CCA MANUAL 3 FINAL

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COPYRIGHT © 2013 Themba Interactive
SECTION ONE:
BEING A CCA AND
A MENTOR

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COPYRIGHT © 2013 Themba Interactive – Initiatives for Life
What is a mentor?
A mentor is someone more skilled or experienced who offers advice, support and guidance to
facilitate the learning and development of a younger and/or less experienced person. The
mentoring process provides one with the opportunity to learn professional, personal and life
skills from a mentor. Mentoring can happen between colleagues, teacher-student, friends and
even relatives1.
Look at the diagram below. What kind of mentor are you to different people? Fill in the missing
circles:
In order to develop youth and OVCs in Safe Parks, your role as a CCA will be to become
mentors to the peer educators (some who might be OVCs). From the above diagram, you might
be a teacher, advisor, guide and supporter. Your role will NOT necessarily be a counselor
unless you have the proper, qualified experience.
1
Monash University, http://monash.edu/equity-diversity/women-mentoring –guidelines-what-is-a-
mentor.html
mentor
counsellor
supporter
guide
teacheradvisor

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Remember: If you counsel a child or even adult without the right qualifications and practice you
could end up hurting the child more!
Framing your work as a CCA:
Child Care Advocates (CCA) are a very important part of the communities that we live in. As a
CCA, you do a lot of work to assist and help children and adults. Sometimes you forget to take
care of yourself or you are overloaded with work that you are not supposed to do. It is important
to clearly define your roles and responsibilities in order to create the necessary boundaries
between you and the people you help. If these boundaries are not clearly defined, your work
might interfere with your:
 Family time;
 Personal leisure time;
 Wellbeing;
 Health.
In the Safe Parks project, CCAs play an important role in the success and sustainability of the
project. One part of the CCA work is framed by the Highveld Anglican Board of Social
responsibility (HABSR), while the other part is framed by Themba Interactive.
What are your roles and responsibilities?
The purpose of a Safe Park is for young children and teenagers (mostly OVCs) to have a safe
place where they can have their needs met because they have not been met in their home
and/or community. HABSR establishes Safe Parks and assists with capacity building, finance
and food security. HABSR also runs the programme called the OVC programme where CCAs
are trained and equipped to assist OVCs within the Safe Parks. As a partner of HABSR,
Themba Interactive, using mainly drama and participatory methods, provides training that can
help you and peer educators create opportunities for OVCs to express themselves in a safe and
contained way through the art form.

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In addition, by using the Themba Interactive methodologies you may assist the OVCs with the
development of important life skills and extended knowledge of issues such as HIV/AIDS and
Safe sex. See below your roles and responsibilities for HABSR and for Themba Interactive:
HABSR:
 Encourage people in communities to start and maintain food gardens;
 Knowing children’s rights;
 Assist children with documentation (I.D and birth certificates);
 Door to door visits of child headed homes and the sick;
 Making sure people take their medication;
 Accompanying ill people to the clinic to get medication;
 Assist in delivering food parcels and clothing;
 Assist children in doing their homework;
 Assist in organising funerals, especially for child headed families;
 Networking in the community in order to make referrals;
 Assist in establishing safe parks where children can be safe and cared for;
 Provide training in capacity building and finance management within Safe Parks.
Themba Interactive:
 Create a support and learning space within safe parks for the peer educators using the
methods and information provided by Themba Interactive;
 Assist peer educators in co-facilitation of sessions;
 Create a supportive environment with fellow CCAs;
 Give information to peer educators when necessary in order for them to conduct
sessions;
 Refer peer educators when necessary;
From the above it is clear that you have many roles and responsibilities. Where do you say no
and/or say that you cannot do something? Let’s look at the story to see: What are/ are not your
roles and responsibilities?

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Thabang is 14 years old and lives with her brother who is 9 years old and a little sister
who is 5 years old. Both their parents died due to AIDS related illnesses. Thabang is
currently in Grade 7. She is very stressed because her final exams are around the
corner. It is not the examination that worries her much, but that she does not have a birth
certificate. The Headmaster has made the final announcement that they all need to bring
their birth certificates before they can write exams. At home, Thabang tries her best to
look after her siblings. They last had a proper meal 4 days ago. She has been trying to
beg for money on the streets every day after school to collect enough money to buy
food, but has not had any luck. Finally she decides to go back to Oscar (the man who
runs a tuck-shop in the neighborhood), who gave her food the last time for sex with her.
He promises that he will continuously supply her and her siblings with food as long as
she has sex with him. She agrees to this and their food problem is sorted. However, her
younger brother finds out how she has been getting them food and he is upset. He
decides that he is the man in the house and will have to take over the responsibility for
providing for the family. He joins a drug dealing gang and starts selling a lot of drugs in
the community. Due to his age, he easily gets away with any suspicion from either the
police or the community members. As a result of her brother’s new found role, their 5
year old sister has no one to watch over her most of the time. On one of the days while
trying to make tea for herself, the boiling water spills all over her leg and she gets badly
burnt. Both Thabang and her brother say they are too busy to take her to the clinic.
Answer the questions below as honestly as possible:
Identify the needs of the children as a family.
Identify the needs of each child.
In the above story; what would you do as a CCA?
What is not your responsibility as a CCA in the above story?
What is the most challenging part of being a CCA?
How can you overcome or ease this challenge?

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Note: It is important for YOU to be able to frame what you can and cannot do in situations and
stories like the above story. The more you know this and are aware of this, the more
manageable your work and personal life will be.
Facilitation
Facilitation skills
One of your roles is to create a support and learning space for the peer educators and to create
a supportive space with your fellow CCAs. You will be required to facilitate sessions for these
groups. Certain skills and knowledge are needed in order to be able to hold these spaces and
make sure they are safe spaces. The following are some of the skills you need:
Respect
Respect can mean different things. Here, it means, appreciating your peers opinion, feelings
and differences without judgment and without forcing your opinion on them.
What does respect mean for you and your peers?
What does respect mean for you when you facilitate with other peer educators?
 Communication
You need to be able to give clear instructions of tasks and find ways of communicating when
your peers/participants do not understand certain languages. Communication can be verbal and
non-verbal (body language and use of sound and gestures). Nonverbal communication might be
body language and facial expressions: yours and the participants. It is important to be aware of
your own ways of communicating because this may influence your interaction with a group in
positive and sometimes negative way.
Things to think about…
How do you communicate?
How do you assist someone to communicate if they cannot speak your language or
they do not want to talk?
What non-verbal communication do you use?

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 Encourage questions:
This is a good way to get a group’s opinions. Also, asking a participant a question can help
them see things in a different way if necessary (see more details on questioning in Section 2). It
is also important that if a question is asked and you are not sure of the answer do not pretend to
know the answer. Rather refer the person to someone else or make the effort to research the
answer and get back to the person.
 Listening:
This involves listening to both verbal and non-verbal messages. It is important to understand
both when someone is speaking in order to respond in a relevant way to them. In order to ask
useful and relevant questions, it is important to listen to what is and what is not being said.
 Speak loudly and clearly
It is important to be heard and understood when facilitating. You should be able to speak loudly
and clearly enough for everybody to hear you and also to understand you. To assist with this,
the group can decide on the language that they are all comfortable using during the session so
that everyone is able to express themselves clearly.
 Paraphrase
Try to paraphrase (put into different words) comments or statements from participants. This will
help to check if you have understood what a participant is saying and give an opportunity for
further clarification, affirmation or more information.
 Maintain eye contact
This is a good way of showing that you are listening attentively. However, sometimes if a
participant is saying something personal and sensitive, this might make the participant
uncomfortable and even keep quiet. You need to be aware and realise when this is happening
and maybe even use other ways to show that you are listening.

