BASIC ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND BOOK-KEEPING SKILLS TRAINING FOR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS

MARY MWANIKI FOUNDATION
ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND BASIC BOOK-KEEPING SKILLS TRAINING PROPOSAL
Training for Self-Help Groups and Small Business Community in Kenya
16TH JULY 2010

CONTACT PERSON

RICHARD OCHIENG BONYO,
PROGRAMS MANAGER
P. O. BOX 16500-00620
NAIROBI, KENYA
EMAIL: info@marymwanikifoundation.org website: http://www.marymwanikifoundation.org



TRAINING BACKGROUND
Women and men with disabilities can and want to be productive members of society. In both developed and developing countries, promoting more inclusive societies and employment opportunities for people with disabilities requires improved access to basic education, vocational training relevant to labor market needs and jobs suited to their skills, interests and abilities, with adaptations as needed. Many societies are also recognizing the need to dismantle other barriers - making the physical environment more accessible, providing information in a variety of formats, and challenging attitudes and mistaken assumptions about people with disabilities.

Current Situation
There is no recent data on the situation of people with disabilities in Kenya. Some numbers are available, although these do not give an accurate picture of the number of disabled people living in the country. Applying the WHO recommended 10 per cent to today’s Kenyan population of approximately 36 million would indicate that there may be some 3 million disabled people. Many disabled people in Kenya, as in most developing countries in the world, live in poverty, have limited opportunities for accessing education, health, and suitable housing and employment opportunities.

Governmental support for people with disabilities
The Government of Kenya has adopted a number of laws and policies pertaining to people with disabilities, including their right to productive and decent work and basic services. The main ones are listed below.
1. The 1969 Constitution of Kenya outlaws discrimination on various grounds such as race, tribe and color; however, it does not refer to discrimination on the basis of disability.
2. The Proposed Constitution of Kenya (May 2010) still to be agreed and adopted on the 4th August 2010 Referendum, explicitly prohibits discrimination on the grounds of health status and disability.
3. The Persons with Disabilities Act, 2003, is a comprehensive law covering rights, rehabilitation and equal opportunities for people with disabilities. It creates the National Council of Persons with Disabilities as a statutory organ to oversee the welfare of persons with disabilities. The Law also requires that both public and private sector employers reserve 5 per cent of jobs for disabled persons.
4. The National Security Act, (Chapter 258, Laws of Kenya), mentions invalidity benefits for worker incapacitated before the established retirement age.
5. National Social Security Fund Act, 1965 (No. 5 of 1997), amended 2001, contains a provision which states that physical and mental disabilities shall not be considered as leading to work incapacity.
6. The Workmen’s Compensation Act, (Chapter 236, Laws of Kenya), recognizes disability but only where it has been acquired during and in the course of work.
7. Free Primary Education, 2003, crucial to the attainment of universal primary education, removes all levies that previously prevented children especially those from poor economic backgrounds from accessing education. The scheme has been extended to special education and schools for children with disabilities, through the provision of additional funding to meet the needs of children with disabilities in schools.
8. National Development Plan (2002- 2008), focused on strengthening vocational rehabilitation centers for people with mental and physical disabilities and affirmative action in areas of employment, vocational training and education.
9. Vision 2030 provides a long-term development framework and initiatives aimed at sustaining rapid economic growth and tackling poverty. The plan follows soon after the implementation of the Economic Recovery Strategy (ERS), 2003-2007. Under Vision 2030, Kenya hopes to become a globally competitive and prosperous nation with a high quality of life by 2030.


Training Project Justification
There are an estimated 3.6 million persons with disabilities in Kenya. Physically and/or mentally impaired persons constitute a major group of the most vulnerable poor in Kenya. A vast majority of persons with disabilities live in rural areas and many of them are small farmers who depend on the agricultural sector for food and livelihood security. Major causes of disability in Kenya include malnutrition caused by extreme poverty and food insecurity. In addition, more and more people are disabled by road or machine accidents due to various traffic-related factors including careless driving, poor roads, bad attitude of drivers and other road users. Other disabilities are due to occupational accidents in building and construction sites, mining grounds, violence and armed conflicts.

People with disabilities must confront major barriers to achieve food security and sustainable livelihoods. Dominant social and cultural biases make it doubly difficult for them to overcome these hurdles.

