Associate Writer | Breaking the ice with children

Breaking Ice with Children is a generic activity with children before an interview. It was recently used during the evaluating of the GAC supported project “Reading Kenya Project” implemented by a Canadian NGO, CODE in collaboration with the National Book Development Council of Kenya. The purpose of the project was to enhance reading skills of children in primary schools in the target County.

“We were supposed to find out from the children themselves, the benefits of the project from their views, child rights abuses if any and their recommendations. It is not easy to start asking such questions to the children and get correct answers unless they trust and comfortable with you. So we had to take the activity before the interview.”

Many education projects’ evaluations demand that the consultant seeks the opinion of children on a topic. This demand is in order since the children are key stakeholders in the projects. How then do you get children honest opinion?

“My experience working with younger children has shown that despite age difference, children are able to trust a stranger much older than themselves if a proper strategy is followed before an interview.”

Of course, seeking permission from the headteacher to speak (interview) to a group of children in school is a mandatory protocol. The consultant would painstakingly explain the purpose of the interview and swear never to reveal the names of the interviewees to anybody. That’s the easiest part. How then would you reach the souls of the children you’re about to interview for them to tell you their secrets?

“I’ve been using what I call “The Aim Game” to break the ice and allow the children to relax and start trusting me. Before the game, I’ve to explain what the word “aim” means, by asking a question like: What do you aim to be after completing your education? The children will enthusiastically respond and give answers such as “a pilot, a doctor, a teacher, etc”. I follow up by emphasizing that the aim of the career requires arduous work.”

The Aim Game is carried out in an open place where the interview is to take place.

Recently, my co-consultant and I tried it during the evaluation of a girls’ protection project in Kenya. We cut a half-litre plastic water bottle into half. We half-way buried the bottom part in the soil. We explained that each participant will be given a coin to “aim” and throw it inside the bottle. We promised a reward for whoever succeeds. The distance between the thrower and the bottle was approximately 1.5 metres.

Each child took turn, twice, to try his/her luck. There was excitement during the game. There were shouts of “ooh” when one misses; and applause when one succeeds. This took approximately 10 minutes. After the game, everyone was promised a prize and an extra prize for the winners.

“The interview that followed was very interesting. The children were relaxed and spoke openly. We asked questions connected to School-Related Gender-Based Violence affecting vulnerable children, particularly girls. We also wanted to know gender-based violence and abuses against girls in the community. The children spoke openly about incest, rape and corporal punishment both in school and at home.” 

“We’re impressed by the information we got through the process of the interview. We gave each a prize as promised.”