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Other ways include:
 Nod your head occasionally;
 Smile or use other facial expressions where appropriate;
 Make sure your posture is open and inviting (not slouching or turned away;
 Stand or sit next to the person (don’t overpower them by standing too close if
they are sitting or find a way of sitting next to them.2
These are some of the things that you need to be aware of because they can be destructive in
a session. Facilitator should not do the following:
×Dominate the group
The role of a facilitator is to facilitate the dialogue/conversations and not dominate it. Therefore
more time should be given to participants rather than you. You need to also make sure that no
individual dominates the group but that everyone who has something to share is given
opportunity to do so within the allocated time.
× Be involved in a long discussion with one or a group of participants
All participants in the session need to be given an opportunity to share their thoughts and
experiences. Engaging in a long discussion with one or a group of two or three participants
might exclude others from participating.
× Take sides /be biased
In a situation where there are different views among participants, it is important to acknowledge
both views and opinions no matter how different they seem to be as they are informed by
something. You can also ask questions to see where the view comes from and in some cases,
see whether the views are actually that different.
2
www.mindtools.com accessed 11
th
June 2013, 17:58PM.

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× See yourself as an expert
You may have qualifications and/or received different training; however you are not necessarily
an expert in all areas. You are a CCA and a mentor to the peer educators, but this does not
mean that you know everything about everything. When in doubt, it is important to always say
so instead of giving out incorrect information.
It is important to know the difference between teaching and facilitation. When you give out
certain information you might take on a teacher role to some extent, however in order to help
others understand information that you give, facilitation is the main focus. See the difference
between teaching and facilitation which will further your understanding of the role of a facilitator.
TEACHING FACILITATION
Teacher starts from his own knowledge. Facilitator starts from the knowledge of the
group.
Teacher follows a pre-set curriculum Facilitator addresses issues identified by the
group or their community and creates new
ideas that adapt to the needs and culture of
the group.
Teacher presents new information from the
front.
Facilitator uses practical, participatory
methods, e.g. group discussions and
activities in which all members of the group
participate.
Teacher is concerned with students
understanding the right answer.
Facilitator encourages and values different
views.
Information flows in just one direction, from
teacher to students
Information flows in many different directions
between the facilitator and individual group
members – an exchange of ideas.
Teacher works for the community and may
come from outside the community.
Facilitator works with the community and
may come from within the community.

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Teacher brings extensive knowledge of the
subject
Facilitator draws out and builds on the
knowledge of the group, and knows where to
find further information on the subject.
Teacher has a formal relationship with the
students, based on their status as a teacher
Facilitator is considered as an equal to the
participants, and builds relationships based
on trust, respect, and a desire to serve.
Co-facilitation
At certain times you will facilitate sessions with other CCAs and peer educators. This is called
co-facilitation, meaning that two people are facilitating together. All the facilitation skills still
apply in co-facilitation.
It is advised to always have a co-facilitator to assist the facilitator with:
 Taking notice of the energy and participation of a group;
 Answering questions;
 Leading activities and/or discussions;
 Keeping the participants focused.
Note: There are many different views and theories about facilitation. In order to develop the skill
of facilitation you need to see what works for you as a person and most importantly what works
for the groups that you work with. Answer the questions below in order to explore your
understanding of facilitation.
Name 3 other facilitation skills that you think are important?
Name 3 facilitation skills that you have?
Name 3 facilitation skills that you need to improve or develop?
What are 3 things that a good facilitator should not do?
What is 1 thing that you find yourself doing as a facilitator that could be destructive in your
group?
Can you think of more differences between a teacher and a facilitator?

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What are qualities of a good facilitator? See next page with an outline of a person. See some
qualities of a good facilitator. Be creative and make this person look like you. In the boxes, write
some qualities that you have that might make you a good facilitator. You can even write
qualities that you have but want to improve on.

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NAME: ___________________________________
Patient
Non-judgmental
Understanding
Supportive
Honest
Organised
Approachable

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How to establish and maintain a group
You need to be able to establish and maintain a group of peer educators in your area in order
for you to be able to mentor them properly and create a supportive learning space for them.
Here are some ways of establishing and maintaining a group:
Recruiting participants
Although you have already selected peer educators or participants, you may have to recruit
more people to be a part of the group. You can recruit participants:
 By asking existing participants to bring a friend with them next time;
 Making flyers or posters to encourage young people to join your group;
 Assist peer educators in creating a short role-play, image or story to present it in an area
where young people would be attracted to watch and participate. Invite interested
participants to the group;
When you have recruited members to join your group…what happens next?
1. Create a group contract
One thing to recognise and appreciate in a group is that each individual is different in the group
but they all have to come together to make one group. It is important to find common
ground/similarities to work from as a group. In order to establish common ground, a group
contract can be created.
Group contract: a set of rules or agreements created within a group. The process of creating a
group contract should be done in a way that ensures that everyone in the group contributes
something to the contract.
A group contract:
 Aims to create discipline among the group members;
 Creates a sense of ownership and belonging to the group and the group process.

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When creating the group contract the facilitator can ask questions about a contribution made in
order to see if the contribution is necessary or to understand what the actual contribution
means. For example, if a group member offers ‘respect’ as a part of the contract, the facilitator
can ask questions to deepen engagement and understanding amongst the group around what
respect means to that group member and other group members. (See Section 3, Session one
for a creative way of putting together a group contract).
Task: See below a group contract. List examples of what you think would be important in a
group contract and why?
2. Building and maintaining trust
Trust is an essential part of the process. Your participants need to feel like they are in a safe
space as we are dealing with human lives, their emotions, feelings and experiences. Full/
complete trust cannot be formed in one session; therefore, several workshops/meetings need to
happen in order for a certain level of trust to be formed.
GROUP CONTRACT
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

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Here are some tips that may help in building basic trust with group members:
 Having a fixed time when the group meets;
 Communicating changes in times and venues;
 Making sure a venue is arranged for a group to meet at;
 Being very clear about the purpose of the group;
 Make sure there are no interruptions in the space. This can distract participants and
make them withdraw.
NOTE: One of your roles is to make sure the space is safe and supportive for peer educators
and/or OVCs. The above tips may seem small but they can help build trust within a group.
Taking care of yourself: Wellness
As a CCA you do a lot for other people. Because you take of care of others in different ways you
need to take care of yourself. If you are not taking care of yourself you cannot assist others
adequately with taking care of themselves.
NOTE: In the work that you do you need to ASSIST or HELP others to take care of themselves,
not TAKE CARE of them. This means you give people tools, ways and suggestions to take care
of themselves and help WHERE YOU can or make referrals.
Taking care of yourself contributes towards your ‘wellness’. Wellness is a conscious effort to
maintain and/or improve, rather than only accept, all areas of life such as: health, attitude,
happiness, physical fitness, love, relationships and so on (Tager & Ardell, 1988). There are
different types of wellness:
 Physical wellness: How you take care of your body (food, exercise, not engaging in
risky behaviour, rest, sleep)
 Spiritual wellness: How you take care of your spirit and soul (depending on what you
believe). “Spirituality is also related to values, ethics, morality and integrity that serve to
guide one’s behaviour and day-to-day decisions” (FYE, p.7).

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 Emotional wellness: How you deal with and express your feelings, how you manage
stress, how you feel about life and yourself, how you stay motivated and keep going
even when things don’t go your way and you face disappointments.
 Social wellness: How you relate to and build relationships with others. Relationships
include friendships, working relationships and intimate relationships.
 Career wellness: How you gain pleasure and satisfaction from the work that you do.
Also, how you are building yourself professionally and financially in order to take care of
yourself and your family. Since you are in careers that involve other people or clients,
career wellness also depends on your ethics and boundaries between you and your
client/s.
 Intellectual wellness: How you expand your learning and skills, your openness to new
ideas, how you develop critical thinking skills, how you stimulate your mind.
(FYE Mentoring Manual, Wits University, 2010)
What does ‘wellness’ mean to you?
Here are some things you can do to take care of yourself to improve and maintain your
wellness3:
 Healthy eating: Be aware of what you eat and how it makes you feel. There might be
some foods that don’t nourish your body and make you feel tired or bloated.
 Physical fitness: Try to add some form of exercise into your daily routine. Exercise and
fitness helps build up your immune system. Remember not to overwork your body too
much. It is also advised not to exercise when you feel sick.
 Reducing stress: In order to reduce stress, try to understand what is causing you stress
and cut out certain things you do not need that are causing you stress. If you cannot cut
something out, how can you best manage it and find support? It might be useful to refer
to the referral list that you have made for others. This list may serve to help you.
 Time management: Many people get stressed because they feel there is not enough
time to do everything. The question is: do you have to do everything?
3
Adapted from: www.socialwork.buffalo.edu/students/self-care/exercise.asp