A large majority of country-level rehabilitation programmes for disabled persons do not give due attention to the specific needs of small farmers. Mary Mwaniki Foundation (MMF) has taken up the challenge of increasing awareness among policy decision-makers and the general public about the plight of persons with disabilities, particularly those with disabilities resulting from Spinal Cord Injuries (SCIs). Pilot activities have been initiated to empower persons with spinal cord injuries and its related disabilities, including women, and make them economically self-reliant by developing their self-confidence and skills to become independent, small-scale entrepreneurs.

The Mary Mwaniki Foundation provides regional and country-level support for the implementation of the Kenya Disability Act, 2003 and the United Nations Declaration on Disability Rights. As part of these efforts, MMF’s regional office situated at Union Towers, 11th Floor along Moi Avenue in Nairobi endeavors to provide technical assistance and coordination in pilot project activities aimed at small-scale enterprise development by disabled persons and their self-help groups, based upon mushroom production, processing and marketing; biodiesel or green energy production and value chain addition; poultry husbandry; beading, ornament, jewelery and decoration; soap and shampoo making; market-stalls-based retailing; tailoring and dress-making and other functional vocational activities suitable for persons with disabilities. The Organization further seeks collaboration linkages with other service providers in providing technical assistance including provision of agro-processing technologies adapted to the needs of physically and mentally-disabled small-scale farmers to help them become rural small-scale entrepreneurs. Technical assistance is also sought in skills training and knowledge transfer required in order for the persons with disability to adapt to new lifestyles away from their former functionalities.

MMF promotes enterprise development by disabled persons in the Kenya, in collaboration with national government through its legitimate disability empowerment organs including the National Fund for the Disabled; National Council for Persons with Disability; Association of the Physically Disabled Persons of Kenya; United Disabled Persons of Kenya and the Ministry of Gender and Social Services – as an umbrella body. Linkages is also sought and developed between the Foundation and the international non-governmental organizations, development partners and self-help groups of persons with disabilities across Kenya through their regional bodies.

The Training Program
“Micro-Enterprise Development training of disabled” has been developed to assist MMF members and other disability support and planning organizations in the training of disabled persons on small-scale enterprise development and small business management. It applies the lessons learned from various similar interventions implemented by Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in Ghana and Zambia and the FAO’s technical assistance on the project “Mushroom production training for disabled people” in northeast Thailand, as well as from the “Poverty alleviation through market generated rural employment” project that was jointly implemented with the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). Better known as Success Case Replication (SCR), the latter project tested a methodology to replicate successful experiences in village-level, micro-enterprise development by small farmers in eight Asian countries. This training program has therefore adapted the SCR methodology to the needs of Kenya’s persons with disabilities, with emphasis on persons with spinal cord injuries and paralysis. This training manual is a practical tool for pilot activities, by MMF and other interested Disability Planning Organizations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Kenya and other developing countries to empower people with disabilities as part of the implementation of the Biwako Framework commitments. It provides an adapted SCR methodology, references and check-lists, and identifies resources for use by specialized training centers, village development workers and other trainers on self-employment of disabled persons as small-scale rural entrepreneurs.

Training Objectives
The objectives and priorities in training people with disabilities for enterprise development are:
1. To improve their daily living skills
2. To impart technical capabilities and capacities
3. To develop entrepreneurial skills and lifestyles
4. To establish a network and strategic partnerships for improved access to productive resources

Trainee selection procedure
The following selection criteria will guide the trainee selection process:

Identification of the candidates:
The names and addresses of persons with disabilities registered with the National Spinal Cord Injuries Centre and other Disability Planning Organizations in Kenya will be sought and all individuals in these data banks contacted either by way of short message service or direct phone calls. Radio and newspaper announcements will also be used to invite candidates for training on enterprise development. Information on training will be provided to disabled persons located in the remotest rural areas and who for unavoidable reasons may not be able to attend the planned training.

Pre-selection:
The disabled person’s age and type of disability shall then be verified. Ideally, the age should be between 19 and 35 years. Persons with multiple disabilities may have difficulties following a training course because of limited mobility and their capability for active participation must be verified. Candidates with basic literacy will also, generally speaking, find the training course more enjoyable and easier to understand; they are also more likely to succeed and, therefore, may be given priority.

Diversity of location:
Care will be taken to avoid market saturation. A diversity of locations for training in the same type of enterprise is necessary. Moreover, if trainees are selected from different locations, they will have the opportunity to replicate their enterprise and become trainers in their community.

Each candidate visited at home:
Trainers and project field staff shall seek to meet each candidate at his or her home. This will allow trainers to verify if the candidate has family and community support, as well as the financial and other material resources for establishing the new enterprise.

