By Dawn Lewis and Souksavanh Souvanny
March 15, 2023
TerraKids is making an impact with community leaders in southern Laos! In January 2023, the TerraKids program organized a Teacher Training in Champasak District, southern Laos. The training is devoted to helping teachers be the first line of defense for their students to prevent risky behavior. This includes teaching the teachers about child rights, the dangers and risks of human trafficking, the risks for children who suffer neglect, the dangers of drug addiction, and other salient topics. In order to teach the teachers effectively, teaching methods include songs, actions, plays, and especially giving the teachers opportunity to participate actively in learning.
After covering the topics, the teachers were divided into groups to reinforce learning by having the teachers act out a skit to express the learning point. One group acted as a family that was discussing sending the mother to Thailand to get a job to earn more money. In the skit, the mother was sad because the children of the family did not seem to have enough extra spending money. In the skit the mother had been caring for her 4 children alone after her husband died. The mother went to talk to her older brother, who acted as an uncle of the kids, to discuss having her 4 children to live with the uncle’s family, but the uncle refused. He was afraid that he could not take care of 4 more children and he did not agree for the mother to leave these 4 kids behind and go to work in another country. So the uncle went to talk to the village chief and explain that the mother would be leaving. The teachers acted the skit so well! The teacher who was acting as the village chief said, “What! How can you leave your children! They will be neglected, because who has time like a mother to take care of your children!” Then the village chief said, “how about you and your bigger children work on weekends for me? You can help me in the fields. That way, the children can learn about the value of work and earn money. And you will not be leaving the children without their mother for long periods of time.”
The skit was a 100% success! The teachers showed that they really understood the importance of parents staying with children and not leaving them in the care of relatives. But that is not the end of the story! Mr. Bunlueng, from the District Education Office had come to see the Teacher Training by TerraKids. He was so impressed with the value of the skits done by teachers, he came up with a GREAT idea. Mr. Bunleung said, “Can we make a community wide meeting, where we invite other government representatives, village leaders, and parents? At this meeting, the teachers can perform their skits and show the valuable lessons they have learned. At the same time, they will be teaching the community and community leaders these important lessons!
Of course, everyone agreed that this was a wonderful plan. Mr. Banleung and his deputy chief came to TerraClear to discuss the plan with TerraKids and visit the factory. Now they are determined to continue the learning in community groups in the villages.
Good job, TerraKids! Your lessons have reached the children, teachers, government leaders, and now also the broader community about child welfare and keeping children safe!
