Exercise

							    Foundation module 4
    Participation and inclusion
    Section 1 Defining and justifying children’s participation and inclusion

    Exercise 5



                        Timeline of a day in a child’s life




    Purpose

    By the end of this exercise, participants will be able to:

   recognise the diverse roles and responsibilities taken on by girls and boys in different
    settings

   recognise children as social actors in their everyday life and appreciate their skills and
    competencies

   understand how the roles and responsibilities of girls and boys may change during an
    emergency.

    Timeframe

    45 to 75 minutes (depending on whether you are exploring one or two scenarios)

    Resources

   three relevant examples of marginalised children, prepared in advance

   flipchart paper and pens




    Method

1   In advance of the workshop identify three relevant examples of marginalised girls and
    boys representing different ages, backgrounds and situations. For example:

       a 15-year-old girl living in a child-headed household as a result of the death of her
        parents from HIV

       a 12-year-old boy living in a rural household with his parents

       a 10-year-old boy living in a poverty-affected urban setting with his mother and
        younger sister.

    Depending on the emergency phase and the current reality of children in your context,
    this exercise may be carried out considering one or two scenarios.




    ARC resource pack 2009                       706f8fe5-a152-424c-98b5-481fff3cf428.doc
    http://www.arc-online.org                                                       Page 1 of 2
    Foundation module 4 Participation and inclusion
    Section 1 Exercise 5



       Scenario A A normal day in the child’s life before the emergency (conflict or
        natural disaster)

       Scenario B A day in their life during or following the emergency

2   Divide the participants into three groups and allocate a different marginalised child to
    each group using the relevant examples identified earlier.

    Ask each group to develop a timeline along a vertical line on flipchart paper, to explore
    and illustrate a day in the life of the child. Depending on the context, they could be
    asked to develop a timeline for either Scenario A or B, or timelines for both
    scenarios, showing the differences between each.

    Each group should:

       include the events of a typical day (for example, what time the 12-year-old boy
        gets up, what they do at different times of the day), using drawings or writing

       discuss and identify what skills and competencies the girl or boy is demonstrating,
        how they are agents in their own lives and the lives of others. What coping
        strategies are they using to overcome adversity?

3   In plenary, ask each group to present their timelines, describing:

       the roles and responsibilities taken on by children

       the skills and competencies they demonstrate

       any changes in roles and responsibilities as a result of the emergency.

    Points to include in plenary

    Exploration and recognition of:

       the diversity of children’s roles and responsibilities depending on their age, gender,
        socioeconomic background, urban or rural context, whether there is peace and
        stability or conflict or natural disaster

       children’s role as social actors, their contributions to families and communities, and
        their own coping strategies

       changes in children’s roles and responsibilities as a result of emergencies.




    ARC resource pack 2009                       706f8fe5-a152-424c-98b5-481fff3cf428.doc
    http://www.arc-online.org                                                          Page 2 of 2