Verification of commitment:
Trainers will check the will and commitment of the trainees and their families to attend the training course. This is especially true when the trainee has to leave home to attend the training which may last for several days or even months depending on the trainees’ entry levels.

Verification of motivation:
Trainers and their host agencies will have to make sure that the candidates are highly motivated to learn about enterprise development and new skills.

Verification of availability:
Trainers must make sure that the candidate is capable, committed and ready to leave home to learn. In case of a person with multiple disabilities, a family member may have to accompany the trainee.

Final selection:
Trainers will then sit together and evaluate each candidate, decide whether or not a candidate should be selected, and justify their decision. This will ensure impartial and objective selection. Trainers must always keep in mind that the training is not only for enterprise development but should also serve as a re–education of the disabled towards their full integration as active and self-reliant participants in society. This is in fulfillment of MMF’s purpose statement of supporting persons with spinal injuries and physical disabilities towards fulfilled livelihoods.

Size of the training group
The number of trainees will depend on the number of trainers. A ratio of 5 to 1 or 10 to 1 has been shown to be successful. With only five or ten interns at maximum, it is possible for a trainer to better understand the physical, psychological and emotional needs of the trainees. The trainer should always keep in mind that the training programme is not only for enterprise development but also for self-motivation and confidence-building to ensure that the disabled person- turned entrepreneur can be an active and self-reliant participant in community development. And above all developmental needs of a disabled person be able to conquer disability in his/her mind.

Training & Skills Building Course Content
Small-scale enterprise development
1. Before setting up a small-scale enterprise
a. Deal with specific challenges
b. Choose the right business
c. Review market demand and the competition
d. Check seasonability
e. Decide on business size
f. Identify the location
g. Check availability of raw material
h. Identify funding
i. Review the market
j. Check feasibility before starting the enterprise
k. Check profit and loss (feasibility checklist)
l. Avoid common mistakes

2. Preparing to start the business: Basic and unavoidable steps
1. Secure funding
2. Open bank account
3. Identify precise location for the enterprise
4. Build or renovate the needed structure or building
5. Arrange necessary infrastructure
6. Request permits (if necessary)
7. Purchase and adapt necessary tools, equipment and assistive devices
8. Identify suppliers of raw material and consumables
9. Start production
10. Control quality
11. Devise marketing and sales strategies

3. Managing the business: A profit-making business
• Keeping clear records
• Verifying profit and loss
• Managing cash flow
! Purchase of raw material
! Payment for utilities (electricity, water, etc)
! Repair of broken equipment
! Payment for extra labor
! Repayment of the loan
! Replacement of tools and material.
• Maintaining tools, equipment and buildings
• Reviewing the market regularly
• Expanding the business wisely

Basic Book-Keeping Skills for Small Businesses
This course is intended to help micro-entrepreneurs to learn how to use their numeracy skills in improving their businesses. The course is designed to benefit semi-illiterate people in simple book-keeping and business management skills. It targets people with disabilities working either as sole-proprietors, partners, or self-help groups. Using experiential, participatory and Didactive lessons, the following contents are covered:
 Lesson 1: The Importance of Book-keeping
 Lesson 2: The use of symbols in book-keeping
 Lesson 3: Income and expenditure
 Lesson 4: The use of the cash book
 Lesson 5: Profit and loss
 Lesson 6: How to use the profit
 Lesson 7: Buying and selling on credit
 Lesson 8: Costing and pricing
 Lesson 9: Business Planning
 Lesson 10: Small Business Management

OUR MPs BLEEDING POOR UNEMPLOYED KENYANS.

In a move that is sure to cause outrage among Kenyans (and that takes us back to the origins of Mzalendo), Kenyan MP have unanimously approved the Akiwumi PSC report which recommends higher salaries and increased perks for MPs. It does not escape our attention that vote precedes the referendum vote in August and that the new constitution will eliminate tax-free allowances and arbitrary salary increases for MPs.

MP Walter Nyambati defended the review of the report recommendations, “saying the Commission increased the perks to ensure that the salaries of MPs are not reduced since the proposed Constitution declares null and void any law that exempts the allowances of MPs.”