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Decide what is important and realistic to do on a daily basis. Remember to make time for
yourself and your family and friends.
 Relaxation: It is not always easy to relax. In order to rest and relax properly you need to
find out what works for you. Some suggestions are: deep breathing, exercise, stretching
the body, read a book, go for a walk.
 Mindfulness: When you are stressed you might feel disconnected from yourself and
others. When you disconnect you end up doing things without thinking and life might
become tiring and overwhelming. One way of reconnecting with yourself and others is
practicing: ‘Mindfulness’. Mindfulness means being aware of what is happening around
you and being awake and alive to each moment. Mindfulness also allows you to
question what you are doing and why in your work environment and personal life. The
more mindful you are of situations, the more likely you will be able to make good
decisions for your life and your work.
 Assertive: Being assertive, rather than aggressive or passive, in your personal and
professional life is an important skill to learn for your emotional wellness. Assertiveness
promotes honest and direct communication with others which helps with boundary
setting. Setting boundaries (framing your work) with clients and even with family and
friends can help you manage your stress.
 Reflection and/or Debriefing: As a care worker you need to find a space to reflect and
debrief alone or with other CCAs. It is also advisable that you attend counseling in order
to debrief so that you do not negatively affect the children and people who you work
with. It is also useful to reflect daily or weekly on yourself and your experiences in order
to learn more about yourself. Reflection can also help relieve stress and pull your focus
towards your goals and ambitions;
 Support: It is useful to have a support system in your life that consists of family, friends,
and/or colleagues. Themba Interactive encourages you to meet weekly with other CCAs
in your community in order to share your experiences and provide some sort of support
for each other. It is also suggested that you meet as a group with CCAs from other
communities on a monthly basis at HABSR to share some of your experiences and
creatively find ways of de-stressing (See Section two).

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 Healthy relationships: Some relationships in your life might be negative and bad for you.
It is advisable to cut out relationships that affect your wellness negatively or that do not
build you. This might not be easy because the relationship might be with a family
member who you live with. In this case you need to find ways of managing this
relationship so that it does not influence you negatively.
 Avoiding Compassion fatigue: When you spend a lot of time caring and worrying about
others you might suffer from burnout and/or absorb the trauma your clients have
experienced. This may result in compassion fatigue. If you get to compassion fatigue it is
not always easy to get back to the way you used to function in life before you took on too
much work. Therefore, it is important to know when you need to detach from your work
for a while. Taking care of yourself using the other mentioned steps are ways for you to
avoid compassion fatigue. And sometimes the stories which we come into contact with
through our work are very close to our own stories which may make us sad or
overwhelmed. You may need to visit a social worker or be referred to a psychologist if
the feelings around this become unmanageable.
 Setting boundaries: Framing your work as a CCA is setting boundaries in your career
life. It is also necessary to set boundaries in other areas of your life. Setting boundaries
means sometimes saying no to activities that you cannot or do not want to do. It also
means that you do not ‘put up’ with negative behaviours and attitudes towards you.
Things to think about…
What do you do to take care of yourself?
What can you do better to take care of yourself?
Referrals
Once you know your frame/roles as a CCA it will be simple for you to know when you need to
refer a case. Referrals are a part of your job. Making necessary referrals contributes to your
wellness as well as your client’s wellness.

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When do you need to refer a case?
There are many services that are available to assist where you can’t. It is important to research
these services and create networks and working relationships with services that you might need
to use often. For example: Home Affairs offices, clinics, child services, social workers.
What are other services you use often?
Fatigue Symptom Checklist4
Take a look at the Fatigue Symptom Checklist (see next page) Fill it out in order to see your
fatigue levels. 0 mean never and 3 means all the time. Please note that this checklist is for you
to fill out, not for anybody else to see. So try to be as honest with yourself as possible.
4
Retrieved and edited from: Train the Trainer Manual-A guide to setting up a Care for Carers programme. Cape
Town: Salty Print

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Fatigue Symptom Checklist Total score = ______
1. Do you feel moody and have difficulty getting up in
the morning? 0 1 2 3
2. Do you experience slight fevers, signs of the flu,
sore throat, or tender lymph nodes? 0 1 2 3
3. Is the morning the worst time of your day with
evenings being better? 0 1 2 3
4. Do you fall asleep easily, but wake up early without
being able to fall asleep? 0 1 2 3
5. Have you ever found yourself staring at your
computer monitor, keyboard, television or book
barely able to keep your head from drooping?
(“micro sleeps”)
0 1 2 3
6. Do you feel mentally sluggish, confused and
unresponsive? 0 1 2 3
7. Has your short-term memory declined, and do you
have trouble concentrating? 0 1 2 3
8. Has your daily activity dropped below 50% of what it
was before? 0 1 2 3
9. Are your emotions relatively numb and indifferent?
0 1 2 3
10. Does your body ache all over and feel as if it is
weaker than before? 0 1 2 3
11. Whenever you exercise, do you feel weak for more
than 12 hours afterwards? 0 1 2 3
12. Does your work stress you to the point that you want
to escape from it? 0 1 2 3
13. Do you experience headaches?
0 1 2 3
14. Do you find yourself desperately wanting to avoid
being with people? 0 1 2 3

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15. Are you more impatient, irritable, nervous, angry or
anxious than normal? 0 1 2 3
What does it all mean? Interpreting the scores
A score below 12:
Your fatigue is within normal limits. Cut back on unnecessary stress wherever you can
and improve your sleeping habits.
A score between 12 and 22:
You may have type-1 fatigue. This kind of fatigue is temporary and not serious. You can
reverse it by lowering your stress level, taking a vacation, or leave, or increasing your
rest and sleep time. If these responses don’t help, consult a professional.
A score between 23 and 32:
You may have type-2 fatigue. This kind of fatigue is long standing and serious. A break
won’t relieve it. You are suffering from chronic stress and immune system deficiency.
You can only relieve this form of fatigue by making major lifestyle changes, including
possibly finding a new work situation. You could possibly benefit from professional help.
A score between 33 and above:
You may have type-3 fatigue. Fatigue is in a “disease state”. It requires urgent attention
because the body may be suffering from depression, hormonal imbalances, viral
infection and physical disease including Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. The fatigue may be
mainly mental (due to extreme stress) but is more likely a severe physical problem. You
need to see a physician and/or psychiatrist.
Taken from Archibald D. Hart: Adrenalin and Stress (1995) in the 10 day HIV & AIDS
Training Course, Department of Health.

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SECTION TWO:
DRAMA &
PARTICIPATORY
METHODS

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What are Drama and participatory methods?
Drama and participatory methods are methods that allow and encourage participants to be
active physically and mentally. Participation means to actively take part in and get involved in a
task or activity.
The specific drama and participatory methods we use with you are:
Participatory
methods
Drama
methods
Warm up exercises
and energisers
Closing rituals
Check-in exercises
Focus
exercises/games
Group discussion/s
Trust exercises
Listening and
communication
exercises
Role playsImages
Storytelling

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Why drama and participatory methods?
Learning is not only about getting information from a teacher. Learning is an active process
where a person goes through an experience and potentially learns from it (Remember Section 1
showed the difference between a teacher and a facilitator). Themba Interactive uses drama and
participatory methods to create spaces for learning from one another and to create spaces for
alternative/different experiences.
The methods that Themba Interactive use:
 Encourage participants of all ages to participate;
 Create distance between participant and reality (which may be overwhelming for them);
 Create a container using drama in order to create distance*;
 Help participants to use their imagination and experience learning in a different way;
 Allow participants to form their own opinion about an issue or a theme;
 Allow participants to practice skills that will benefit them in the outside world (For. e.g.
listening and communication skills. Another example would be a participant saying no to
peer pressure during a role play. This might give him/her the confidence to apply this
assertiveness in reality).
*Distance means using imagination and creativity in order for participants to feel safe when
exploring difficult themes or topics. Creating a safe space for participants assists in building
trust. Distance also creates a safe space for the facilitator. Drama as a container means drama
is the holder or the securer. You do not want your container to overflow meaning you do not
want the feelings of participants to overflow. This can hurt and depress other participants as well
as the facilitator. Themba methods aim to assist people in seeing the light, not dig deeper into
darkness. Darkness might come up, but it should come up in the contained space through
distance. If darkness comes up, a referral may still be needed.
NB: In using Themba Interactive methods, it is very important for the facilitator to not JUDGE or
INTERPRET how a participant does an activity or what a participant says when reflecting on an
activity.

