Orphans and Vulnerable Children - CRIN

For this activity you will need:

 Flipchart and markers

 Copies of Handout 1

To facilitate this activity

1 Ask for participants’ ideas on how to prepare children for an impending death.

If you like, ask participants if they have already had this experience with children, and how

they handled it. Supplement their ideas with information from your facilitator’s notes.

2 Divide participants into pairs and assign each member a child, stating the child’s age, gender,

and relationship to the person who is dying or has died (for example, a six year old

boy whose father has died; a seven year old girl who has HIV/AIDS).

3 Have each member of the pair practise talking about an impending death to the child they have

been assigned. The other member of the pair should then provide feedback and suggestions.

The important point of this activity is that participants are able to practise talking about

death and dying with a child who is scared and vulnerable. This is a difficult task and requires

sensitivity and empathy on the part of the participants.

3 Afterwards, participants come together in plenary.

Give them an opportunity to share what they learned

in pairs, and allow time for discussion and questions,

if time permits.

4 Give out copies of Handout 1.

45 minutes

(^192) Unit 2, Module 2 Guide to Mobilising and Strengthening Community-Led Care for Orphans and Vulnerable Children