Tana River County where this program was based has three major communities. There are the Pokomos, Ormas and Somalis.
About six (6) other smaller communities also live in the area. These communications live in their villages neighboring each other. While zone may be for apart some others are just adjacent.
The above three major communities have historical differences which date back for ages. The Ormas and Somali rear livestock for their livelihood while Pokomos grow crops along River Valley. The major clashes are between the farmers (Pokomos) and the herdsmen either Somali or Ormas during drought when the herdsmen look for water and pasture and trespass on the farmers maize or rice fields. The livestock eat or destroy the food crop. At times the two livestock keeping the communities, the Ormas and the Somalis as they cross over each other grazing ground. At these, communities differ due to political differences. Each ethnic group wanting to take leadership for political gains, instead of sharing political seat equally.
The most recent and major clashes were from June in the year 2012 to January 2013 between the pokomos community and the Ormas community.
More than 13 villages were burnt over 4/5 of the schools in Tana River Sub County were closed. Hundreds of people were killed.
Hundreds of families fled to neighboring safer counties and many others displaced. A child was shot dead in the school compound and we even lost one teacher.
The coming of the learning to live together program in the year 2014 one year after clashes was therefore very sensitive. By then some teachers from different communities could not talk to each other neither see each other. There was serious hatred and tension. Some schools had no teachers while others had very few teachers because their teachers had run away and could not go back due to insecurity. Many children were out of school some parents could not see or talk to see other. The L.T.L.T training targeted 13 schools located in the villages which were burnt. Two teachers in each of those schools, a male and female, learners in classes 5, 6 and 7 and the head teachers.
During and after training the children (learners) in the three classes in every school planned and organized activities to do in their school and at the community levels to reconcile the other children teachers and the entire school and parents. They also followed those children who had dropped out of school. They had even changed in their altitude for they managed to move all the communities giving peace talks.
The trained teachers became role model in the community
To crown it all we had very successful exhibitions in September of the year 2015 from all the 13 schools. All the communities in the county, all departments, heads teachers, parents and children were invited. The exhibition was presided over by representative from GENEVA (ARIGATOU INTERNATIONAL) and the Ministry of Education headquarters Nairobi. The trainings conducted have been sensitive to our local context.
As I mentioned earlier two teachers were trained in each of the targeted schools to facilitate the Learning To Live Together Program. We held three different training sessions each taking five days and we had a consultative meeting to assess how the program was progressing in each of the school.
From My Own Assessment
During the training and consultative meeting the teachers who were the facilitators at the school levels had notable changes. This was noted from their first day of training all through. Below are the major changes noted;-
On the first day, teachers from the rival communities during year 2012 – 2013 clashes were not free to talk or sit together. They looked as strangers and were suspicious of each other. As the training progressed the same teachers started mingling and communicating freely.
As the training started there were a lot of blame game. This ended as we continued during group discussion, teachers could not open up at the beginning but as we went on with the training, they opened up and participated well in the dialogue. Some of the teachers were obstinate/ rigid and not ready to see. L.T.L.T program bringing changes to their learners, the school and even the community but finally they become positively changed and supported the program.
When the facilitators went to their school they took the initiative of first talking to their fellow teachers to have a positive feeling towards others. They planned and organized children activities with a view of changing the mindset of the children, teachers and the school community. Many even planned activities to do in the village and went out with the children to do them. With a view of sensitising community members to make a difference.
The questionnaire which were answered by the teachers (facilitators) and children showed positive changes
When the trained L.T.L.T teachers got transfer to other schools they initiated the same program in the new schools and planned activities to do with the children.
The same teachers were always seen doing activities like traditional dancers games, play involving the rival ethnic groups and they always gave talks during parents days, parents meeting and some even in Chief’s Barazas. As I continued giving them support at school levels most of those trained facilitators requested me for more support and training. As such believe the training had made good positive impact to the facilitators.
At times the questions could be used to find out participant perception of themselves and others, the knowledge they have, cultures, beliefs and the knowledge they have on society. This could then be used to guide them on how to teach their children in school on how they should perceive certain issues on themselves, the others and the community. Again it should be used to show how they should act in a given situation. This was out of their experience
A problem based approach was used at times. I could pose a question to group to make them think critically, develop creativity an d pose answers after analyzing their own suggestions. At times I could give individual assignment. These were very helpful especially when the participants were to compose poems, songs plays etc. to be used in learning
I organized the training in to 3 faces. the first face one week training was meant to introduce the participant to the L.T.LT programme and take them through the whole module one course . we also sensitized the school head teachers so that they take an active role and give full support to teachers [trainers ]
After these first training the teachers started teaching the children and they filled a questionnaire which served as baseline survey. As the teachers set to work I visited ever school once every month. These visits were aimed in monitoring the progress made and also mentor the teachers to improve on their performance.
At the middle of the implementation period, we gave the questionnaire which became a mid-line survey. Then we called the teachers for a refresher training here participant first shared their experience during the L.T.L.T implementation.
Success and challenges and set the way forward. We also covered the module 2 courses. The mid-line survey assisted us in identifying the areas in which needed improvement. We preplanned and set for the second face again. As it was first face, I continued visiting the teachers every month to see how activities were planned and being carried out. My emphasis during those activities was how those planned activities could be improved their implementation and improved lesson presentation.