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Reflection and questioning
After certain drama or participatory games/ exercises, it is very important to allow a space for
participants to reflect on their experience of the game/exercise. The purpose of reflecting is:
 To help participants think about and question what they are learning or have learned (if
anything);
 To help participants see what is happening around them inside the group or outside in
their community;
 To help participants see what they can take away with them into their real lives.
When we reflect on our activities we can see if we need or are able to change current
situations. Reflecting can be stronger for our participants when we encourage them to think
about things for themselves rather than just accept what others say. This means that we
can encourage our participants to raise their own ideas and make suggestions during the
learning experience. When you facilitate sessions you need to see when there is a need for
asking questions, so you do not have to ask questions after every game or exercise. For
example, after doing a warm up or name game you do not need to ask the participants
"what did you learn from that game/exercise". When asking questions it is necessary to
listen attentively to answers so that you can ask further questions to assist the participant in
thinking about their views, topic or issue. When you ask further questions, open it up to the
group to also have the chance to answer the question. Group discussions are a main
participatory method where questioning is important to encourage participants to reflect on
a view, topic or issue. You need to remember that as the facilitator your role is not to talk
too much but to listen and facilitate communication among the participants.
NOTE: You can plan which questions you ask but often you need to listen carefully in order
to create new questions relevant to the participant.
The next part of this section provides many different drama and participatory methods for
you to use in your sessions.

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CHECK IN EXERCISES
The purpose of a check in exercise is:
 To allow participants to introduce themselves in a different way;
 To allow participants to show other participants how they feel in a simple way;
 For the facilitator to see and be aware of the different energies of the group. It is
important for a facilitator to be aware of this so that s/he is able to understand what
might happen later in the session;
 For participants to focus their minds/bodies to the work to be done in the space.
See a list of check-in exercises with their explanation and purpose :
 Name & Action:
Explanation: Participants are welcomed to the session. The facilitator asks for anyone to
start by introducing themselves in one of the following ways:
 Name and an action that represents the personality of the participants;
 Name and an animal that they feel like today;
 Name and action of how their day or week has been.
Feel free to be creative with the check-in as long as you know your intention (why you choose
which check-in).
Purpose: To get to know each other’s names, moods, and personality types. To encourage
participants to share and express themselves in the space.
Remember:
 Check-in exercises are used at the beginning of a session.

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WARM UP EXERCISES AND ENERGIZERS
The purpose of a warm up exercise and energizer is:
 For participants to get to know each other;
 To warm up the body and wake up the imagination;
 To get ready for the main activities of a session (images, role plays and storytelling);
 To bring participants into the space to be present in mind and body;
NOTE: The difference between a warm up and an energizer is that a warm up is usually used at
the beginning of a session and an energizer is used during a session to increase the energy of
the participants if their energy is low. Some warm ups may be used as energizers during a
session. A warm up may also relate to the theme you will be exploring in a session. Also, you
might warm up participants to get ready for the process physically and/or get ready to
participate with the group.
See below a list of warm-up exercises and/or energizers with their explanation and purpose.
 Name and walk
Explanation: In a circle, participants introduce themselves one at a time for others to
hear their name. When everybody is familiar with most names, the exercise can begin.
One participant starts by calling the name of another participant in the circle and then
walks to that participant. The participant whose name was called has to call another
participant and move from his/her position in the circle before the original caller reaches
him/her. And so the exercise continues until each participant has been called at least
twice (depending on the size of the group).
Purpose: To get to know each other’s names. To increase concentration and to
encourage participants to think quickly on their toes!
 The Themba soup
Explanation: Participants make two or three lines behind the facilitator. Facilitator to lead
the warm up and participants follow the facilitator. The facilitator makes actions with the
following song.

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The soup is... (Participants have their own reaction to the soup. E.G. The soup is nice!
Participants need to show their reaction to the soup in an exaggerated way) x2
Purpose: To warm up the body and imagination
 Count Down
Explanation: Make a circle. Facilitator to lead participants. At the same time everybody
counts down from 10 to 1 first shaking their right hand counting down, then their left
hand, then their right leg and then their left leg. The pattern is repeated except it starts
from a lower number each time until eventually participants will one be saying ‘1’.
Purpose: To warm up the body.
 G-galore
Explanation: Make a circle. Each participant will have a chance to be in the middle of the
circle. Facilitator to teach participants the song for the game. The song is started by the
person who goes in the middle of the circle.
SONG:
‘I fetch the spoon (pretend to fetch a spoon from the right side of the body), I fetch
the spoon (pretend to fetch a spoon from the left side of the body) x2
Put a little bit of salt (twisting the body to the left), put a little bit of salt (twisting the
body to right) x2
I mix (pretend to mix the soup with a spoon using the whole body) x4
I taste the soup (pretending to taste the soup by stretching the body to the right
side), I taste the soup (pretending to taste the soup by stretching the body to the
left side) x2

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Purpose: To warm up the body, to get to know each other’s names and to break the ice and
encourage participants to loosen up.
 Do like I do
Explanation: Make a circle. Each participant will have a chance to be in the middle of the
circle. Facilitator to teach participants the song for the game. The song is started by the
person who goes in the middle of the circle.
SONG:
Person in the middle: ‘G!’
Participants: ‘Galore!’
Person in the middle: ‘G, G!’ x2
Participants: ‘Galore’
Person in the middle (standing opposite a participant in the circle): ‘My name is
__________ and this is how I jigga’ (while the person is in the middle they do a
dance move or an action while they ‘jigga’).
Participants: ‘His/her name is _________and this is how s/he jiggas (copying the
person in the middles’ dance move or action)
The participant who the person in the middle stands in front of becomes the new
person in the middle who starts the song all over again. Each participant has a turn
to ‘jigga’.

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Purpose: To warm up the body, to break the ice and encourage participants to loosen
up.
 Ajukuja
Explanation: Make a circle. The facilitator sings the chant while doing actions and the
participants follow. Facilitator to first ask participants to say the word, AJUKUJA so that
they know what to expect in the chant.
SONG
Person in the middle: ‘Do like I do!’
Participants: ‘I do, I do!’
Person in the middle: ‘Do like I do!’
Participants: ‘I do, I do!’
Person in the middle (standing opposite a participant in the circle): ‘I do like this’ (do
an action or a dance move)
Participants: ‘I do like this’ (copying the person in the middles’ dance move or
action)
Person in the middle: ‘And I do like that’ (do a different action or dance move)
Participants: ‘And I do like that’ (copying the person in the middles’ action or dance
move).
The participant who the person in the middle stands in front of becomes the new
person in the middle who starts the song all over again. Each participant has a turn
to ‘Do like I do’

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Facilitator Participants
1. Right arm! Right arm!
2. Left arm! Left arm!
3. Ajukuja! X2 Ajukuja! X2
6. Right leg! Right leg!
7. Left leg! Left leg!
13. Bums out! Bums out!
19. Bums out! Bums out!
20. Tongue out! Tongue out!
21. Turn around! Turn around!
Purpose: To increase the energy, to break the ice. Ajukuja can be used as a warm up at the
beginning of a session and/or during a session.
 Alive, Alert, Awake
Explanation: Make a circle. Facilitator to teach the participants the Alive, Alert, Awake,
Enthusiastic song very slowly. The song has actions too. Once participants know the
song/actions the song gets sung faster and faster with more energy each time.

