Moldova Remarkable improvement through coaching sessions

Project : MOVE 1 Dec 2008 |

The second phase of the MOVE project, the coaching sessions, is ongoing in Moldova since October. In two months, more than 40 coaching visits have been made by the MOVE coordinator and national project manager to the 14 animators. They are currently experimenting the psychosocial use of games and sport with their groups of children in schools or communities. Each animator received a basic equipment kit to offer children a variety of interesting new games. The one-hour lesson is then followed by a feedback time to see what went well, what is to improve and what kind of changes occurred in children’s behavior.

So far, the main observation is the very positive and professional use of the MOVE approach. The quick integration and application of the MOVE principles is fundamental to give successful psychosocial inputs to the lessons. Animators are totally involved, using their imagination to adapt activities to the specific needs of their groups. One animator dedicated her lesson to the World Day for Prevention of Child Abuse. At the end of the lesson, for the relaxation-meditation period, she focused against violence with a poem about friendship and love. It was a surprise when the whole group said to the newly integrated boy, who often used his physical strength in a violent way: “Did you understand, Andrei, no violence?” Andrei was ashamed but understood thanks to the general good atmosphere in the group. It is a fact that there are already changes in children’s behaviors, such as less aggressiveness as well as a higher level of commitment, cooperation and self expression.