2 Ask participants to form groups of three or four and to discuss their expectations of the
workshop, and to list them on paper. Explain that participants do not have to agree with one
another.Expectations should be listed under the following headings:
(a) Hopes: what they hope to get out of the training. The groups can amend or add to the
hopes they expressed in the pre-course questionnaires.
(b) Fears: what they hope will not happen, or what they fear may happen. Encourage
participants to share their fears openly – this will help them to be more tolerant of one
another.
(c) Contributions: what each person brings to the group – a special experience (e.g. taking
care of vulnerable children), certain skills (e.g. listening skills), and aptitudes (e.g. a
willingness to learn and change thinking and behaviour).3 You should encourage responses from as many participants as possible, as this activity also serves
as an icebreaker.Get each group to report back and write up their responses on the flipchart. Review each
group’s hopes, their fears and their contributions with the group after everyone has responded.
This will give you the opportunity to align participants’ expectations of the training with your
objectives for the training. If there are any expectations which are unrealistic, explain why they
may not be met. This activity will also help you assess that your training course matches their
needs concerning OVC in their community.4 Lastly, pin up and go through the list of course aims and objectives that you have prepared
beforehand on flipchart paper. Group consensus may cause you to adapt or change these
objectives slightly. You should aim to get collective agreement on each point, as these will be
the guiding principles of the course. Once you have a set of principles that everyone agrees
with, put them on the wall for the duration of the course.(^74) Unit 2, Facilitator’s Guidelines Guide to Mobilising and Strengthening Community-Led Care for Orphans and Vulnerable Children