LIFE SKILLS EDUCATION TOOLKIT FOR ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN IN INDIA 1•The present is too real for young people to think of
the future. For children in vulnerable circumstances,
the struggles of daily living make it even more
difficult to think of a life beyond the immediate
present. But it is the risks, and especially that of
acquiring HIV/AIDS and STIs, that are the greatest
dangers for young people. Decisions made rashly
can change the entire course of a child’s life and
perhaps lead to death.
This module addresses how children can look
towards their future, set healthy goals and learn to
work towards them. The children are able to live
happier and more productive lives upon learning
life skills including setting personal goals. Setting
goals is a complex task. They need to be realistic
while benefiting the child and others who care and
support him or her, build on available and potential
skills and match those with the resources that are
available to achieve these goals.
We choose goals according to our values, which are
shaped by our culture, family expectations, the
values of our friends, what we hope to be and the
harsh economic realities of life as well.
Goals are not smooth roads to success. Learning to
deal with problems and overcoming them is
essential. Because vulnerable children have lived in
and experienced situations which are
overwhelmingly beyond their control, the idea that
they can and are responsible for the goals that they
set is difficult to understand.
The purpose of the Life Skills Education Program is
to empower children to make healthy choices,develop their self-esteem and self-confidence to set
goals for a healthy, happy and safe life.
Sessions One and Two lead the children towards
goal setting. The last session Moving On assists in
bringing closure to the program and helps children
in their transition to other activities. The
Facilitator’s Guide suggests how Peer Groups can be
formed, and this may be considered after
completing the activities of Session III.SESSION ONE
My Hopes, My Dreams
The children learn to visualize their future and
anchor it in their values, wants and needs. There
are two activities with options for additional
activities in this session. There are four activities in
this session.SESSION TWO
My Goals
This session discusses steps in setting goals, choices
and consequences of these decisions, problems in
achieving the goals and being responsible for one’s
actions. There are two activities in this session.SESSION THREE
Moving On
In this session, through facilitation, children bring
closure to the program.MODULE TEN: Reaching My Goals:
Energizers, Warm-ups and Relaxation