Life Skills Education Toolkit

LIFE SKILLS EDUCATION TOOLKIT FOR ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN IN INDIA 3•

Directions:

ACTIVITY ONE

Heroes and Heroines

1. Play a game of dumb charades where there are two teams, and one has to guess what the
   other is doing. The team decides on who the famous person will be, and a representative of
   the team mimics the famous person. The opposite team gets to ask 10 questions to which
   the answer is non-verbal—a nod for yes and a shake of the head for no. The team that gets the
   maximum correct answers wins.
   This exercise teaches the children to step back and think about the qualities of different people.


2. If it is a mixed group, divide the girls and the boys. Ask the group to imagine themselves as
   heroes and heroines. When they have done that, ask them what qualities they would like the
   hero or the heroine to have.
   (It is not important to decide who is the best hero or heroine but that the girls and boys think of
   the qualities they like of a hero or heroine.)


3. Children draw an image of a man and write My Hero on top of it, and an image of a woman
   with My Heroine written on top. Each group draws My Hero and My Heroine. Both groups
   discuss the qualities, and write them on the image or draw symbols.


4. Place two + two body images on the wall (you will have two from the girls group and two from
   the boys group). Each group presents the charts to the other group. Were there differences
   between boys and girls? Discuss why this was so. Explore the influence of media, societal
   expectations and culture.
   (For younger children, the activity can stop here. The review questions would be:
   
   
   • Can you behave in the way the hero or heroine does? Speak like they do? Dress like
     they do? Why is this so?
   
   
   • What is expected of a girl and of a boy in your family and society? Can you change
     these expectations? Do you know anyone who has been able to do so?
     For linking to life activities, the children can interview their mother, father or some older
     person working in the center. Children should be supervised when collecting data.
     Alternatively, the facilitator can invite people to the training center and the children can ask
     questions.)
   
   
   
   


5. Referring to the body images, discuss some of the qualities that might create problems. For
   example, the boys need to have a muscular body and so must do body building (can lead to
   physical injury and serious damage if excessive force is used) or the girls’ need to obey and be
   quiet (can be exploited). Also discuss the difference between what is expected and what
   exists in reality. Circle these. Brainstorm with the group to come up with alternative qualities
   and write them on the sheet. The children now have an image of a hero or heroine with
   positive and more realistic qualities.