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Purpose: To warm up the group and increase participants’ concentration and attention.
Alive, Alert Awake is best used as an energizer when participant’s energy is low.
 Slap, clap, click, click
Explanation: Make a circle. Each participant has a chance to say their name for other
participants to hear. Facilitator to demonstrate the following rhythm: Left hand to hit left
leg, right hand to hit right leg, left hand make a click sound followed by the right hand
making a click sound. Keep repeating this rhythm to get used to it. When participants are
comfortable with the rhythm, go around the circle saying your name on the first click and
the person’s name next to you on the second click. E.G. Tshepo to Lisa. When
participants get used to this they can start saying other names in the circle.
Purpose: To get to know each other’s name and to increase concentration. This exercise
is best done after physical warm up exercises because it helps with concentration.
SONG
I’m ALIVE (both hands above knees), ALERT (both hands on shoulders),
AWAKE (cross both arms to touch shoulders), ENTHU- (both hands on
shoulders)-SI- (lift up both hands to the sky)-AS- (both hands on shoulders
again)-TIC (both hands down) X2
I’m ALIVE (both hands above knees), ALERT (both hands on shoulders),
AWAKE (cross both arms to touch shoulders), AWAKE (cross both arms to
touch shoulders) ALERT (both hands on shoulders) ALIVE (both hands above
knees), ALIVE (both hands above knees), ALERT (both hands on shoulders),
AWAKE (cross both arms to touch shoulders), ENTHU- (both hands on
shoulders)-SI- (lift up both hands to the sky)-AS- (both hands on shoulders
again)-TIC (both hands down).

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FOCUS EXERCISES/GAMES
The purpose of a focus exercise is:
 To bring the groups focus and concentration back/gather groups energy,
especially after the warm-up exercises;
 To allow the facilitator to see whether the participants are present or not. If the
facilitator sees that the group is not focused it is his/her duty to encourage focus
by playing the game longer or introducing another focus exercise;
 To bring the group together
See below a list of focus exercises/games with their explanation, purpose and possible
questions the facilitator may ask participants:
 Morena!
Explanation: Make a circle. Everyone to choose a fruit or a vegetable. Everybody must
have a different fruit or vegetable. Facilitator to stand in the middle and lead the
exercise. The facilitator will be Morena. Morena will call a fruit or vegetable. For
example, the pattern goes like this:
Morena: Apple!
Apple: Morena?
Morena: Rejang Kanjenu?
Apple: Onion.
The pattern keeps going. If somebody makes a mistake they sit in the middle of the
circle. As more people go out the exercise becomes more difficult because everybody
needs to remember which fruits and which vegetables are out.
Purpose: To increase concentration and focus. This exercise also helps to increase the
facilitators focus.

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 7 UP!
Explanation: In a circle the facilitator starts with the number 1, using his/her hand on
his/her chest/shoulder to show which direction the flow is going. The counting starts from
1 and ends at 7: this pattern is repeated around the circle in different directions. The
participant that has to call the number 7 puts his/her hand on his/her head and says “7
up”, still keeping in mind the direction of the flow.
Purpose: To increase focus and concentration. You can also use this exercise as an
energizer.
 Robot
Explanation: Form a circle. The aim of this exercise is to do what the facilitator says,
NOT what he/she does. Facilitator to first show participants what action must be done
with which colour. The aim of the exercise is to do what the facilitator says, not what s/he
does. The colours are green, red and orange (like a robot).
The facilitator needs to make the exercise challenging by doing the opposite action to
the colour he or she says. If somebody makes a mistake they have to sit in the middle of
the circle and help the facilitator see if anyone else makes a mistake.
Purpose: To increase the concentration of participants in a fun and active way. This
exercise also helps to increase the facilitators focus.
 Mmutla, Usile, Bana, Kaofeela
Explanation: Make a circle. Facilitator to show participants the different actions for
Mmutla, O Jele, Bana, Kaofeela
GREEN Participants to run on the spot.
ORANGE Participants put their hands on their knees
RED Participants stand up straight

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Mmutla O Jele
Bana Kaofeela
The aim of the exercise is to do what the facilitator says, not what s/he does. The
facilitator needs to make the exercise challenging by doing the opposite action to what
s/he says. If somebody makes a mistake they have to sit in the middle of the circle and
help the facilitator see if anyone else makes a mistake.
Purpose: This exercise is similar to the Robot exercise. It helps increase concentration
and focus.
 River-Bank
Explanation: This can be done in a circle or a line. Facilitator to tell participants that in
front of them is the river and where they are standing now is the bank of the river. The
aim of the exercise is for participants to do what the facilitator says, NOT what s/he
does. When the facilitator calls out ‘River!’, participants need to make sure they jump

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into the river and or stay in the river if they are already there. The same goes for when
the facilitator calls out ‘Bank’.
Purpose: To increase focus, concentration and listening.
 Master to Jack
Explanation: Form a circle. Facilitator to teach the participants the Master to Jack
rhythm. The rhythm is simple and is more fun when it is done a little bit fast and with
energy.
When the participants know the rhythm, facilitator take the role of ‘Master’ or give a
participant that role. Facilitator to give the person on the left of ‘Master’ the role of ‘Jack’.
Then start giving participants numbers after ‘Jack’ starting from 1 going around the
circle. Everyone to remember their number. Master will start the rhythm. Below is an
example of how the song will go:
‘Master’, ‘Jack’ and participants can call any number in the circle. If somebody makes a
mistake or is slow to respond they go to the end of the circle and their number changes
to the last number. The numbers of all the participants who were on the left side of the
person who went out also changes (moves one number up).
SONG
Master: Master to Jack
Jack: Jack to master
Master: Master to 1.
Participant number 1 (facilitator): 1 to 4
Participant number 4: 4 to 7
Participant number 7: 7 to 15

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For example if number 7 goes out, all the numbers after number 7 move a number
down: number 9 becomes number 8; number 10 becomes number 9 etc.
Purpose: To increase focus and concentration of participants using numbers and
rhythm.
 Zip, Zap, Boing
Explanation: Make a circle. This exercise needs to be introduced to participants step by
step. Each step adds an extra action to the exercise.
When everybody understands the actions, this exercise can continue being played. It is
advised to introduce each action slowly and give participants a chance to get used to
each action.
Step 1: Facilitator sends a clap to the person next to them who then passes the clap on
and that person passes it on until everybody in the circle has passed the clap. When
passing the clap, participants say ‘ZIP’!
Step 2: When the zip gets passed, any participant is allowed to change the direction of
the ZIP by putting up both their hands and saying ‘WHOAH’ or making a sound that
means STOP!
Step 3: The zip can be sent to another person in the circle by clapping to that person
and saying ‘ZAP’!
Step 4: Another action a participant can do is dance on the spot while saying
‘MOVALICIOUS’. After this action, the participant must do another action OR continue
passing the ZIP or the ZAP.

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Purpose: To increase energy and concentration at the same time. By learning new
actions and watching where the zip goes, participants are encouraged to stay focused
and present.
Remember:
 Focus and concentration is important for participants to have for a session,
otherwise it is unlikely the session aim will be achieved;
Step 5: Raise your hands to touch each other above your head while saying ‘BOING!’
After this action, the participant must do another action OR continue passing the ZIP or
the ZAP.
Step 6: Say the words: ‘FREAK-OUT’. When somebody does this action everybody
must run around the space screaming for a few seconds and then they come back to
their same place in the circle. After this action, the participant must do another action
OR continue passing the ZIP or the ZAP.

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LISTENING AND COMMUNICATION EXERCISES
The purpose of listening and communication exercises are:
 To increase listening and communication skills;
 To encourage participants to grow these skills;
 To increase the participants presence (participation of mind and body) in the
session.
See a list of listening and communication exercises with their explanation, purpose and possible
questions that the facilitator may ask participants:
 Getting to know each other
Explanation: Everyone to get into pairs. In each pair each participant choose to be either
‘A’ or ‘B’. ‘A’ has one minute to tell ‘B’ their name, something about themselves,
something they like and something they do not like. ‘B’ is not allowed to ask questions or
interrupt ‘A’, B must only listen carefully to what ‘A’ is saying. After one minute, facilitator
asks participants to finish off what they were saying and swap around. Now ‘B’ will tell ‘A’
something about themselves, something they like and something they do not like while
‘A’ listens. ‘B’ also has one minute. After one minute, everybody comes back into a
circle. All the ‘A’s’ will tell everybody else about their partner ‘B’ and all the ‘B’s’ will tell
everybody else about their partner ‘A’. If a participant is misrepresented by their partner,
it is important for the facilitator to allow the participant to correct the information BUT the
facilitator does not need to reprimand the person who made a mistake.
Purpose: To encourage listening and concentration. This exercise is useful with a group
of people who do not really know each other because it may help break the ice and
encourage participants to talk and listen to each other.
 Broken Telephone
Explanation: Make a circle. The facilitator whispers a message into the ear of the
participant standing next to him/her. That participant passes the message to the next
person and so on.

