Watende Ramadhani Botea (44), a mother and resident of Makulunge Village, who is also the Chairperson of the School Committee of Migiro Primary School in Makulunge Ward, Bagamoyo District, Coast Region, says that the Life Skills and Values Education training she received from Uwezo Tanzania has significantly transformed her life and helped her raise and nurture her children to grow well while developing important competencies and life skills.
Watende says that before receiving the training, she did not even know what Life Skills meant. However, after receiving training through the Action for Life Skills and Values in East Africa (ALiVE) project, she came to understand that life skills are enabling competencies that help an individual cope with different situations encountered in everyday life.
She says the Life Skills training has helped her improve her understanding of various competencies, including communication, working well with other people in the community, and strengthening her ability to solve problems whenever they arise.
Giving an example of the Problem-Solving skill, she says she has learned that when faced with a problem, it is important to follow the necessary steps to solve it effectively. She says the first important step is to identify and understand the problem itself before beginning to think about different ways of solving it.
She says that after learning and gaining a better understanding of these important competencies, including problem-solving, she has now been able to help her children develop problem-solving skills while also building their confidence and courage. She emphasizes that this skill is very important because it enables children to address various challenges they encounter in life.
“I also had an opportunity to share with other people the Life Skills and Values training I received. I shared what I had learned during village meetings, and, indeed, many parents became interested in this education,” says Watende.
Watende calls on other parents to help their children develop these important skills, noting that life skills are beneficial and play a significant role in promoting proper child upbringing.
Explaining what they were taught about Life Skills and Values, particularly the Problem-Solving skill, she said parents and caregivers were taught to do the following to help children develop problem-solving skills: allow children to solve their own problems; for example, when a child comes with a problem, instead of solving it for them, ask them how they can solve it. Parents should also encourage children to seek more information about the particular problem and encourage them to use the information they have to suggest different ways of solving it. They should further encourage children to identify which approach can solve the problem effectively, try that approach, and, if it does not work, ask themselves why and consider what alternative approach could solve the problem.
Calling on the community and the government, Watende asks that this education be made available to everyone, including both parents and children, saying that it has been a great help to her and to more than 40 other parent champions who received the training in Bagamoyo District and later went on to share the knowledge with other parents.
