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Note
Child-to-Child (l’Enfant pour l’Enfant ) activities assisted by PLAN International
Relevant background information
Child-to-Child was first introduced in 1987 by UNICEF, with the support of Elizabeth Dumurgier from l'Enfant pour l'Enfant in Paris. It was introduced most widely in the Provinces of Sanguié, Bam and Kouritenga, where all primary school teachers received training. Save the Children-Canada and Plan International also supported it for many years, until 2002 when funding gradually came to an end. Some activities still continue in Sanguié Province and many people are aware of the approach, although few are still actively using it. Aspects which made it difficult for the approach to become sustainable here include the lack of integration within the education or any other system, a lack of continuous follow-up and support, inadequate training for implementers, difficulties with funding and unclear objectives in some cases. Despite this, the Burkinabe Child-to-Child Association still exists and is prepared to support further Child-to-Child activities. Plan now hopes to revive interest and activities with assistance from some trained staff and have undertaken a planning consultancy (Grazyna Bonati).
Current activities
There are some continuing and some new activities, particularly within Plan's area of work, and there is considerable enthusiasm in all the Plan offices visited about the use of this approach to support Plan's work. This is particularly true for the domains of education and health, habitat, water and sanitation; use of the Child-to-Child approach is also seen as a means of supporting children's participation and child-centred community development in a more general way Both nationally and in some local regions interest is high and relevant activities already take place .These include schools in Kongoussi (Bam Province) where 11 schools had been involved in an anti-malaria campaign using Child-to-Child approaches following training for facilitators in Togo. Many other schools expressed interest in carrying the activities forward and parents reported very positive results. In the Province of Kouritenga, 13 schools had formed school governments, where the children elected a government to improve the functioning of the school. This was seen to have had very positive effects on the personal and community hygiene in schools and encouraged responsibility in children (though some ‘governments’ may have needed help against becoming overly dictatorial). In Kaya (Sanmatenga province) there is a similar level of enthusiasm.
A children’s radio programme has also been launched (April 2005).
Future directions
There are clear opportunities, considerable enthusiasm and much to be done in relation to identifying goals, planning identification and development of materials (there is much to build on already, including UNICEF Readers and manuals produced in neighbouring Guinea as well as other Child-to-Child material which needs to be translated and adapted. One very important task will be to bring the Child-to-Child approach as close as possible with parallel initiatives including the UNICEF Child-Friendly schools and Children’s Rights projects.
Date: 2005
Source: Grazyna Bonati (grazyna@onetel.com)
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