The Ethics Education Framework it enable us with the approaches that encourage children participation in all aspect and it insures through the process children experience different ways of thinking on ethics. From my experience, this framework has ensured the active participation of the children and they have been full engage in every process. It also give opportunity for children to reflect on themselves and understand themselves better which it become easy for them to relate with others in the community. This approach as well it enables us trainers and facilitators to put children at the center in ways we relate to them and create safe learning environment where children will be able to express their thought and full participate.
I decide to use the LTLT program to address the corporal punishment and bulling, most of adult are the perpetuators when come to corporal punishment, and with our local beliefs that a child is taught with a stick, so session was designed first to change individual behavior of the teachers and volunteers. So it was not only for them to learn and implement the program but also challenge their beliefs on corporal punishment. It’s better the changes starts with 29 teachers in schools and continue planting the seeds to others.
Also children through the training they learn to change their own behavior that discriminate others, and also for children to put themselves in the shoes of other children who suffer from bullying. Most of children in school are bullying because of their economic situation either they poor they cannot afford to have good school uniform, so through LTLT it facilitate children to understand their responsibility towards helping other children.
And the context was considered in different ways, we ensure that during the session children comes from different backgrounds they all engage and full participated
I see the difference in most of the teachers, they way they relate to students within their respective schools, now days when schools have social events, the school management appoints peace clubs patrons and matrons just because they have positive relationship with students. And the approach they used when organizing activities with children motivates children participation.
The program has transformed the teachers themselves, it gives opportunity for teachers as well to reflect their own decisions and relate with their inner self before transform the learning to children.
We meet for community of practice once after every three months, and when we meet we identify areas that facilitators need assistance more, and mostly I have been co-facilitating with teacher and helping them to understand better the LTLT Framework and its approach. Peace club teachers before becoming the facilitators have been part of the LTLT programs through the volunteers who usually visited their schools frequent for implementing the programs. We have a whatsApp group as platform for teachers to share their progress of the implementations of the programs
LTLT has transformed me in different ways as a young person and now as a youth mentor and I’m very grateful to be part of the program since I was young. Being part of the LTLT program not only shaped me but shaped the other peace club members I was involved with. Ethics education was not in our school curriculum growing up, so being a part of the program has nurtured me and helped me grow spiritually. It made me aware of my responsibilities and the role I could have with contributing to positive change within my community. I was able to become a champion and a child rights activist; I led activities in my school that contributed to the wellbeing of children, and it was all possible not just because of my passion in my work, but also because of the knowledge I gained from the LTLT program. The LTLT program helped me understand my role and responsibility towards my community and helped me to discover and understand myself better with what I want to become.
I am very grateful that I was part of the program, and now I can work to address the issue of violence against children at the grassroots level, especially with bullying and corporal punishment in schools. It is my hope that after the implementation of the LTLT in the Peace Clubs, teachers themselves will be able to come up with a positive alternative to punishment that will contribute to the child’s development.
We as adult children look at us as role model, so they way we behave and act towards other people is the best lesson for children as well, if I as a trainer treat others without prejudice or stereotypes, treat all children equal and provide a space for children to free express their thought. Our actions are the best learning for children, I make sure to I live the LTLT approaches and principles in my daily life, exercising this every day until it become part of my life. We as adult have to live the values for children to understand them better.
I have promoted LTLT with different programs that are initiated here with GNRC Tanzania, and now the program is used in the awareness and advocacy campaign about Albinism (HAKI YETU) where Children with albinism are most Vulnerable group. The Values of the Ethics Education during this project has played an important role to remind the community on the responsibilities in making sure the security and safety of the children with albinism.
