Right To Play Stories

Right To Play Stories - Liberia
Child Success and Personal Development
Ma Musu Massaquoi thanks the day Right To Play and the Liberian National Red Cross Society (LNRCS)
came to Voice of America (VOA) community on the outskirts of Monrovia, Liberia. She used to be
disappointed at her son’s behavior and was constantly worried about his future. Her twelve year old
son, always a strong willed boy, had become disrespectful and rude to her and others in the community.
No matter how hard she tried, she could not convince him to help her out around the house, instead he
chose to skip school and hang around other boys who caused trouble.
VOA has been a camp for internally displaced persons and refugees from Sierra Leone since the civil
crisis that tore Liberia apart from 1989 – 2003. Previously administered by the United Nations High
Commission for Refugees, it has since been handed over to the government, which is not yet able to
provide basic services such as education and regular health access. Due to the past crisis, the diverse
ethnic make-up of the community and the lack of current services, conflict is never far from VOA. Right
To Play, with the support of Comic Relief, began implementing activities in VOA in partnership with
LNRCS after training the first group of volunteer community Leaders in December 2008.
In the nine months since activities began in VOA, Ma Musu has seen a dramatic shift in the attitude and
behavior of her son. “Since the sports and play games started, my son is playing with his friends and he
is presently in school and working in the house”, she states, proudly. Now that he is engaged in Right To
Play activities, he no longer seeks the company of troubled youth in the community, choosing instead to
play Red Ball Child Play (RBCP) games with his new friends.
“As a mother, I have to say that sport has power and this power has changed my son. Thank you so
much. I hope my son will continue to participate in any activities you bring to VOA.” – Ma Musu
Masaquoi, Parent, VOA community, Montserrado.
Sport and play activities help to keep children, who have little opportunities, out of trouble and give
them new skills. Ma Musu Massaquoi shares her story.
Capacity Building and Leader Dedication
Ask anyone involved on the Comic Relief project to describe the qualities that make and ideal
community Leader, and the name Francis M.L. Saah would soon be mentioned. Francis, aged 57 from
Gbartala, Bong County started his community work by volunteering with the Center for Victims of
Torture (CVT), an International NGO that provides counselling for children and adults affected by
conflict, and subsequently with its daughter organisation the Liberia Association of Psychosocial Services
(LAPS), one of Right To Play’s partners on the Comic Relief project. He was trained as a psychosocial
counsellor, and has helped dozens of people in his community (a former training ground for rebel
factions) overcome conflict and trauma.
Francis’ commitment to his community, combined with his experience, made him a prime candidate for
a community Leader. Trained in December 2008 by Right To Play in the Red Ball Child Play Module, he
consistently demonstrated an indefatigable dedication to providing sport and play activities for children
in his community. As one of the most active leaders in the project, Francis learned a great deal that he
was then able to impart to others children and coaches under his care. Rather than relying solely on
words to counsel a person, Right To Play helped Francis discover a way of influencing behaviour change
in children that was powerful, sustainable and fun.
He cherished this new experience, and in addition to his regular sport and play sessions held several
times a week, no event planning, management committee or mobilization event took place without his
tireless support and enthusiasm. Though an ailing wife and infant daughter compelled him to take on
numerous responsibilities at home, he saw his play sessions as therapeutic and having tremendous
value for him as well as the children.
Francis quickly advanced to become a Leader Supervisor and took on additional responsibilities
supporting and mentoring other Leaders. Perhaps unsurprisingly, his community, Gbartala, has reported
the highest number of children involved since activities began. Despite his obvious personal skills and
experience, Francis has been quick to highlight the role of sport and play in attracting children to the
program and keeping their interest.
Well known throughout the project locations, Francis has served as a role model to existing and new
Leaders, demonstrating to them their potential, and that of the power of sport and play to change their
communities.
Photo Caption:
Coach Trainer Francis Saah poses for a photo with
the children and youth he regularly engages in play
sessions.
New Leaders Trained to Make a Difference in Their Communities
During the week of March 10th to 13th in Zleh Town, a district capital in Grand Gedeh County, 30 new
volunteers, including 10 women, became Right To Play Leaders in the first Red Ball Child Play training
given under the Resource Implementation Cycle Pilot. The training took place at the Zleh Town School
and the volunteers included school teachers and community members from Zleh Town as well as the
surrounding communities of Pouh’s Town, Gaye Town, and
Gbayeh Town.
