May 20, 2021
By: Aruna Kamara (Bo)
In order to help reduce parental crisis, stress management by impacting techniques to promote positive relationship in the home, commit and Act foundation Sierra Leone has trained eight hundred parents in three districts.
Commit and Act Foundation is a charitable non governmental organization registered in Sierra Leone as a child protection agency at national level, that is responsible for the provision of temporary shelter to abused girls and women in Bo, Bombali and Tonkonlili district also in project implementation in sierra Leone.
The training started from the 28th, April to the 17th may 2021, was organized in five chiefdoms, Gbonkelekeh, Valunia, Dansogia, Bombali Sebora and Makarie chiefdom, targeted parents of the four hundred beneficiaries of “My body, my right project” a project supported by German Doctors which operating in the three districts Bombali, Tonkonkolili and Bo district.
During the opening ceremony of the training in Yele, Gbonkelekeh chiefdom the country director Madam Hannah Bockarie unfold the essence of the training that the training is aimed at stimulating the well-being of their clients through enhancing parental stress management skills, positive parenting practices, and strategies for supporting children and adolescents with psychological needs in their various homes, she further expressed that as parents/caregivers have received this skills they are encourage to replicate it in their various homes and communities also as an organisation they are aiming to see at the end of this marathon training couples and their children live in a good and friendly environment, showing concern and put premium on the education of their children instead of initiating their children to the Bondo society (FGM) below age of consent.
Mrs. Aminata Turay applauses the German Doctors for providing the fund and commit and act foundation for organising such training to empower them on good parenting skills, as marital stress is one of the leading crisis in their homes which is greatly affecting their children that has caused poor performance in their academy and social life but they as parent upon receiving this skill promised to put into practice.
Mr. Abdulai Jalloh School head master of the Ahmadiyya Muslim primary school Mandu town, express his satisfaction with the kind of services commit and act offers especially in promoting girls education he also thanked the German Doctors for providing their available resources to help their kids to learn with a well-informed knowledge under the my body, my right project and also the Good parenting skill training is timely and has impacted so much ideas in them on how to train their children. According to him the slides and the different good parenting techniques taught by the facilitator is not new to them the only challenge was that in which way and manner they can implement it but after this training they assure the organisation and the lead facilitator to go and replicate what they have learned in their various homes and communities.
Mr. Prince Kenneh who serves as the lead facilitator was able to facilitate on the following topics, ten good parental skills, factors responsible for poor parenting, Stress management in the home etc. During the training he challenged participants present to start implementing the ten skills on their children and monitor their behaviour and if it is properly implemented they will see a great change and he also encourage couples to serve as a role models to their children in their homes especially when their children are around because they learn from what they see their parents do at home.
The training which attracted parent/caregivers from various communities in the targeted five chiefdoms were over whelmed on the knowledge gained and promised to implement it and also community members who were not beneficiaries of the project came to learn.
In his closing courtesy the project coordinator of “my body, my right” project Mr. Mustapha M. Sawi encourage participants to judiciously use the knowledge gain in raising up their children especially the girl child as children are the future leaders of our nation.