Life Skills Education Toolkit

46 • PART TWO: FACILITATOR’S GUIDE

Facilitators are not good if they exhibit the

following:

• Interrupt children;


• Attend to other distracting matters while
  conducting a session;


• Uncomfortable talking about sexuality;


• Insensitive to children’s needs;


• Talk quickly in a language and volume that
  children cannot understand;


• Unaware of non-verbal behavior that gives
  mixed messages;


• Lack knowledge about HIV and other
  related life skills information;


• Do not allow children to discuss and share;


• Judgmental;


• Do not respect confidentiality;


• Impatient when a child does not understand
  or does not change behavior;


• Critical;


• Carry stigma about HIV and related issues;


• Do not adapt according to children’s needs
  in sessions; and


• Do not listen to children, and do not respect
  their views and opinions.

Tips for facilitators during the sessions:

• Give children time to answer questions. Wait
  if necessary. Encourage different answers to
  the same question;


• Ask for children’s input starting with the first
  session (e.g., in setting ground rules). This
  approach sets the tone for the rest of the
  sessions, shows that the facilitator values
  children’s inputs and demonstrates that
  children can have choices but must be
  responsible for their decisions;

SELECTION AND TRAINING OF FACILITATORS

The success of a Life Skills Education Program is

dependent to a great extent on the skills of the facilitator.

Special facilitation skills are required because:

• Life Skills Education Programs deal not only
  with information but with child
  development and behavior change (sessions
  can be quite intense);


• The program works with vulnerable
  children; and


• The program is focused on HIV/AIDS.
  Thus, facilitators need to be sensitive, transparent
  and comfortable with sex and sexuality issues.

Some characteristics of good facilitators:

• Create an atmosphere of respect and trust;


• Communicate clearly; speak in simple
  language and in an even tone;


• Comfortable with sexuality;


• Patient when children are unable to
  understand or express themselves clearly;


• Supportive when children are facing difficulties;


• Non-judgmental; do not criticize children’s
  lifestyles or decisions;


• Respect children no matter their age,
  socio-economic status, religion, educational
  level, HIV status;


• Believe in children’s rights;


• Know facts and information related to HIV
  and life skills and understands how children
  participate and learn;


• Adapt sessions according to needs of children;


• Can manage conflict and tension in the
  group in a positive manner; and


• Calm and balanced; provide security
  and stability.