CAS' PARTNERSHIP WITH RIGHT TO PLAY

Catholic Action for Street children has been in partnership with Right To Play (RTP) for the past four years. RTP is an athlete driven international humanitarian organization that uses sports and games as tool for development of children and youth in the most disadvantaged areas in the world. RTP gives children the chance to become constructive participants in society, regardless of gender, disability, ethnicity, social background or religion.

Within these years, a number of staff of CAS have been trained in the Red Ball Child Play (RBCP) categories of games and sports. This category of games and sports use the power of play and sports to reach children between the ages of six and ten plus life skills and health lessons, build their self esteem and the best way to protect and take care of each other. In addition, three new staff have being recently trained in Live Safe Play Safe (LSPS), another educative set of sports and games activities that help educate youth between the ages of thirteen and eighteen on HIV/AIDS prevention and other health lessons among the youth.

CAS as a partner organization has adapted some of these games and sports activities to fit into our general games and entertainment programs. The trained staff (coaches) plan a game or two in line with the general theme for every week to high light on key lessons of the theme.
For instance, if ‘Team work’ is the theme for this week then a game is selected from any of the two categories mentioned above to demonstrate the key lessons of team work through play and sports normally on Fridays.
Open and closing discussions are unique features of RTP games, the key lessons and goals of the games are highlighted through discussion before and after the games. Click on www.righttoplay.com to know more about the Right To Play 

EDUCATION

There is a classroom at the Refuge where classes are held Monday to Thursday between 9:00-10:30am. Some of the street children have never attended school; others dropped out of school at different levels. Most dropped out due to lack of parental care and support. Some children stop because the lessons are too difficult for them and they see more use in earning money. At the Refuge children are encouraged to take part in the different educational programmes and activities, but it is their choice whether to participate or not. CAS believes it does not make sense to force children; they have to be motivated to put in the effort to learn.

Response to the educational programmes has been very encouraging. On average between 20 and 40 children attend classes daily. Different subjects at various levels are taught, varying from reading and writing to mathematics, English and social skills. Music, drama and dance are taught and used as a means of education and are helpful in developing self esteem.

A small library is available for the children to practice reading. Children are encouraged to learn from the educational games on the computers in the library. All computers are also connected to the internet to create more opportunity for children to learn from variety of sources.

CAS' literacy teaching materials and syllabus have been completed. The materials and teaching models, tools and methods were developed based on the Montessori and other teaching methods in Ghana. This, we believe, helped street corner facilitators introduce literacy teaching on the street. Teaching at CAS is done by many members of staff who are not trained as teachers. The most important approach is first to have a good relationship with the child and secondly to teach them based on the CAS syllabus or course. The syllabus contains different teaching methods and tools that make it easier for the teacher and the children.