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Pikin to Pikin Movement

Name of organisation: Pikin-To-Pikin Movement
Address: 13 Macdonald Street, Freetown, Sierra Leone Telephone: 232224615/ 23276646220/ 23276654303/ 23233505384
E-mail: pikintopikin@yahoo.com
Website: www.pikintopikin.org (under construction)
Contact name: Abdulai Deadehwai Swaray – National coordinator

ORGANISATION OF CHILD-TO-CHILD ACTIVITIES

Pikin-To-Pikin Movement was established in 1994 and was officially registered as an Indigenous Non Governmental Organisation in 1998 with the Government of Sierra Leone. The name Pikin-To-Pikin is a lingua franca translation of child-to-child. The child-to-child activities were initiated right at the onset of the organisation.

The Child-to-Child activities are implemented by the staff of the organisation in all our operational areas. We are working in close collaboration with the Health Education Division of Ministry of Health and Sanitation. They conduct training for our staff and also provide technical support to the organisation.

Pikin-To-Pikin Movement is working in close collaboration and partnership with both local and International organisations. These partner or collaborating organisations provide both programmatic support and funding for the organisation. In the area of support, we receive support from government, Local communities, and other international organisations like child-to-child UK, IRC/unicef Netherlands etc. In the area of funding, Plan Sierra Leone is our main funding partner for now, but there is also funding from other local and international sources. The organisation is implementing its child-to-child activities in Moyamba district, Bombali district, Port Loko district, Tonkolili district and the Western area  

NOTE: schools with two shifts have two health clubs each

We are presently implementing School Sanitation and Hygiene Education Project to improve children’s and community health, project children’s rights and intensify the fight against HIV/AIDS in schools and their communities.

CHILDREN'S PARTICIPATION

We are for now working with primary schools and their communities in our operational areas. We establish school health clubs in each of the schools we work with a maximum of 50 children per club. In each school we have a teacher coordinator who coordinates the activities of the school health clubs. The children in each of the clubs are active participants in health promotion activities. They identify activities they want to implement, hold meetings with their fellow club members, participate in surveys and review meetings, organise community drama etc. In summary, child participation is key in all our programmes.

HEALTH IN SCHOOL

About 431 schools are presently involved in the child to child health romotion activities. The demand for our child-to-child programme is growing among schools, children, communities and even international NGOs who request to implement with them.

• Child-to-child activities are now adapted into almost all teaching subjects. They are used in health science, language arts, Social studies etc.
• We have school health clubs in all our operational schools and WATSAN and child welfare committees in the communities.
• As indicated, there are school health clubs in our operational schools. These committees are divided into committees for different health promotion activities including HIV/AIDS sensitization.
• The children in the school health clubs serve as an important link between the school and the community especially where health promotion is concerned. They learn the health knowledge practices in school and take them home to other children, parents etc. The School Management Committees (SMCs) are also an important link because we reach them as well in our program. Community health promotion meetings and activities are organized by the community based WATSAN committees. Children at home are also part of these meetings and the activities that ensue from them. Such activities, like community general cleaning days, are helping to make the communities healthier.

MONITORING AND EVALUATION OF CHILD-TO-CHILD ACTIVITIES

Monitoring and evaluation is very essential in the implementation of the child-to-child activities in schools and communities. Our operational areas are divided into zones and field supervisors are appointed to each zone who monitor and supervises our activities in his/her zones. They submit monthly field report at the end of every month. We evaluate our activities progressively by periodically collecting significant change stories from children and other beneficiaries of the program. We also do surveys and assessments and record data that we use to determine progress in areas of our operation.

TRAINING ACTIVITIES

Training is one of the essential components in the implementation of our child-to-child activities. All stakeholders that are involved in the implementation of the child-to-child activities are given training facilities. Teacher training is conducted in all our operational schools. Some of these training includes training in hygiene/health promotion techniques in schools, training in beautification of the school environment, communication skills etc. some of the training sessions for 3 – 5 days. Children in the school health clubs are also benefiting from various training activities such as communication skills, life skills etc.Our staff members are getting series of training programmes both at national and international level in order to render quality service to the beneficiaries that we serve in their various communities. Most of the training conducted is done by experts either from the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (Health Education Division) or from other institutions according to the contents and the training needs.

USE OF CHILD-TO-CHILD MATERIALS

The child-to-child materials we receive are all in English which is the official language we use in Sierra Leone. We therefore have no need to translate. We only adapt them to our own local circumstances. Over the years of implementing the child-to-child programme we have developed and produced Information, Education and Communication materials in the form of training manuals, posters and flip charts. These materials are distributed to our schools free of charge and we also train the beneficiaries in the use of the materials free of cost.