“I always thought that Right To Play was
only for play, but the workshop has
changed that notion. I really learned a
lot.
-Roland Quiah
Grand Gedeh County is located in the South-East of Liberia
and due to its remote location is isolated from Monrovia and
often overlooked by development initiatives. As a result, it
suffers from a chronic lack of infrastructure and support services. Zleh Town is located north of the
county capital, Zwedru, and though a district capital is a small town with few resources. Thus, the need
is great for educational and recreational activities to foster the holistic development of their children.
During the training, volunteers were educated in the Red Ball Child Play resource and learned how to
use sport and play to help children develop their physical, social, mental and emotional health. One day
longer than trainings under regular program implementation, a key component of the workshop was
practical sessions in which Leaders could apply the learnings and receive feedback on first experience
leading Right To Play activity sessions. They were also equipped with skills such as group management
and learned how to adapt games to suit different ages and stages of child development, as well as
different disabilities.
Leaders appeared very excited to be volunteering with Right To Play, reporting that the training gave
them new skills to facilitate playing with children in their communities. “I didn’t know that hurting one’s
feelings is emotion abuse and can be more damaging that physical abuse” stated Wilson Youbo, a
teacher, “This workshop has taught be a great lesson.” Many commented on the participatory nature of
the training, laughing and played through a variety of games and activities. The opening game of the
workshop was led by a participant, setting the tone for the learner-focused design of the workshop.
While keeping Leaders motivated to regularly engage children in activities following trainings is always a
challenge, almost all Leaders participating in this training remain active, months after the workshop.
Project Assistants attribute this to the longer period of engaging and assessing potential Leaders prior to
training – ensuring that only the most suitable and committed are selected – combined with a more
comprehensive training that further builds Leaders skills and confidence. To maintain these high
motivation levels, Leaders will continue to receive regular visits and support from Right To Play staff.
Community Development
My name is Ron S. Meh, I am 31 years old and a proud Liberian, though I’ve spent many years living in
neighbouring countries due to the civil crisis at home. Currently, I am a Project Coordinator with Right
To Play Liberia working on the “Sport and Play for Holistic Development of Children and Youth Affected
by Fighting Forces in Liberia” project which began in October 2008, but I first became aware of the
power of sport and play for change many years earlier. While a refugee in Ivory Coast in 2002, I heard
about an organisation called Olympic Aid (the precursor to Right To Play) that was working in refugee
camps around West Africa. When war broke out in Ivory Coast, we were forced to flee to neighbouring
Guinea due to the persisting security threats back home in Liberia. I ended up in a refugee camp called
Camp Laine, and when Right To Play began implementation in the camp in 2005, I started assisting them
with activities. I was trained as a community Coach that September, and over the following months, I
received further training in specific sports as well as skills such as community mobilization, group
management and conflict resolution.
My experience with Sport for Development while in exile – and the way it could be used to influence
change in the community - left quite a mark on me and when I returned to Liberia in 2006, I felt the urge
to contribute similarly back home. Fortunately, when I returned to Monrovia, I discovered that Right To
Play was already there starting up a new program. I resumed my role as a community Coach, and after a
while was offered to become a Leader Supervisor, responsible for supporting and mentoring other
Coaches in my community. I enjoyed working with children, and valued seeing how play activities could
bring peace and happiness to those left hurt and confused by war. Being able to share my experiences
with and pass on what I’d learned to other Leaders motivated me a great deal and in 2007 I was hired as
Project Assistant, tasked with training, mentoring, and coaching Leaders and Leader Supervisors in
communities across Monrovia.
When the position of Project Coordinator for a Comic Relief funded program was announced, I jumped
at the opportunity. I think volunteering and working with Right To Play over the past three years, the
trainings and on the job learning, has endowed me with a unique set of knowledge and skills. I saw this
new position both as an opportunity and a challenge to pass on these skills to staff and volunteers from
other partner organisations. This project, with its focus on building the capacity of local organisations,
appealed to me. With their diverse experiences, there has been a great need for working with and
strengthening these partner organisations. Training and guiding staff and volunteers at partner
organisations in project planning and management, holistic child development, and the use of sport and
play to promote peace represent the main component of my job. Though it is challenging, and
sometimes I think how it would be easier to just complete the tasks myself, I quickly forget this when I
see the successes in the field.