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When the message comes back to the facilitator who started the message, it should be
the same. If the message has changed each person says what they heard so the group
can identify where it went wrong.
Purpose: To show the importance of communication as well as listening. This exercise
might also show the way a ‘message’ is sometimes changed when passed through
many people. Facilitator can question this if it applies to their group of participants.
Possible questions: Can we point out where the breakdown in communication
happened?
Why was there a break down communication?
Can we see this happening in our everyday lives?
How are the possible ways we could fix this?
Is communication important? Why/ why not?
 Making a story
Explanation: Make circle. The aim of the exercises is for participants as a group to
create a story with a beginning, middle and end. The facilitator starts with a word or a
sentence. The participant next to the facilitator adds onto the story with a word or a
sentence. Each participant in the circle has an opportunity to add on to the story. The
story can go around once or a few times in the circle. The facilitator needs to decide how
many times around the circle the group must go.
Purpose: To listen to what others contribute to the story so that a story that makes some
kind of sense is created. To wake up the imagination. This story can also be used or
turned into a role play and/or it can be acted out by participants.
Possible questions: If the facilitator wants to turn the story into a role play s/he can ask
participants questions in order to understand the story better. The facilitator needs to
think of questions that are relevant to the story created but here are some questions that
could work as starting point:
Who are the characters in the story?

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What happened in the story?
What caused _______________ to happen?
Why did the story end the way it did?
Where did the story take place?
 1, 2, 3
Explanation: Participants get into pairs. In their pairs they count from 1 to 3. Participants
can start off slow and then speed up when they feel comfortable with each other. For
example:
Facilitator then tells participants to change number 1 into clapping their hands.
Facilitator then tells participants to change number 2 into clicking their fingers.
Facilitator then tells participants to change number 3 into stamping their feet.
First person: 1
Second person: 2
First person: 3
First person: claps
hands
Second person: 2
First person: 3
First person: claps
hands
Second person:
clicks fingers
First person: 3
First person: claps hands
Second person: clicks fingers
First person: stomping feet.

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Purpose: To increase concentration and focus. To increase listening and communication
skills.
Possible questions: These questions are directed at participants in order to see what
they gained from the exercise and to encourage them to reflect on their own listening
and communication skills.
What was your experience of the exercise?
What was your strength?
What could you improve on?
How did you relate with your partner?
Can we think about how what we have experienced in this exercise relates to daily life
experiences?

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TRUST BUILDING EXERCISES
The purpose of a trust exercise is:
 To build trust between participants. Building trust with participants may assist to increase
participation during the session;
 To build a safe space where participants can feel comfortable and express themselves
when necessary;
See below a list of trust exercises with their explanation, purpose and possible questions that
the facilitator can ask participants:
 Twisted Circle
Explanation: Make a circle. Facilitator to ask participants to make the circle tighter by
everyone walking inwards at the same time until everyone can’t move inwards any more.
All participants to raise their right hands. Each participant has to hold hands with
someone across the circle (not next to them) with their right hand. All participants to then
raise their left hands and hold a different persons hand across the circle. The circle will
now be like a spider’s web. The aim of the exercise is for participants to try untangling
the web back into a regular circle OR into a few smaller circles without letting go of
hands AND without talking.
Purpose: To encourage focus, patience, team work and concentration
Possible questions:
What was the experience like of trying to untangle yourself in the circle? What made
the exercise difficult, easy, frustrating etc.?
What could have worked better to untangle yourselves?
 Blind Cars
Explanation: Get into pairs. One partner will be ‘A’ and the other ‘B’. ‘A’ stands with
his/her back to and in front of ‘B’ with his/her eyes closed. ‘B’ is the blind car. ‘A’ is the
driver. The driver will lead the blind car through the space.

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They can use signals such as: tapping on the left shoulder to go left, tapping on the right
shoulder to go right, tapping twice on the back to stop and tapping once on the back to
move forward. A and B take turns to be the driver and the blind car. The facilitator then
announces that s/he is going to make it a little harder by placing "obstacles" in the room.
Facilitator to tell participants to be gentle and careful when leading their partner around
the room!!! Facilitator puts chairs, bags, bottles (any available objects) around the space
in order to create an obstacle course.
NB: It is very important for the facilitator to be firm and assertive during the game. If
anybody leads someone to hurt themselves or bump into anything, the facilitator needs
to address why that happened and let participants know that that is NOT OKAY.
Purpose: To build trust between participants. To highlight patience, communication, and
consideration for a fellow CCA or a peer educator.
Possible questions:
How did it feel being led?
How did you find it leading someone else?
Did you feel safe being led? Why? Why not?
Remember:
 Don’t force the participants to trust each other but rather encourage them to trust and be
trustworthy during the exercises;

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CLOSING RITUAL/CHECK-OUT
A ritual provides the opportunity for participants to acknowledge and recognise the space as an
important meaningful space for the time that the participants are there (Schechner, 2006). The
‘check-in’ is like a beginning ritual. Because we have a beginning ritual we need to have a
closing ritual.
The purpose of a closing ritual is:
 To formally end off a session;
 To see how people reacted to a session. As a facilitator it is important to see how
participants are doing after a session. If they are disturbed or upset after a session it is
important to refer them when necessary;
See below a list of closing rituals with their explanation and purpose :
 We come together, we give each other space and we move on
Explanation: Make a circle. Participants hold hands. Facilitator explains what to say and
what actions to do while the whole group says the following words:
Purpose: To end off the session in a friendly and fun way. To acknowledge that the
session is finished and to show that the participants can take what they experienced with
them if they choose to and if it’s good for them. Facilitator can encourage participants to
use what they have learned or experienced in the session in their daily lives. For
example: someone might have learned the importance of communication as a peer
educator to their peers when it comes to talking about issues faced by youth in their
community.
‘We come together’ (everyone in the circle moves in the circle)
‘We give each other space’ (everyone in the circle moves back into the normal circle)
‘And we move on’ (everyone in the circle walks to the left of the circle so the circle is
moving)

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Possible questions:
The facilitator does not have to ask questions after this exercise BUT if you feel that
participants don’t feel good after the session you can refer them to a professional if
necessary or you can ask them:
 What is one good thing you can do after the session to take care of yourself?
 What is one thing you are going to do differently today?
 Imaginary pot
Explanation: Make a circle. This exercise needs the facilitator to be creative and set up a
big, imaginary pot in the middle of the circle. One at a time, each participant can put
anything negative that came up during the session into the pot that they do not want to
take with them. It might be something they heard, said or felt. This ritual must be done
without talking. Participants to use their bodies and voices (sounds) to show putting
something into the pot. If the negative feeling or what they heard or said is hurting or
disturbing a part of the body, participants can imagine taking the feeling or what they
heard or said from that part of the body. For example, the heart, the head, the leg etc.
Facilitator must allow participants to take their time.
Purpose: To let the participants leave behind anything that they do not want to take with
after the session. This exercise can help the facilitator see if any participants are not
comfortable with what happened in the session. It is important for you as the CCA to
notice if participants are not comfortable so you can talk to them after the session and
refer them to a professional if necessary.
If you end a session using this exercise you can always bring the story pot back at the
beginning of another session and allow the participants to explore the stories using
drama to make the space as safe as possible.

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 Magic Pot
Explanation: Make a circle. This exercise needs the facilitator to be creative and set up a
big, imaginary magic pot in the middle of the circle. Facilitator to explain that the pot is
full of great, magical, positive things and that you can take anything that you want or
need from the pot that will make you feel good and/or help you take care of yourself.
This ritual can be done with or without talking, so participants can use their bodies and
voices (sounds) to show what they are taking or they can say what they are taking from
the pot. Once they have taken something they must put it somewhere safe, e.g. in their
pocket or on any part of their body to keep. Facilitator must allow participants to take
their time.
Purpose: To end off the session in a positive way. This ritual can be useful if the session
was difficult and participants are feeling negative. The ritual also encourages participants
to take care of themselves and to think about what they need to help them take care of
themselves. Also, the magic pot is meant to assist participants in growing their
imagination. By growing the imagination, participants might find different ways of seeing
their life and the community that they live in.
 Pulse
Explanation: Make a circle. Everyone to hold hands. Facilitator to explain that s/he will
pass around a pulse in the circle. A pulse is a squeeze using the hand. When a
participants hand is squeezed, they need to pass it to the person next to them by
squeezing that person’s hand. This ritual should be done in silence and everyone should
look at each other. The ritual is over when the squeeze comes back to the facilitator. The
facilitator can give the pulse a name or a theme. For example: a positive pulse, an
energy pulse etc. Facilitator can be creative in naming the pulse if s/he wants to. The
name of the pulse should relate to what happened in the session for that day. For
example, if the session was fun you can call it the ‘fun pulse’; if the session was heavy
and sad you can call it the ‘positive energy’ pulse.

