand with a recognition that, to
cooperate, they need to be friendly, understanding and taking perspectives of
others, and use kind language in their conversations.
In the next few months we will be strengthening the 3 clubs before establishing more clubs.
The budget: It takes us about $1000 per month to run and sustain the three clubs. We
need to raise $3,000 to be able to sustain our children’s clubs for the next
three months. Thank you for all you do to contribute to the success of our center!
Links:
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