During the period 2004 – 2006, the team of UNESCO Club Association in partnership with other NGOs implemented initiatives to acquaint students at the upper school level with the phenomenon of human trafficking. In 2007-2008 specialists from our organization established professional contacts with teachers and psychologists from the local community. Many of them shared the opinion that there was urgent need of undertaking measures aimed at preventing the violation of rights of children from risk groups, as well as lack of effective educational programmes for children on their rights and building up behaviour that is sustainable to risk. Thus, the idea for this project was generated.
The preliminary survey on local activities related to the problem of child trafficking established that several projects dedicated to children’s rights and child trafficking and targeting students from the upper school level had been implemented in the municipality. However, no such projects had been implemented targeting children from risk groups, the ones that are most threatened by abuse. On the other hand, after consultations with psychologists, we came to the conclusion that preventive measures should be undertaken for younger age groups /10-15 years old/ when the child matures socially and effectively absorbs patterns of behavior.
Therefore, we defined the following target groups for the project: children aged 11-15, from different ethnic groups, with low social status, risk of dropping out of school, from institutions, and children with deviant behaviour.
The project was implemented in two model schools – St. Cyril and Methodius Secondary School and Nikola Vaptsarov School in the town of Haskovo, where the percentage of those risk groups was very high.
The main project objective was to develop innovative approaches for work with children / 11-15 years / at risk in the field of human rights, child abuse and prevention of child trafficking. The following activities were implemented.
1. Training activities:
Training of the target group of 30 children, aged 11-15 years old, on the topics: "Rights of children in a changing world", "Sustainable to risks behaviour" was conducted by a team of the partner organization through interactive methods of education.
Training modules “Rights of children and trafficking","peer to peer education” and "Educational Theatre - methodology and application" were conducted for volunteers from UNESCO Club Association.
2. Practical activities with children for building sustainable behaviour:
The “Educational theatre” methodology was applied since it is very suitable for the target age group. The children participated in the sketches and games on the topic (“trafficking”) based on their past and current experience.
We developed thematic units related to building up behaviour sustainable to risk. The sessions with children were assisted by the young volunteers. The “peer to peer” training method proved to be very efficient for acquiring new behavioural patterns.
On the basis of the developed sketches, a scenario and a theatre play „Every child has the right to …" were created. It was performed four times and was attended by children, parents, teachers and representatives of NGOs working with children.
3. Working in a supportive environment
A self-assistance group comprising teachers from both schools was established. There, professional issues and methods related to work with children at risk for education on protection of children's rights and developing sustainable behaviour were discussed. In the parents’ self-assistance group, participants shared problems and difficulties, and provided mutual support and assistance for their solution.
4. Resource activity:
The following were developed, published and disseminated among schools, social institutions for children and NGOs working on child problems:
- A practical guide I Know. My Strength Is That I Know for teachers teaching in secondary schools, containing interactive methods for work with children, a description of the “Educational theatre” approach, sample exercises and role play.
- An information leaflet with advice to children at high school age aimed at preventing child abuse and child trafficking.
Thirty children were educated on human rights and skills to counter risk factors for child abuse; pedagogical skills of 15 teachers to educate children on human rights and prevention of trafficking increased; parental competence of 12 parents in trafficking and abuse of children at risk increased; skills of 7 young people to work with children aged 11-15 on children's rights and prevention of trafficking increased. Increased awareness of the local community, children, parents, teachers, institutions for children on the prevention of child abuse by promotion of new methods to address prevention of child trafficking; capacity of UNESCO club on problems of child trafficking increased. Established good partnership with “Open World” Centre, Haskovo and the Regional Educational Inspectorate.
Contact information
Veneta Antonova
2, Han Kubrat Str., 6300 Haskovo, Bulgaria
Tel.: ++359 38 620 248
Cell Phone: ++359 889 346 836
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