Even though the project is new, I have already seen a transformation in the three partner organisations
as well as their volunteer Leaders, ranging from the establishment and strengthening of organisational
structures to running quality activities with children. Our local partners are now able to plan and run
Mobilization Events on their own, as they did during the celebration of International Women’s Day on
March 8. They have improved rapport with community members and leadership whilst their handling
and accounting of finances is being strengthened. While all these administrative changes are
encouraging to see, working with the Leaders and Supervisors in the field is undoubtedly the best part of
my job. Supporting new Leaders in holding Red Ball Child Play sessions and discussions and seeing them
improve keeps me motivated. They can now run activities independently and lead discussions with more
confidence. Many have undertaken new responsibilities in the community and are enjoying the
increased respect of their community.
At first, Leaders were sceptical when I told them I used to be a volunteer too, leading activities in the
community, but now I think it has given me extra credibility. When I try to help them, they know I speak
from experience. I hope they have learned as much from me as I learned from others when I was a
Leader; sometimes it’s even difficult for me to believe how far I’ve come.
Ron playing a warm up game at the start of an RBCP session
United in a Universal Message
WORLD AIDS DAY EVENTS BRING ORGANIZATIONS, GOVERNMENT, AND COMMUNITIES TOGETHER TO
FIGHT HIV AND AIDS MISCONCEPTIONS AND MISTRUST.
Right To Play - in collaboration with the Maryland County Health Team, Merlin, MERCI, UNHCR and
several local community based organizations - commemorated World AIDS Day in Pleebo, Maryland
County, under the theme ‘Universal Access to Treatment, Prevention, and Care’. The event gathered
hundreds of participants including 532 (219 male, 313 female) students as well as health workers,
residents of an Ivorian refugee community, and local government representatives to discuss barriers to
HIV and AIDS prevention and access to treatment.
The celebration began with a bang as children and youth paraded through the streets of Pleebo carrying
banners and flyers while chanting messages promoting awareness around HIV and AIDS. Following the
parade were speeches and Q&A sessions led by the Maryland County Health Officer, Dr. Kumeh and the
World Health Organization representative, Dr. Johnson. Speeches stressed the importance of ensuring
that all people have access to HIV and AIDS treatment, prevention and care, recognizing these as
fundamental human rights. As Dr. Johnson stated, “the protection of human rights is fundamental to
combating the global HIV and AIDS epidemic. By promoting individual human rights, new infections can
be prevented and people who are living with HIV can live free from discrimination.”
Following the question and answer period, children and youth participated in several interactive
activities such as dramas, role playing, and Live Safe, Play Safe games. These provided an opportunity
for children, youth, Leaders, parents, and other community members to discuss barriers to universal
access in their communities and commit to solutions. Moreover, by bringing together multiple actors
within the community, the event helped mainstream the issues surrounding HIV and AIDS into the larger
community dialogue. As one youth chanted during the parade, “HIV is everybody’s business, whether
you are white, black, small, big, rich, poor, old or young, HIV strikes all.”
Children and Youth parade through the streets of Plee
on World AIDS Day
Youth, many of whom were students involved in Right To Play supporting school based HIV clubs,
showed impressive enthusiasm for the events, seeing them as an opportunity to join part of the global
fight against HIV and AIDS. They called on each other and the community at large – echoing a Live Safe,
Play Safe game name - to “shine your eyes, don’t trust your eyes, and take your rain coat *condom+
everywhere you go”.
Youth chant songs to promote awareness and
behavior change among their peers
New Leaders Trained to Make a Difference in Their Communities
During the week of March 10th to 13th in Zleh Town, a district capital in Grand Gedeh County, 30 new
volunteers, including 10 women, were trained to become Red Ball Child Play Leaders. The training took
place at the Zleh Town School and the volunteers included school teachers and community members
from Zleh Town as well as the surrounding communities of Pouh’s Town, Gaye Town, and Gbayeh Town.
Grand Gedeh County is located in the South-East of Liberia and due to its remote location is isolated
from Monrovia and often overlooked by development initiatives. As a result, it suffers from a chronic
lack of infrastructure and support services. Zleh Town is located north of the county capital, Zwedru, and
though a district capital is a small town with few resources. Thus, the need is great for educational and
recreational activities to foster the holistic development of their children.