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Purpose: To end off the session in a formal way. Also, to end off the session in a positive
way. This ritual is useful if there is not a lot of time left. If the facilitator names the pulse
s/he must be aware of what s/he thinks the participants need depending on the session.
If you don’t know what the participants need, ask them. If there are different things,
agree on one thing or try to put all ideas into one pulse.
 Jazz circle
Explanation: Make a circle. Facilitator to explain that everyone is going to contribute to
making a ‘jazz circle’. Facilitator to stand in the middle of the circle as the conductor or
choose a participant to be a conductor. The jazz circle can be given a theme depending
on what happened during the session. For example, if the theme of the session was
drug and alcohol abuse you can make a jazz circle about drug and alcohol abuse or
something specific about drug and alcohol abuse, like youth drinking to forget about their
problems. Facilitator begins by making a beat using their hands, feet, voice. Each
participant to add to beat using their voices, hands, feet, words etc. Participants can also
use words. The facilitator as the conductor can make everyone go louder, softer etc.
Participants can change their beat/sound. Facilitator to end off the jazz circle or
everybody can end together when they feel ready.
Purpose: To end off the session in a creative, non-verbal way. The jazz circle allows
participants to be expressive about the theme of the day, encouraging participants to
reflect on what a specific theme means to them. Music and sound, like drama, can also
be a container where participants can express themselves without having to talk openly
about it if they are not comfortable.
____________________
The next part of this section describes the methods you can use as main activities in your
session.

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Group Discussions:
Remember: Group discussions usually happen after games and exercises as a way to reflect on
what people experienced and observed.
Explanation: A group discussion is an informal and voluntary gathering of people to exchange
ideas, information, and suggestions, on needs, problems, subjects, etc. A group discussion
allows for an ‘exchange’ of views on a certain topics. It also increases mutual learning by
sharing experiences and knowledge. Discussions are usually in the form of a circle, where
everyone can see one another and there is not one person controlling the discussion but rather
a facilitator facilitating the discussion. No one in a group discussion should be seen to have a
better view than another and no one should be judged for what they contribute. It is very
important that you play a few games around trust before you can engage in a discussion so as
to create a safe or at least comfortable space for people to engage in conversation. If necessary
suggest that the group agrees that anything discussed in the group stays in the group.
Purpose: Discussions can help us develop a better perspective on issues by bringing out
different views. Whenever we exchange or share different views on a topic or issue, we get a
clearer picture of the problem and are able to understand it. The understanding can assist us in
dealing with the problem and/or coming up with different solutions for the problem. The
facilitator needs to have a clear objective and theme for facilitating a group discussion. The
objective or theme might only be seen after a specific exercise or game. For example, a game
or exercise might bring out the topic of teenage pregnancy, so an objective could be: To find out
views about teenage pregnancy. Questions could focus on why teenage pregnancy is so
common in our communities? Who is responsible? How can this change?
Possible Questions: When facilitating, it is important that you ask questions that are short and
direct. Try to avoid questions such as, how do you feel about that game/exercise? Try your best
not to ask questions that require a yes/no or good/bad answer. You may ask, for example: In
your opinion…
…what was that exercise was about?
…what are the main themes or topics that stood out for you? (Examples of themes
might be: teenage pregnancy, lack of communication, lack of understanding, drug
and alcohol abuses, self-esteem problems etc.)

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…what was uncomfortable for you? Why?
…what are some of the choices that people made that are different from yours?
…do you relate to the themes that were mentioned?
…what is the purpose of the game?
…what are some examples of real life events that are similar to what we are
talking about?
NOTE:
 Make sure you DO NOT force anyone to say something;
 Try your best not to pick sides in a discussion;
 Let everybody who wants to speak have a fair chance to speak.
NB: You do not have to ask questions after every warm up.

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Notes:
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Images5:
“Use a picture, it’s worth a thousand words”~ Arthur Brisbane.
Explanation: An image is like a picture or a photograph made by a group of participants using
their bodies. You might come across different types of participants. Some may find it easy to
express themselves; some may not. Some may not be able to speak about their feelings
properly or they may speak a different language to everyone else. Sometimes a participant
withdraws or steps out from a conversation if they feel excluded or when they cannot relate
and/or speak the same language as everyone else. In cases like these, the facilitator has to find
a way to allow the group to communicate in a way that is useful for everyone. Images are a
good way to allow a safe space for everyone to express themselves comfortably. Images don’t
always need us to use our voices. Only our bodies are needed to communicate. Images can be
useful to establish participants’ opinions or views on a theme without judgment. This is because
images often bring about the stereotypes or common perception of a topic. It is important to let
your participants know that there is no wrong or right way of doing or seeing/interpreting
images.
NB: It is important for participants to NOT show themselves in an image. Participants are
showing characters. This assists with creating distance from serious matters which helps
contain the space and keep it safe. If you see participants showing themselves, help them find
the distance by making them come up with a different name and even a different position in the
image.
Images can be used in different ways:
1. To warm participants up for drama based activities (main activities) like images, role-
plays and storytelling.
Facilitator can ask the participants to walk around the room and while they are walking,
the facilitator gives instructions of what image or picture to make alone or with other
participants. For example, make an image of waking up OR make an image of eating
breakfast OR exercising OR driving a car OR at a party. The facilitator can be creative
here. It is important to understand the images should be simple and related to daily
5
This section draws information from Image Theatre, one of the forms of the Theatre of the Oppressed by Augusto
Boal (see references & resources)

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activities. Themes such as teenage pregnancy and drug and alcohol abuse should not
be introduced when using images as a warm up.
2. To explore issues/ themes in your community (e.g. teenage pregnancy, drug and alcohol
abuse, HIV and AIDS etc.): Finding out WHY?
Facilitator to group participants and ask them to make an image related to ONE theme. It
is important to focus on one theme at a time so that participants can understand the
theme or topic better. Each group can present their image and the facilitator can ask
questions to the participants who are viewing the image. Each group should get a
chance to present their image. This exercise can also be done as one big group with
volunteers to create an image. Participants viewing an image can give the participants in
the image character names. (The facilitator could use these characters or build on these
characters in a role play later or in another session). The facilitator and viewers can ask
the characters in the image questions.
Possible Questions:
What is happening in this image?
Why is it happening?
Who is it happening to?
How do you think the people in the image feel?
3. To explore problems and possible solutions around a theme or a topic: Finding out
WHAT can we do about the problem? Facilitator to ask for volunteers (3 or 4)and ask
them to:
3.1 Step 1: Make an image around a problem or topic in your community. Facilitator to
give participants a few seconds to make the image while other participants wait.
When the image is made, the volunteers freeze (keep still) in the image and the
facilitator asks the participants questions about the image.
3.2 Step 2: Make an image of what you would like to see in your community instead of
this problem. In other words, if this problem was addressed and fixed what would be
happening in our community instead of this problem? Facilitator to give participants
a few seconds to make the image while other participants wait. When the image is

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made, the volunteers freeze (keep still) in the image and the facilitator asks the
participants questions (see below or other questions) about the image.
Possible Questions:
What has changed in this image?
How did it change?
What did each person or character in the image do to change?
Can this happen in real life?
Facilitator can ask volunteers to show participants how they move from the first image (problem)
to the image that they would prefer to see. Volunteers then go back to the image that is a
problem. Participants then show step by step how the image can change by changing the actual
physical image. Facilitator to explain that the volunteers are like clay so participants can help
change the image into the more positive image BUT they have to explain how each step could
happen in real life.
Purpose: Using images is a flexible tool for exploring issues, attitudes and emotions both with
groups who are confident with drama and those with little or no experience in drama. Images
can help participants explore their own feelings and experiences in a safe and contained way.
They also offer possibilities that allow people to think what they want instead of being told what
to think.
Possible questions: After an exercise where you used images, it is very important to have a
group discussion and reflect on everybody’s experiences and what they observed or saw.
Although you have been asking participants questions throughout the session you need to ask
questions to have a closing group discussion and/or closing comments. Most questions here
would be similar to those mentioned earlier in group discussions; however there are some that
are more direct to images such as:
Which image stood out the most? Why?
What do you think the images were saying?
Who do you think the image/s were about?
How do the images relate to each other?
Were the images realistic?
What problems did we notice in the images?
Also, Check
section on group
discussions.

