Open Mic
On a weekly basis Sauti Kuu offers a safe space for young people to build their self-esteem and confidence, develop their talents and nurture their leadership skills. The young people get a chance to use their voice and articulate their needs through songs, plays, narratives, open forums and debates.
Sports
The sports activities are a critical component of the Personality Development Program. Sauti Kuu uses sports and game playing as a tool to teach life skills and positive behavior change. Through sports the children and young people gain leadership competencies, self-confidence and self-esteem among others. They learn to work as a team, communicate and interact with others, to be disciplined and to take responsibility. Sports also improves their decision-making and organizing skills. In particular the girls benefit by becoming more confident and assertive.
Each sport activity includes a discussion session where the children and young people talk about any problems or challenges they may have. The activities on the sports field are used as a metaphor for their real life experiences. They learn coping mechanism through play that they can use when dealing with their real life challenges.
Life Skills Workshops
The Sauti Kuu Workshop activities teach the children and young people Life Skills and other competencies, both social and technical. Sauti Kuu helps children and teens improve their social skills, in the process acquiring social behaviour that shapes their character while strengthening their self-confidence and self-esteem. A focus is on combating the victim mentality that prevails among disadvantaged children, adolescents and their families. The aim is to impart a sense of responsibility that places those affected in a position to become part of the decision-making process that determines their future.
The purpose of the workshops is to help Sauti Kuu beneficiaries to develop strategies and ways they can bring positive change to their lives, while also benefiting their communities.
The following are some of the workshop topics:
- Promoting self-realisation and individual responsibility
- Opportunities to encourage education and create jobs
- Environmental protection and environmental management
- Promotion of peer learning (in which young people are taught by young instructors) on topics of health and HIV/AIDS education, nutrition counselling, sexual behaviour and relationships
- Promotion of one’s own culture.
Retreats
At the Sauti Kuu August Retreat young people camp and participate in various activities that include sports, team building, talent development, topical discussions and brainstorming forums and excursions. The young people visit historic local sites, where they learn about their culture. The Retreat also serves as a platform for them to discuss the challenges and problems they face. They learn to talk about their concerns in a proactive and productive manner. They also learn to listen to each other and together find solutions to their challenges while also celebrating each other’s successes.
Girls and Boys Forums
Through dialogue and without intimidation or discrimination, Sauti Kuu offers a safe non-threatening platform where the young people engage in discussion sessions. The sessions relate to current existing social issues and take place on a regular basis.
Reflection Tipi
There are meanwhile several of these special spaces, including in the USA, Switzerland, and now also in Kenya.
The art project explains itself through the usability and tangibility, creates a special space. Many social organizations, very many different people have knitted along so far. Each according to their own pattern and as an important indispensable part of the overall fabric. Readable at: http://www.ute-lennartz-lembeck.de/styled-5/index.html
