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I am sitting in the Teachers Resource Centre ahead of the debriefing session with consultants and SNAP Committee members. Yesterday, in this same room, we delivered the survey to the SNAP members at their regular monthly meeting, which takes place on the first Wednesday of every month. This survey was a big undertaking which will really help us to know the disabled children and the families that we are working with through the SNAP programme.
Our outstanding consultants worked with the parents one by one as they arrived, explaining what we were aiming to do, gaining their trust, assuring them of confidentiality and that they will pass no judgements on the responses they will give. Our consultants took time to translate the questions into the local language, Dagaare, and record the answers in English. Today we will be reflecting on the process, the responses and any challenges which arose in its delivery in preparation to carry out the survey with families who attend the smaller SNAP group in Jirapa, called ESONG.
As ever it was a joyous riot as more and more disabled children and their parents and guardians arrived; a few on foot, committee members on bicycles, but almost all arriving in groups in the ATE nyabba (a motorbike with a trailer attached which people can travel in). The children enjoyed seeing their friends and playing with wooden blocks on the mats, while their parents calmly answered the survey questions with their assigned consultant. And all the while the temperature rose and rose!
Once almost all those attending had completed their surveys, SNAP Committee member, Margaret, worked with me to select some families for home visits and make arrangements. Next week, I will go with a consultant to complete the surveys with these few families in their homes to get a better sense of their living conditions and home life as part of the evaluation.
For the final part of the activities, the SNAP members had group discussion on two key questions: 1) how has SNAP improved your life since the time you joined? And 2) what would you like to see in SNAP in the future? They have lots of ideas which we will discuss in the debriefing today.
The day finished with lunch of jollof rice with egg for everybody and nyabba rides home!
Overall it was a successful day with great levels of participation from the parents and dozens of surveys completed. Once home, I began to read through the surveys and start the lengthy process of recording the data into a spreadsheet ready for analysis (the inner geek in me genuinely loves doing this kind of stuff!). As I worked through them I was struck by some of the responses, particularly where one respondent had requested that SNAP provide help with food - such a simple and basic need. Another surprised me because in their community, they said the chief had decreed that no one should disrespect disabled people or children - a positive experience which could definitely be encouraged in other communities across the district. While other responses tell more difficult stories. One describes how her disabled child stopped attending school because of the teasing from the other children, and how she was advised to beat her child so that she would learn some sense.
I know that working through these surveys there will be some clear cut data on things like the number of our disabled children who are accessing education, but there will also be some very sensitive, emotional information and personal experiences which it is important that we do justice to and capture well.
It feels such a great privilege to be here taking part in this work. A big piece of the work has been completed with our survey activity yesterday but I'm looking forward to our debriefing discussion today and there is still so much to do over the coming weeks. I can't wait to crack on and I look forward to sharing the results!
- comments
Mel Lovely to hear you're off to a great start matey - all the best for the rest of your trip. Mel xxx
Leela Thanks Mel! Really sweet of you. I look forward to catching up with you in July. x x x