LIFE SKILLS EDUCATION TOOLKIT FOR ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN IN INDIA• 19
- Listening Survey
A listening survey involves spending time
informally in the community, listening to what
people are saying, observing who is speaking,
the reason for the conversation, who is involved
and the context in which the conversation is
taking place. The investigators could visit places
where the target group can be located, such as a
market place, a school compound, shops of
petty shop owner (paan shop), tea stalls, bus
stops, railway stations, shelters, drop-in centers,
youth clubs and bars.
The investigators should work in teams of two
or three. One starts an informal conversation
such as, “Who buys cigarettes here?” or “Have
you seen that poster on AIDS? Why did they
put it up here?” or “I saw a lot of young people
buying liquor here yesterday.” or “I am afraid
of HIV.” The idea is to get people talking in your
area of interest. No notes should be taken at
this time.
Immediately following the meeting, the team
should write down what was said and
compare notes with the other teams. If
similar responses are obtained from the same
category of individuals, there is greater
confidence in the data obtained. If this
happens, the teams can move on to the next
group of people.- Mapping
Maps can provide information on the
availability of services, “hot spots” for risky
activities, where different people live and
work, or a social map of the area. Mapssometimes help to visualize causal
connections to problems. For example, a bar
may be situated near a brothel on a street
where children collect money at night.
Mapping, in this example, vividly illustrates
how children are placed in potentially risky
situations. Information about health,
education, vocational, recreational and other
services working with children, including
local NGOs, can be useful for planning
programs that complement life skills sessions
with children.- Key Informant Interview
There are always people in a community who
have relevant information when planning a
program. These people work with or know
young people well and may include a local
leader, doctor, teacher, petty shop owner,
canteen owner, police officer, youth and others.
An interview covering the key questions will elicit
rich data. Do not forget to show respect to these
individuals for sharing information with you. - Real Life Examples (Case Study)
This tool is useful only if we know that the
case study is illustrative of the characteristics
of a specific group of children. If so, the case
study can offer insights into how and why risky
behavior took place, the perceptions of different
people and the influencing events that took
place over a period of time. A case study is
possible only when the person collecting the
data is experienced in this method and has an
excellent rapport with the person from whom
information is being collected.