The Live Safe Play Safe Evaluation
Project
The purpose of Live Safe Play Safe (LSPS)
evaluation was to examine the implementation and outcomes of the
LSPS project. The LSPS project is an innovative sport and
games-based program for health promotion and HIV / AIDS education
and prevention among children and communities affected by war,
poverty and disease. The project aims at promoting health,
building life skills, and fostering peace among youth and
children in communities. To read more...
Francois in drama with Rwandan youth
group
Data gathering for the evaluation involved a
field visit toKigaliand Gisenyi
inRwanda, andFreetownand Makeni inSierra Leone.
Additional evaluation data was gathered in telephone interviews
with stakeholders fromGhana,Canadaand theUnited
States. As typical of research studies at CCBR,
a participatory approach was adopted for the evaluation. A
stakeholder steering committee provided guidance for the
evaluation process at all phases.
To enhance the richness of the data gathered
in the field, a battery of tools including surveys, focus groups,
key informant interviews, drama, and participant observation were
utilized.
Data gathering was made successful by
excellent preparations made by Right To Play's country staff in
support of the evaluation. These very hardworking field staff
helped to arrange and schedule all survey administration, key
informant interviews and focus groups in
bothRwandaandSierra
Leoneahead of Jonathan's
arrival.Altogether, evaluation data was gathered from 983
individuals representing the five main stakeholder groups in the
project, namely, program staff, LSPS coaches, parents, community
leaders, and youth and children.
In both countries, members of all stakeholder
groups participated actively and enthusiastically in data
gathering activities. In both countries, the evaluator found the
drama play with youth and children a most fascinating experience.
The drama play allowed children to be entertained and have fun as
their knowledge, attitudes and skills towards HIV and AIDS and
people who are living with HIV and AIDS were being assessed. The
main character in the drama scene was a puppet giraffe (donated
by Rowen and Sasha Marsh, twin-children ofSarah
Marsh, a researcher at CCBR) named Francois
inRwanda(or Foday inSierra
Leone). Francois was very troubled because his
friend Claude had lost both parents to AIDS; and "worst still"
Claude had tested positive to HIV. Francois went seeking
information and advice from his youth participant-audiences. The
drama ended with Francois re-iterating the information he had
learned from his audience and vowing to remain Claude's
friend.
During the data gathering activities in
bothRwandaandSierra
Leone, according to Jonathan, he was amazed by
how children whose parents were, not long ago, at war with each
other, played and learned together in peace and harmony. He also
noticed the ease with which both children and adults in both
countries were able to speak openly about HIV and AIDS and
sexuality; subjects that used to be, and still are, taboos in
many African communities. This healthy development, Jonathan
believes, sets a great example in HIV and AIDS education
inAfrica.