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What are some of the solutions to the problem?
The facilitator needs to choose and decide which questions s/he or will ask when, depending on
how s/he uses images.
Remember:
 There will be questions during the images where images will be frozen AND there will be
questions about the images during the group discussion which happen after the images.
 It is important to always have a discussion after image exercises.

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Notes:
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Role Plays:
Explanation: Role plays are short dramas or ‘plays’ (5-10 minutes). The facilitator can give
participants a theme or a topic to explore using a role play. Participants must then create
characters for the role-play. The facilitator needs to help participants get into character by
allowing them to use objects, clothing and requesting them to walk around the space as the
character thinking about the details of the character (through questions). For example: what is
the character wearing, how does he/she speak or walk, how old is he/she etc. Themes or topics
of role plays can be themes you see in section three or the facilitator can read a creative story
(that has a theme) for participants to act out.
Role plays can also be developed from an image. For example, volunteers in a group could
create an image around a specific theme. The participants watching then give a specific
scenario for the volunteers to act out. Before they start, facilitator to ask participants to give the
people in the image names (a character name, not the volunteers’ real names). Facilitator and
participants then count down the volunteers.
PARTICIPANTS: 5, 4 , 3 , 2 , 1 -ACTION!!!
Purpose: Role plays allow participants to explore different characters and situations in order to
learn something that can help understand themselves and/or others. By taking on a role,
participants can step into the past or future and travel to any location, exploring themes in
different ways. Role plays allow the participant to play with the imagination and begin to see
new possibilities. Also, role plays give participants the chance to experience different things.
Possible questions: A group discussion will happen after each role play. The facilitator can use
the following questions:
For participants watching the role-play:
Do you recognise some of the characters you just saw?
What did you learn in the role-play, if anything?
For participants in the role play:
What was the experience like?
What did you notice about the characters around you?
What was the reaction from other characters to yours?

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Notes:
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Storytelling:
Explanation: Storytelling is one of the oldest and simplest ways of sharing information and
learning different things. Stories can be based on real life or not. It can be a good tool to use to
allow participants to travel into their imagination and see the similarities of real and imaginary
life. Storytelling allows participants to experience different things (like role-plays). Stories can be
found in books or on the internet or they can be created by the facilitator. Sometimes childhood
or traditional stories can be valuable in providing a viewpoint or lesson you would like to explore.
Important storytelling techniques include the use of voice (words and sound effects), facial
expression and bodily gesture, mime, pace, repetition, rhythm, elaboration, exaggeration and –
most of all – engagement with the audience.
Facilitator to find stories relating to the theme or topic they want their participants to explore.
This story can be a real life story or imaginary. Remember like drama, storytelling creates
distance between participant and real life. You DO NOT want your participants to be acting out
their own real stories because this can traumatize them. Once you have read the story you can
group the participants into smaller groups or stay in one big group. Assist participants in
choosing characters by asking: which characters were in the story? Characters can be people,
animals, the weather, trees etc. Ask participants questions about what were the main events in
the story, where it took place, which character would you be and why etc. Facilitator can also
ask participants to make images showing which parts of the story they liked.
Purpose: Storytelling allows participants to learn and experience different lessons in a story.
Possible questions:
What was the story about?
What does it remind you of?
Was there an issue that stood out for you in the story?
Who/what was causing the problem?
Who was the victim or person experiencing the problem?
What would you do to change the problem?
Who do you think is missing in the story? Why?
What did you learn from the story, if anything?

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Here is the story of ‘The spirit who could not make up his mind’ (adapted from Gersie & King,
1990) that you may use in the future. Find a comfortable place to sit and enjoy the story!
THE SPIRIT WHO COULD NOT MAKE UP HIS MIND
A long time ago, before the world was finished, the people were bothered by a strange spirit
who tore the roofs from their houses, spoiled their tools and damaged new clothes. In time, the
villagers went to Raven, a huge bird, who was busy creating a mountain range to protect plants
from the ravages of the north wind. Raven was not pleased to see them and suggested they
wait until his work was finished.
“We cannot wait”, said one man. “I was fishing from my canoe in the midst of a calm sea when
suddenly I was tossed overboard. Just as I thought death was certain, I was thrown back into
the canoe with all my fish on top of me.”
“Did you see anything?” asked Raven.
A chorus of voices joined the man’s. “No one has seen it but we have heard it. When my boat
turned over the spirit said: “No-no-no” and when I was back inside, with my fish, it said: “Yes-
yes-yes”.
“It is as if the spirit cannot make up its mind,” said a woman. “It overturns a cooking pot and
whispers No-no-no’ and then tosses the food back in and says, ‘Yes-yes-yes’. It is driving all of
us crazy.”
Raven said, “I have never seen or heard of this spirit but I will come with you and see what I can
do.” The people returned to their village with Raven. Suddenly Raven felt something plucking at
his head feathers.
“Stop that, you’re hurting me”. The plucking stopped. He looked around but saw nothing except
a large shadow on the ground. He knew he had met the spirit. Raven asked, “Who are you?
Why do you hurt me?”
Raven heard a soft, “Yes-no-yes-no-yes-no.”
“Is that all you can say?” asked Raven.
The spirit answered, “Yes-no-yes-no.”
Raven asked, “Where do you come from?”
“I am lost”, answered the spirit.
“How is this possible?” asked Raven.
“I have never found a shape of my own,” replied the spirit. “When I was a wolf I went hungry.
When I was an eagle I was lonely. Can you help me? Everyone else runs from me.”

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Raven suggested, “How would you like to be a whale? You would be the largest creature in the
ocean. You would only have to open your mouth to find food.”
“Yes-yes-yes,” said the spirit. Raven smiled but just as he was about to make it happen the
spirit said, ‘No-no-no. I would be too tired swimming all day.”
Raven said, “If you were a whale you would like to swim.” But the spirit would not agree to
become a whale. Then Raven suggested the spirit become a beautiful maiden. At first it agreed
but then refused. “A maiden grows old and then no one listens to her.” Discouraged, the spirit
started to make a hole in a new blanket. “Stop that!” commanded Raven. “Listen to me. Let us
help you find your form”. After much deliberation and arguing with the spirit, after many weeks
and months of trying to accommodate the spirit, the villagers eventually managed to help the
spirit to find where it belongs.
THE END
____________________
These questions are for you as the facilitator to reflect on. If you use this story with participants,
you need to come up with questions that you think would be relevant to the group you work with.
What do you think the spirit decided to be?
What is this story about?
What themes do you think are in this story?
What did you learn (if anything) in this story?
Could you use this story with peer educators? Why? Why not?
Could you use this story with other CCAs? Why? Why not?
If you could use this story, what would be your intention or motivation?
Did this story remind you of a story you know you could use in a session?

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Notes:
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SECTION THREE:
SESSIONS

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How to plan a session
 TARGET GROUP: Choose the age group you want to work with. If you decide to work
with a broad age range (big age difference), make sure you are aware of what age group
can cope, hear and engage with certain topics;
 TIME: Set a time of how long your session will be. Make sure to have breaks during the
session;
 Some groups like to pray before and after a session. Take this into consideration and
make time for it;
 Have a specific theme for your session;
 AIM: Set a specific aim for your session. Try not to do too much in one session. Refer to
the sessions;
 WHY ARE YOU DOING WHAT YOU’RE DOING: Make sure you know your intention or
the motivation of your aim;
 CO-FACILITATION: Who will lead which section?
 STRUCTURE: Make sure your session has a beginning, middle and an end (see next
page).
(Clifford & Hermann, 1999)

CCA MANUAL 3 FINAL

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