During the training, volunteers were educated in the Red Ball Child Play resource and learned how to
use sport and play to help children develop their physical, social, mental and emotional health. They
were also equipped with practical skills such as group management and learned how to adapt games to
suit different ages and stages of child development, as well as different disabilities.
They were all very excited to be volunteering with Right To Play and reported that the training gave
them new skills to facilitate playing with children in their communities. They also enjoyed the
participatory nature of the training and laughed and played through a variety of games and activities.
From the beginning, the volunteers demonstrated their passion for working with children as well as a
high level of dedication and understanding of Right to Play’s mission and values. The first opening game
of the workshop was led by a participant, setting the tone for the training.
Following the training, volunteers will commence leading regular play activities with groups of children
in their communities. They will continue to receive regular visits and support from Right To Play to help
them further develop their skills, and once they have demonstrated excellence they will become
certified as Right to Play Leaders.
Congratulations to the Zleh Town RBCP Training participants for completing the first step in becoming a
Right to Play Leader!
Participants learning their first RBCP game during the Zleh Town training
Participants conducting a 360 degree safety check at the Zleh Town training
Volunteer Leaders Bring the Message of Peace Home
Right To Play leaders and the children of Gaye Town, Gbarzon District, were in high spirits when they
held a Play Day to mark International Day of Peace on Monday September 21, 2009. The event marked
the first time trained Leaders in Gbarzon initiated, planned and organized their own large scale activity,
with support from Right To Play.
The day was bright, colorful and full of activities that involved all participants. Two hundred and eighty
two children attended the play day, all of whom were actively involved in both Red Ball Child Play (RBCP)
activities and special football matches. Also present were a good number of community members
including the town chief, the most senior person in attendance. The event was held at the Gaye Town
community field, and the day’s activities were divided into two sessions: an indoor program of
welcome, introduction and peace themed remarks, as well as an outdoor program including RBCP
activity sessions and a special football Olympics.
The aim of the Play Day was to engage participants, both children and the larger community, around
themes of peace and reconciliation through the sharing of messages by community representatives.
One speaker, Mr. Jayee, said that, “It is because of the sweetness of peace that people in our
community are breathing good air today. We also want to express our thanks and appreciation to Right
To Play for making us learn about a peace day. To you the children and youth of this community, you are
urged to always think, breath and play peace when you are together so that you will have meaningful
contributions to offer in your lives’’.
Also speaking at the program was a youth representative who thanked Right To Play for fostering
peaceful activities in his community. For their part, Right To Play staff present linked the messages of
peace with the RBCP module that teaches positive social relationships and the importance of
cooperation and teamwork amongst people, especially children and youth in communities.
During the RBCP activities session of the program, fifteen leaders with a hundred and six children played
two games: Frozen Beanbag and I am not alone. These activities from the Blue Peace Ball games were
selected by Leaders in line with the theme for the day’s activities and were meant to showcase Right To
Play’s role in promoting peace through its sport and play program within communities. To close the
session, Leaders conducted the Reflect, Connect, and Apply (RCA) discussion session with children as
members of the community present at the program went around observing and learning from the
activities.
The football session of the day’s activities was played amongst six teams organized and headed by
Leaders. Each team consisted of a total of fifteen players (50% female). A team was asked to feature 11
players, including 6 girls and 5 boys, on the field of play. It was also an occasion in which girls were the
only players allowed to score goals, though as it turned out, the best goalkeeper of the tournament was
also a girl!
Following the football tournament involving six mixed gender teams, the town chief presented Right To
Play Red Balls as trophies to each team. In his remarks, he noted that “I will like for all the children and
youth playing today to see Right To Play Balls as a sign of peace in our town. For today the people who
brought this red ball, have made us to learn about a new day’’.
The day ended on a high note with everyone taking home a message of peace from the occasion:
messages and commentaries from the games were broadcast on loud speakers. As the leaders were
cleaning up the play area, one elderly man remarked and said, ‘’ I have never seen such a day of
happiness in a very long time and I wish everyday was like today’’.
Happy moment for the best goalkeeper during the Peace Day celebration; RBCP Leaders in a Blue
PeaceBall activity; Frozen Beanbag during International Day of Peace
Project Story: Building Leaders, Building Sustainability
Sustainability and inclusion are Right To Play’s guiding principles. All Right To Play programs aim to be
sustainable so that children can continue to benefit from sport and play activities and communities can
continue to develop long after the departure of the
organization. In order to promote the sustainability of
Right To Play’s work Right To Play insures that volunteer
Leaders are trained to be able to work independently for
the benefit of their communities.
