Children's Story Book
Project Description
This project provides recreational and instructional reading materials for Karen children. The books encourage critical, creative thiking and porblem solving skills.
Why is the Children's Story Book Project Important?
If we review the current situation of Karen state in comparision to the level of other countries it is far behind in terms of education. There are almost no children's books written in the Karen language, and there are few stable schools. In this situation, it is very hard for young Karen to grow up with a love of reading or keep their native language. These are two skills that are critically important for empowerment. One day these children will be taking leadership roles in the community. If they do not have good through rprovoking materials or literature, it bacomes much more difficult for them to become critical thinking citizens. As the root problems in Burma are firmly entrenched in structures and attitudes that will not change easily, the struggle for a true peace in Burma requires long term solutions and the new generation will have to carry on the struggle. The children's book project is designed to be a tool to train new generations to continue the struggle. Having long term goals such as working with the development of children, is also a clear signal to the Burmese government that as long as the ethnic groups exist, they will not give up.
In order that chirldren get an education, love to read and not forget their native language, on thing that BI can do for them is to produce children's story books. There are many international gorups that work with people from Burma, but when the project started, BI was the only groups who made children stories.
These storybooks can prepare childrent o become confident and creative in participation in peace-building and conflict transformation. This project really has a very long-term vision - to provide small children with the seeds of hope, condfience and vision so that in 20 years they will have minds filled with the love of reading, the confience to face problems creatively, and the vision of a society without chauvinism, hatred or fear. We must produce books with good stories illustratioins so that they really are a tool to help the children begin preparing for their future as significant partners in creating a time of peace and justice.
Aims
To provide interesting and meaningful reading to help Karen children so that they may become adults who love freedom, peace, justice and their Karen history and contribute in a good way to human society.
Objectives
- To create a team who can join together to develop the project for effective use by teachers who are working for the grassroots peace movement.
- Create a series of storybooks which will give children positive ideas about he history and their own potential to be part of the peace and non-violent movment in Burma
- Develop a process of feedback that BI knows how the storybooks are being used effectively to hlp children gain the values that will be important for them as they grow to be the future leaders of their people
- Develop a process (resource books and training) to help teachers develop skill to use these books as tools to really develop children
Target Group
Internally Displace People's Schools
Where we wish to begin children's education projects or compliment already existing projects.
Refugee Camps
to use as part of the children's formal educatiion programs. This is where the majority of books have been distributed.
Libraries
where they have children's books
Sunday Schools
Many churches use the children's books as different lesson plans for their Sunday school time.
Other NGOs
We have sent children's books to about 15 groups, including ZOA and MSF, primarily groups that work in the camps. We will distrube less books to NGOs in the future, as they cannot explain BI aims and objectives and many of the teachers did not know how to use the books.
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