After the results of the Joining Forces For Africa (JOFA) Project Child Protection Needs Assessment at the end of year one and the subsequent Mid-Term Review conducted in July 2022 revealed the need for further psycho-social support interventions, TeamUp was incorporated into the JOFA Project implementation in year two and three.
Cases of child abuse have been persistent in the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya due to foster parenting challenges. Child neglect was also rampant within the Camp since some parents and caregivers left their children under the care of their young siblings while looking for alternative means to cater for family needs.
Some children reported that they don’t feel valued both at home and in the community, something that was affecting them psychologically.
A five-day TeamUp Training of Trainers was conducted in Kenya in September 2022 in response to the need for more structured psycho-social support activities for children. This was followed by a series of cascade trainings for community facilitators and co-facilitators who have been engaging with children during the other JOFA Project children activities including Parenting without Violence and Child Participation. Since the facilitators had already been trained by World Vision on Child Safeguarding, it was easy to orient them on the TeamUp certification process and minimum standards.
TeamUp is a psychosocial support intervention of structured movement-based activities consisting of games based on sports, play, movement and body awareness for children aged between 6 to 17 years, aiming to improve the psychosocial wellbeing of children. The structured approach helps children create friendship, bonding, and teamwork, and enables inclusive participation and creativity among children and their facilitators through exploring local play activities that are culturally and age-appropriate for targeted children.
Before rolling out TeamUp in Kakuma Refugee Camp, World Vision involved Community-based structures including block leaders since they are instrumental in mobilizing, and conducting follow up on children’s issues at home and handle referral of identified cases. The Government partners, including the Children’s Office, the Probation Office, the Magistrate and the Education Office, were also engaged and informed about TeamUp approach for their buy-in, and support. This group is also instrumental in supporting referral and case management.
JOFA Project community facilitators begun by working with and involving children to contextualize TeamUp training materials, and to co-create games and activities to ensure inclusion and meaningful participation of all children. The games are complemented by children’s songs, and local traditional dances. This was necessary to enable children to take charge of game facilitation and support in co-facilitation, while working closely with the trained facilitators. The intervention was limited in scope, involving 50 children in Kakuma, with plans to scale up the intervention in 10 schools within the camp in the next quarter. Children living with disability were assigned certain leadership and instructional roles either as games whistle blowing or session observers.
Grace Wambua, Joining Forces for Africa Child Protection and Advocacy Officer based in Kakuma Refugee Camp explains that JOFA Project adapted the TeamUp to support refugee children cope with stress, enhance their resilience, and handle issues like incessant conflicts among themselves. TeamUp sessions have created safe spaces where children can express and manage their emotions, play together and make new friends.
“The 8 themes of TeamUp – Conflict, Stress and Tension, Anger, Bullying, Respect, Fear, Friendship and Friends, and Assertiveness helps to observe the behavior of children during the sessions, and offer them necessary support including counseling and referral.” She observed.
Due to the fun and enjoyable nature of children’s activities, TeamUp sessions have been attracting large numbers of children in the Camp. Some children have been attending to spectate their peers because of the limited playing materials, and fewer trained TeamUp facilitators compared to the children population in the Camp. To address the increasing demand, JOFA Project identified active children during TeamUp sessions to become TeamUp child champions, who are co-leading TeamUp sessions in the camp.
As a result of TeamUp, conflicts among children have become minimal. Team Up has helped foster harmonious relationships among children through interaction, playing together, sharing their child protection challenges and take appropriate action. Due to the teamwork during TeamUp sessions, children have been able to make friends and improve their relationships with their peers.
“I like the TeamUp because we play together, sing good songs and dance. This makes me feel good and forget about anything that can stress me. After the activities, I go home very happy and relaxed.” Nyanpath, a child participant.
The children who previously liked to fight or acted aggressively have also changed their behavior and started acting more friendly, loving, and caring. The community facilitators have also observed that feedback-sharing sessions have made children to become more open, and enhanced their critical thinking skills.
“Engaging in play and other children’s activities has given us an opportunity to bond, learn from each other and become more united.” A child TeamUp champion reported.
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This publication was produced with the financial support of the European Union.
Its contents are the sole responsibility of Joining Forces and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.