Albania MOVE animators meet to share experiences and learn new games

Project : MOVE 14 Feb 2012 | psychosocial

January-February, 2012: A series of 5 consultative meetings with MOVE Animators trained during the project have been organized since January 27th and are set to continue throughout February in the regions of Elbasan, Durrës, Fier, Saranda, Tirana and Korca. Facilitated by Albania’s MOVE project coordinator with the support of local members of the base team of trainers, these meetings brought together around 60 animators out of the 192 trained so far.

The aim was to learn new games and modules and to put animators in touch with one another in order to share their experience with implementing the MGS Methodology, as well as reflect on challenges and successes to date. New games introduced included “the Chicken & the Fox” and “Piki, Zale, Bufta Rafta”, Romanian and Moldovan traditional games turned into psychosocial games, which the Albanian Move project team and base group of animators learned during a regional meeting held back in November 2011, in Romania, with MOVE project staff from Moldova and Romania. “These new games are fun! They require you to focus, think strategically and collaborate with mates. You can also learn about the importance of listening to instructions and how to properly follow them,” shared one of the animators at the end of a feedback session.

Upcoming MOVE project events and the Albanian version of Tdh’s newly developed Manual of psychosocial skills Working with Children and their Environment, were also introduced during these meetings. Upcoming MOVE project events include additional coaching sessions for animators wishing to further improve on their skills, supplementary cross-regional experience sharing sessions, and game-focused events to be organized with children and parents throughout the months of March and April. Printed and electronic copies of the Manual of psychosocial skills are to be distributed soon to various institutions and MOVE trained animators.

At the end of the Saranda meeting, Terre des hommes Foundation, Mission in Albania was awarded a ‘Certificate of Appreciation’ from the Director of Residential Institution of Saranda, Ms. Adriana Kushta, for the " valued contribution and support that Terre des hommes and its staff have provided to this Institution." [FG]