Child-to-child approach
A key philosophy of Bahay Tuluyan is the child-to-child approach of education.
History of the child-to-child approach and Bahay Tuluyan
Early in Bahay Tuluyan’s history, it identified a need to not only provide services to children but to empower and challenge children to improve the situation in which they found themselves. Accordingly it pioneered a development process in the Philippines called the ‘child-to-child Approach’ in its work with abused, exploited and street children. This approach was first implemented in the Junior Educators Program which was established in 1988.
Delivered through various Alternative Education programs, this skills training and empowerment is provided in parallel with basic social services which are provided to the clientele of the organization. Bahay Tuluyan continues to integrate the child-to-child Approach into all parts of its program, believing it is an effective tool for child participation and for working towards the full realization of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
What is the child-to-child approach?
The child-to-child Approach refers to a style of child empowerment where children are active participants in their own development and the development of other children. This approach is based on the belief that children, from whatever circumstances, are capable of helping themselves. The approach assumes that children will gain more from their development if they are active participants in the development process rather than passive recipients. Consequently programs employing the child-to-child approach aim to empower children with skills, knowledge and attitude to enhance not only themselves but to give them the ability to reach out to other children. Children who have acquired the appropriate skills, knowledge and attitude through various training programs are then able to share those assets with other children, in a variety of venues and using a variety of mediums. Children who are able to effectively share their skills with other children generally are good leaders, role models and facilitators.
Child-to-child approach in action
An important characteristic of the child-to-child approach is its adaptability to a variety of circumstances, audiences and mediums. The essence remains the same, children reaching out to other children, although the output may take one of many forms. Some examples of the child-to-child approach in action at Bahay Tuluyan are:
Facilitators – many graduates of Alternative Education programs of Bahay Tuluyan go on to become facilitators for the training of the next group of participants. These children play an extremely important role in the delivery of training and ensure the sustainability and effectiveness of the programs.
Teaching children on street – through Bahay Tuluyan’s Mobile Unit, Junior Educators and Junior Health Workers deliver education, games and services to children on the street in Manila.
Education sessions in residential shelters – graduates of Bahay Tuluyan’s Alternative Education programs who are residing in Bahay Tuluyan centers frequently use their skills to teach other children within the centers.
International Advocacy – children from Bahay Tuluyan’s Alternative Education programs have, on occasion, attended international events to share with children about their experiences and their understanding of children’s rights, on a child-to-child level.
Theater tours – Bahay Tuluyan conducts theater tours on a regular basis during which the children of the Participatory Children’s Street Theater and Arts group perform for their peers and the wider community, advocating for children’s rights through theater.
Advocacy campaigns – Children from Bahay Tuluyan’s Alternative Education programs frequently transfer their skills and knowledge into action through their participation in campaigns relating to child abuse, child labor and child trafficking.
Street plays & puppet shows – Street plays and puppet shows are sometimes used by the children in the Alternative Education programs as a way of informing people about the problems facing children.