Secondly agree on how the middle line survey results could be improved. During the same visit, the children and their teachers [facilitators] gave out their main challenges and we worked together to plan how to overcome the same towards the end of training face.
We had our last training where teachers presented their success and challenges, planned activities for exhibitions and we agreed on the exhibition day. We also drew a budget to that effect. After these teachers we went ahead with the implementation at the school. I also continued visiting them at school for mentorship.
During this final face we held two consultative meeting at the Sub County headquarters all aimed at assessing the progress and discuss ways of improving on both the presentation and panned activities for exhibition .
Throughout the implementation period, I used to call the teachers over their phones and vise versa to mentor and give support where necessary. Hence, proper mentorship and guidance was provided to the facilitator
At personal level the L.T.L.T program has influenced positive transformation in many ways
I come from Lamu County of the republic of Kenya which has many ethnic groups and they also differ severally. Secondly there are two major religious groups Islamic and Christianity whose members have differences oftenly.
Since I trained as TOT in Learning To Live Together I started seeing issues which brought differences amongst communities and different religious groups in a positive manner. I understood myself better in relation to others and how best we can sort out issues if only we understand and respect each other.
On the religious side I have been talking of respect to each other in several forums called by the Catholic Justice and Peace Commission [CJPC] I have also facilitated in several seminars on peace education
In my local churchI am heading a very important group , the men association as chairman and a secretary in another one. I developed interest in these areas after my learning to live together training in the year2014 and started talking the believers in the church on the need to have a transformation and appreciate all others believers and respect them. From these struggles, this year I was elected to those posts.
Professionally, the Learning To Live Together program developed my perception on certain issues while I was working in Tana Delta Sub County where serious ethnic clashes caused killing displacement, burning of houses, school and closure of some schools took place in my presence.
At first I did not know what to do but the L.T.L.T programe became an eye opener. As an educator in the area, I learnt how to solve conflicts, bring people / communities together and organize dialogues for them aimed at having resolutions to enable the children to go back to school. From the knowledge gained I also realized the need to look for partners like Kenya Red Cross to assist those suffering.
After the year 2015 when the L.T.L.T program supported by Arigatou International, I expanded the program from the 12 school to 15 in the year 2016 before I moved out of the station but I had planned to expand it to more schools.
From the knowledge gained and the positive transformation, I am in the process of registering an organization with the Kenyan Government which will deal with peace education. This will help me access more people countrywide freely.
Starting from my office;
1. The teachers I selected to undergo the Learning To Live Together Program came from all the communities living in the area. I selected them depending on the size of their communities ie, the larger the community, the larger the number of teachers who were trained and vise versa. Secondly while selecting the school to be included in the program, I ensured that I balanced them according to the region. This showed that I wanted teachers from all the communities to be taught and spearhead L.T.L.T program in their school and become role models in their communities.
2. During recruitment of teachers for employment and to take up different responsibilities, I ensured that all communities and religious group were given equal chances. This includes appointment of headteachers, appointment of deputy headteachers, senior teachers, departmental heads and heads in different core curricular areas like subject panels.
3. During election for a school board of management where I presides, I advise, emphasize and ensure that all communities and religious groups are given equal representation. Such boards of management would show that they musty plan together, agree on issues during discussions and respect each other to arrive at mature resolution.
4. In my office in Tana Delta, the employed staffs come from five different communities. They are supposed to perform duties peer their job description. I treat those who do not perform equally without any discrimination. Secondly during staff meeting, I allow each one to discuss openly and we reach a consensus. It is after that we take direction as agreed and implement our decision. I also encourage them to learn the principle of learning to live together and give lectures and advice for posterity in the office and back in their communities. Through such forums, many have liked my style for leadership. Where I live, the region is cosmopolitan. Infact, almost all Kenyans, are there though some are in small numbers. During various functions where large numbers of people attend, I request the organizers to give me time to talk to people on how to live together peacefully. I also discuss on peace issues wherever I attend social gathering. In my local church, I am a Youth trainer on moral values, a position I have held for the last three years (3) from the above areas that I participate, I believe I am a strong role model of the principles of learning to live together.
In Tana Delta Sub-County I acted as the only trainer in Learning To Live Together program which started with a few schools and later expanded to more schools. I reached all those schools severally either on foot when vehicles were not available or in areas which were not accessible by road transport.
I joined the area chiefs and Assistant County Commissioner many times to meet communities at village levels and engaged them in dialogue to understand each other and agree on issues which they could not agree initially and finally agree on actions to take forge ahead without differences
As I said earlier, I am engaged in two churches as a leader where we also discuss appreciating diversity and understand each other –besides our faith
In the same church, I am a Youth trainer in moral issues and the community’s expectations from them.
Time and again I have participated in training on peace education. Last year, I participated in training on “UNA HAKIKA” with an emphasis on giving true information any time of tension to avoid speculations and people taking decisions when they are not sure of what has happened.
Joining the catholic Justice and peace commission as a volunteer in my local area shows my position as an ambassador in L.T.L.T
