Transition Study – Early Childhood Development Program

On 6 May members of WEAVE’s Early Childhood Development team facilitated a Curriculum Alignment Workshop in, Mae Hong Son.

The purpose of the workshop was to:

• Exchange teaching styles and methods to develop a shared understanding, and align for smooth transitions between nursery school and kindergarten.
• Develop a shared understanding of expected learning outcomes and teaching methods for both NS teachers and KG/S1 teachers (specifically to review physical, social/emotional areas agreed last meeting, and complete cognitive areas).
• Discuss future directions for the transition study committee.
  
  

On 6 May members of WEAVE’s Early Childhood Development team facilitated a Curriculum Alignment Workshop in, Mae Hong Son.

The purpose of the workshop was to:

• Exchange teaching styles and methods to develop a shared understanding, and align for smooth transitions between nursery school and kindergarten.
• Develop a shared understanding of expected learning outcomes and teaching methods for both NS teachers and KG/S1 teachers (specifically to review physical, social/emotional areas agreed last meeting, and complete cognitive areas).
• Discuss future directions for the transition study committee.

Workshop participants included KnED representatives, including the Deputy Director, KnWO representatives, including the Local Coordinator, as well as two of WEAVE’s ECD Program field staff.

Training in Special Education (SE), Inclusive Education (IE) and Individual Education Program (IEP), organized by Child Development Centre (CDC) and facilitated by WEAVE staff, was given at the Child Development Centre for Migrant Teachers in Mae Sot in May.

Twenty participants learned about:

• SE and IE.
• Identifying and developing effective inclusion methods for use with children.
• Recognizing IEP and understanding its relationship with SE and IE.
• Lesson planning for use with children with disabilities.
• How to plan a variety of activities for the learning of children with disabilities, in a motivating and supportive environment.
• Visual Aids, their development and applications.

Participants included Karen, Chin, Pa Oo and Burmese nursery teachers from AGAPE nursery school, Day Care, Nursery and Primary School Teachers from CDC.

A series of meetings and workshop sessions took place during the 2nd, 3rd and 4th weeks of May to finalize WEAVE’s Women’s Study Program’s  (WSP) framework, curriculum and teaching methodologies and approaches. The WSP has developed a module-based lesson plan for the main subjects, as follows:

• Women’s Issues (Covering the following topics: Gender and Development, Women in Economy, Women in Leadership).
• Peace Education (International Conventions – Legal Frameworks, Introduction to History and Culture – SE, Burma, Karenni, Understanding Conflict, Conflict Resolution – Strategies and Skills).
• Community Development (Participation and Development, Community Organizing and Mobilization, Project Management Cycle, Proposal and Report Writing).

Other recent program activities include:

• A meeting held in May between Karenni Post 10 and Women Study Program representatives to discuss the possibility of collaboration on educational activities such as inter-school symposium/seminars, special celebrations for students and joint capacity building training.
• Completion of the recruitment of teaching personnel and staff for its 2009-2010 school year. This year, one male teacher will also join the teaching staff.
• Completion of construction of the WSP school building including the session hall, library and office. Thanks must go to the Young Women’s Christian Association (Korea) for the financial assistance they provided for this work.
• Recruitment of new female students (both young and maturing) forming part of the 25 new students for this academic school year.

A three-day workshop organized by WEAVE was conducted in April to explore the possibility of developing an economic project which will enhance the capacity of women’s organizations to manage micro-enterprise development projects and augment their income. Eight Burmese women’s organizations, including two Thai village groups

WEAVE recognises that children displaced as a result of decades of violence in Burma deserve just as much as any other child to know the joy and fun that comes with being young. It is with this in mind that WEAVE developed its Doll Program.

WEAVE’s Karen Dolls wear traditional Karen attire, are designed and made by displaced women living in the camps who participate in WEAVE’s Income Generation Project (IGP), and form part of the WEAVE product range. For each two dolls purchased by a customer, WEAVE purchases a third.  Each year the dolls purchased by WEAVE are distributed to children in the refugee camps where WEAVE works.

WEAVE customers who purchase a WEAVE doll not only get themselves a cute and unique Karen doll, they also help to enable the creation of much needed income for displaced women and their families, and bring joy to the children in the camps in the form of a new and special toy of their own.

To purchase WEAVE’s Karen dolls please contact [email protected].

Staff from WEAVE field offices came together to participate in WEAVE’s annual strategic planning workshops on May 22-24. It was facilitated by Dr. Jesse Manuta, the Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees (BOT) and it anchored on the theme: WEAVE’s program’s consolidation and coordination.

The activity had this primary purpose:
To engage all WEAVE staff and Board of Trustees/Advisory Group members in 3 working days aimed at ensuring maximum participation in re-defining and re-committing to WEAVE’s mandate’s and thrusts; finding solutions to identified issues and challenges and where relevant, incorporate all staff input on new directions and plans for WEAVE in 2010-2012.

Specific Key Objectives: (those necessary in order to achieve purpose)

• To introduce and welcome new WEAVE staff;
• To update all staff as to the different project’s progress, including issues and challenges;
• To engage all staff in working towards redefining its VMG, programmatic approach applicable to all WEAVE’s programme’s objectives;
• To provide an opportunity for all staff to learn about and understand each other’s role in achieving the organization’s objectives;
• To strengthen confidence in WEAVE staff by improving mutual cooperation, communications, information sharing and professional support.

Anticipated Outcomes:

• WEAVE projects are programmatic in its approach;
• All staff are aware on how their role/work fits into a programmatic approach for their project area and  WEAVE’s objectives;
• All staff are aware of all other project areas of WEAVE;
• A greater sense of teamwork within all staff aimed at working together towards a common objectives between WEAVE in the same program areas, WEAVE  across different project areas, and all WEAVE staff in general;
• That all WEAVE staff feel valued and understand how important they are in terms of achieving a positive outcome of WEAVE’s projects.

After the strategic planning, WEAVE’s Vision, Mission and Goals wredefined  into:

Vision
WEAVE strives to create a world where empowered women and their children are free to exercise their rights and live peacefully in a just, humane and equitable society.

Mission

1. We are women and men of diverse ethnic and geographical backgrounds who are committed to gender equality. As individuals and as an organization, we are committed to working with marginalized, oppressed, poor and exploited women and children from Thailand, Burma and some regions in Asia.
2. We believe that the leadership of women and the development of their status benefit their communities.
3. We strengthen the efforts of these organizations as they continually build the capacities of these women to become self-reliant enabling them to fully participate in the development of their communities.
4. We support the expansion of women’s power, rights, and opportunities by sponsoring women’s organizations in our target communities.

Goals

1. To strengthen the capacity of partner organizations to effectively & efficiently deliver desirable results.
2. To enhance the development of self-managing and self-sustaining women’s organizations and community projects.
3. To strengthen communication, research and development within WEAVE and amongst partner organizations.
4. To advocate a development framework addressing issues of women and children.
5. To promote collaboration and cooperation amongst and between organizations.

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