With this in mind, a Training of Trainers (TOT) workshop
was organized for all of Right To Play’s community
partners in Maryland County in June 2009. Twenty-four
participants, including six women, took part in the twoday workshop to start to develop their skills to become
Certified Right To Play Trainers. During the workshop
participants learnt more about how to effectively monitor
program implementation during regular play sessions.
Participants were very interested in learning how to
incorporate local games into Right To Play resources and
pledged to work with other partners to collect game ideas.
On the second day of the workshop, the community partners began to explore the concept of Adult
Education by discovering their learning style and how to adapt workshops to suit the needs of all
participants. Finally, they covered some tips for leading effective workshops.
Joseph Allison, a Leader Supervisor from Harper District said, “I learnt a lot from the TOT, now I’m able
to identify what went wrong, reason out solutions and make adjustments to improve in further
trainings. What I’m thinking about doing now is to organize my first training for my leaders in child
protection to put to practice what I have learned. I also feel glad to be part of the training because it
give me more idea about facilitating training or group discussion, taking into consideration speaking
clearly, being visible and keeping participants engaged,” when asked about the training.
The participants expressed their satisfaction with the workshop and are eager to complete the rest of
their training and start assisting with the facilitation of refresher courses. “This training has put me in a
better position to [be a trainer] because it touches on those things a training must consider in order to
be a good trainer, for example being a role model at all times, managing feedback and expectations,”
said Nathaniel Toe, a Leader Supervisor from Harper District. Participants recognized the importance of
their role in order to continue the work of Right To Play and felt satisfaction and pride in being role
models in their communities and having ownership over the program.
Building Leaders, Building Sustainability
Sustainability, along with inclusion, is a guiding principle of Right To Play, and influences all levels of
program implementation. All Right To Play programs aim to be sustainable so that the benefit of regular
and structured sport and play to children and youth will one day continue independent of the
organization. In order to promote the sustainability of sport for peace and development activities, Right
To Play places a high priority on equipping Volunteer Leaders with the skills and experience they require
to implement quality activities independently of Right to Play in their communities.
With this in mind, a Training of Trainers (TOT) workshop was held for all Coach Trainers of Maryland
County in June, the first of its kind in Right To Play Liberia Twenty-four Coach Trainers, six of whom
were female, took part in the two-day workshop to begin to develop their skills as Certified Right To Play
Trainers. During the workshop, sessions focused on how to effectively monitor Leaders during regular
sport and play activities in order to ensure consistent and quality programs. Participants also explored
the concept of adult education by discovering their own learning styles and learning how to adapt
workshops and refresher trainings to suit the varying needs of participants.
Joseph Allison, a Coach Trainer from Harper District had the following to say about his experience at the
training: “I learnt a lot from the TOT, now I’m able to identify what went wrong, solutions and make
adjustments to improve in further trainings. What I’m thinking about doing now is to organize my first
training for my leaders in child protection to put to practice what I have learned. I also feel glad to be
part of the training because it gives me more ideas about facilitating trainings or group discussion,
taking into consideration speaking clearly, being visible and keeping participants engaged.”
In true Right To Play style, the workshop was focused on participatory activities, and included multiple
energizers and games to keep participants engaged. During the training, several Coach Trainers
expressed their interest in learning how to incorporate local games into Right To Play resources in order
to increase the opportunities for learning through play.
All participants expressed their satisfaction with the workshop and their eagerness to become certified
trainers and assist with the facilitation of refresher courses. “This training has put me in a better
position to [be a trainer] because it touches on those things a trainer must consider in order to be
effective, for example being a role model at all times, managing feedback and expectations,” said
Nathaniel Toe, a Coach Trainer from Harper District. Participants recognized the importance of their
role in order to continue the work of Right To Play and particularly, felt satisfaction and pride in being
role models in their communities and having ownership over the program.
“The TOT workshop was conducted under good atmosphere; all topics were treated such that [we]
clearly understand. I also think this initiative on the part of Right To Play is welcome because I believe
that there shall come a time when we as Coach Trainers will step in the shoes of Project Aassistants and
so with this training and I believe many others to come I will be prepared to take on the challenge,”
-Jefferson W. Appleton, Coach Trainer, Harper District