Using CPI's Storytelling Method to Foster Healing and Resilience in Children
Kenya
Storytelling Helps Children Express Themselves in a Safe Setting
Share traditional and personal stories
Storytelling Heals Trauma
Drawing to Express Feelings
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Program Overview and Impact
In Kenya, storytelling is a cherished cultural practice deeply rooted in African traditions, used to impart moral values and societal expectations. Despite its importance, modernization has led to the neglect of this tradition in some communities. CPI, in partnership with local organizations, is revitalizing storytelling by conducting engaging sessions in schools across Migori and Mikei County.
Teachers have praised the storytelling program, noting improved listening skills among participants and recommending an expansion of storytelling sessions to benefit more students.
Key Findings: The storytelling sessions have significantly improved children’s engagement, creativity, and listening skills. Students have shown increased confidence and public speaking abilities.
Teachers have observed a positive impact on students’ overall behavior and attentiveness in class.
Challenges: The program faces challenges including limited resources for storytelling materials and a need for more trained facilitators and team leaders to expand the program’s reach. We are working to meet these challenges and help serve more vulnerable children.
Documented Benefits CPI's Partners Have Observed
For children, storytelling enhances emotional intelligence, fosters creativity, and aids language development. Participating in storytelling gatherings helps children gain a sense of belonging, learn important life lessons, and develop critical thinking skills, contributing to their overall growth and well-being.
Meet CPI Kenya Team Leader Gloria Ochola
Storytelling Circles: A Platform for Sharing, Healing and Learning
In our pursuit of help bolstering play-based education and advocating for storytelling in Kenya, CPI and its local partners in Migori and Mikei are bringing about significant and positive transformations in the lives of children.
Our commitment remains steadfast as we continue to diligently pursue our mission, expanding our endeavors to reach an even larger number of deserving children.
In collaboration with Gloria Ochola, a dedicated advocate for the rights of girls and women, CPI has embarked on new storytelling to benefit vulnerable girls.
The first storytelling session began with the students, all girls, being asked to crack jokes, as a way of setting the climate for the Storytelling session. As the girls listened intently to the captivating Kuria folktale, they were left with a mix of emotions due to its powerful and emotional nature. The happy ending provided a sense of relief, but the sadness and challenges faced by the characters left important lessons for the young minds to learn.
Kenya
Our Work Focuses on Local Culture and a Safe
Setting
In order to sidestep the feelings of abandonment and detachment from what is known and cherished, finding solace in tradition acts as an anchor.
In Kenya, this anchoring encompasses the beauty of traditional songs and age-old storytelling. Through traditional song, chanting, exclaiming, and mirthful laughter, children discover joy in expressing themselves through their voices.
During CPI's initial visit in 2014, we conducted video workshops in which HIV orphans wrote, acted in, and filmed videos about their lives.
On our first visit to Mikei, we worked at two AIDS orphanages where 30% of the children were living with, or impacted by HIV/AIDS. It is the same today.
We introduced play and storytelling activities, and organized our signature event, the “Olympic of the Body and Mind.”
Today, our local partner and teacher Vincent, runs a storytelling program that empowers young women and boys.
New Storytelling Program
Drawing is Important to CPI's Storytelling Program
Girls draw their impressions of the stories told during storytelling sessions.
Song and Dance Are Inseparable From the Local Culture
ChildsPlay International is a champion of play-based learning, and a significant part of this approach is the incorporation of song and dance. These traditional cultural expressions, sometimes even hallowed by religion, are embodied in joyful performances.
Singing and dancing invite children to improvise, making even the hardiest tradition an opportunity for fun and self-expression.
In Kenya, people gathered for traditional song and dance activities. These traditions had a Christian influence that came from colonial times, but they also had local touches. Girls and boys had their own choirs, and these choirs were lively. Children would stand up, move around, sing, and dance. The atmosphere had a spirited, enthusiastic feel, like the vibrant Christianity that was becoming more popular than the established church groups.
CPI’s Play-based Learning and Storytelling Programs Help Children Impacted by HIV/AIDS.
ChildsPlay International (CPI) is a driving force for education wherever we engage. Our efforts have brought about profound changes in various small villages, notably Migori and Mikei, within Kenya. These communities bear the weight of a significant number of children orphaned due to HIV/AIDS. A substantial portion of these children also face the challenges of being HIV positive themselves. In these contexts, CPI’s dedication to empowering education becomes an indispensable source of hope, offering these young lives a chance at a brighter, more promising future.
"The storytelling program has been Godsent. Children have learned how to speak out for themselves freely, expressing their thoughts, fears, challenges, and aspirations. This self-expression allows them to be understood without fear, revealing how they perceive life. Vulnerable communities are seeing another side of life through these narratives. Parents appreciate the stories their children share and are actively reaching out with questions, eager to participate and support the storytelling program as part of the school curriculum. Storytelling techniques are being embraced by parents, guardians, and teachers, with children collecting stories at home and sharing them with their peers. Additionally, the program highlights the importance of arts and crafts, creating a ritual that ensures a safe space for everyone involved."
Gloria Ochola CPI Partner, Kanya