TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Viktoria Grivina
The project was focused on training participants to organize artistic workshops and activities for children from the Eastern Regions of Ukraine. By working with children and creating art in the frames of Frolivska 9/11 IDP Initiative participants learnt about the situation in the East of Ukraine from people who saw everything wiith their own eyes and received basic knowledge of communication with youth affected by the conflict. The project was designed for aspiring youth workers, artists and social activists. It conformed both to the peacebuilding philosophy of SVIT-Ukraine (SCI), and the aims of Frolivska Initiative, that provided aid for Internally Displaced Persons who suffered during the armed conflict in Eastern Ukraine, informational support regarding their rights and privileges (housing, work, education, voting, etc.), educational programs for kids, humanitarian aid to people residing on the territory of the armed conflict. Project took place in the frames of Frolivska's "Playground" program.
The group consisted of 15 participants from Ukraine, Germany, Romania, Switzerland, Finland, Czech Republic and Spain.
Methods used in the training were defined by a special artistic nature of the project and of work with children. Games and simulations played the biggest part in methodology. We trained activities with adults in the morning sessions to use them with children in the afternoon. Basics of communication were taught through simulations, discussions, brainstorming and art therapy workshops. Other methods included teaching individual expression through clay animation and creating cultural mind maps of the city.
As a result of the activity participants spent 10 days providing artistic and game workshops for children from internally displaced families. They learnt how to create artistic mind maps of the city and how to create and edit clay animation. They improved their cultural and social competences and abilities to communicate with children affected by the conflict. Results of the project can be seen in the animation the group created together with children: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmznW6vbKpw
On FB page of the project: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1553098671663905/
And in reports of the participants: http://rollingglobe.org/reviews/makingpeace/
In the team I was responsible for sessions on communication, brainstorming and teaching basics of non-violent communication to the participants who later used this knowledge and skills to communicate with children. Another major responsibility was to provide cultural awareness training by explaining the foundations of mind-mapping for understanding infrastructure of the city. This method is often used to help internally displaced people to get used to a new environment. Thus participants got a first-hand experience of understanding the technique.