Among other things, the report:

•Raises MP salaries from Sh851, 000 ($10,411.82) to Sh1.1 million ($13,455.76) per month
•Proposes that the Speaker be entitled to a sitting allowance of Sh30,000 up from Sh10,000 while MPs will take home Sh10,000 up from Sh5,000 for each sitting.
•Proposes that the mortgage for the MPs be raised from the maximum Sh15 million to Sh20 million.
•Those MPs who do not make it back to Parliament after elections will enjoy a lifetime pension of Sh100, 000 monthly.
•Car maintenance allowance to be increased from Kshs 95,000 per month to Kshs 75,000
•A Kshs 140,000 tax-exempt house allowance

•Increment of maternity cover to Kshs 500,000 from Kshs 100,000 per family
•Increased Maternity Leave pay of Kshs 60,000 per month for three months
•A new Kshs 30,000 Paternity Leave pay
•Group Life and Personal Accident cover of Kshs 10,622,200 to extend to death by natural causes, and not limited to through accident
•Speaker pension of Kshs 1.2 million for every year worked and a Kshs 6 million “winding up allowance.”
•Kshs 75,000 per month to all former MPs without pension
•Kshs 336,000 “controversial allowance” in mileage claims

Be there for Someone who Needs you most

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PEER COUNSELING & HIV/AIDS SUPPORT GROUP FACILITATION

PARENTS RESCUE ORPHAN PREVENTION STRATEGY (PROPS)

SEMINAR PAPER

PEER COUNSELING AND SELF-HELP GROUP FACILITATION FOR VULNERABLE GROUPS

Prepared By: Richard Bonyo, HAPAP Field Officer (M & E)

Contents

CHAPTER I: PEER COUNSELING SKILLS

• Essential Concepts in Peer Counseling and Self-help Group Facilitation
• Coping as a Peer Counselor and Self-help Group Facilitator
• Techniques to Use as a Peer Counselor

CHAPTER II: SELF-HELP GROUPS

• Self-help Group Goals
• Self-help Group Ground Rules
• Self-help Group Agenda
• Self-help Group Activities

INTRODUCTION

What is peer counseling?

Peer counseling refers to people who share certain commonness or who have certain common bonds helping each other by listening, sharing common experiences, exploring options and giving support. Peer counseling is based on communication, empathy and understanding. People who share common experiences, feelings and of certain similar age sets can provide peer counseling in a variety of settings including one to one or in a self-help group.

What happens in a self-help group?

When peers meet together in a self-help group setting, it is often helpful to have a peer counselor who can help the group in a variety of ways. Even though self-help groups are not meant to be led by anyone, the peer counselor can assist in creating a safe and comfortable environment, giving all members an opportunity to share and helping individuals better communicate with and listen to each other.

A peer counselor assists in setting group goals, develops an agenda and keeps the members on track. He or she can also be a resource for referrals to community services and support networks when the support group is unable to handle a difficult issue or an individual member needs more in depth therapy or professional assistance.

How can I use this manual?

This manual is intended to provide peer counselors involved in self-help or post-test groups with valuable information to increase their competence in group dynamics and communication skills. It also provides practical information on how to facilitate a self-help group, including ideas for agendas and group activities.

How do self-help or post-test groups and peer counseling work together?

Self-help or post-test groups are not meant to take the place of peer counseling. While professionals may be able to assist vulnerable groups, especially PLWHA to developing coping techniques for positive living, self-help groups can provide a safe place where people who share commonness are able to share their feelings and know that they are not alone. Self-help groups also allow individuals to develop self-esteem by helping themselves and others at the same time.

How can I find out more about self-help groups?

In addition to this manual, there are local resources that can help you know more. Go to your local of the Ministry of Culture and Social Services, Ministry of Health, particularly the Comprehensive Care Centers or Visit local NGOs and CBOs or call HAPAP.

CHAPTER I: PEER COUNSELING SKILLS

• Essential Concepts in Peer Counseling and Self-help Group Facilitation
• Coping as a Peer Counselor and Self-help Group Facilitator
• Techniques to Use as a Peer Counselor

Introduction:

Each self-help and or support group is different. A peer counselor uses each member’s unique issues and qualities to make every meeting different and interesting. The flavor of the group depends on the personality of the peer counselor as well as its members'. However, there are some basic concepts and experiences that are common to self-help groups. These are shared below.

Shared Experiences:

Successful self-help or support group involves shared experiences between the peer counselor and the member. A PERSON Living with HIV/AIDs is the expert on his or her own experiences, motivations and feelings. The peer counselor has similar experiences that may help to explore coping strategies, behavior change and personal issues among positives and those affected by HIV infection.

Structure:

Self-help groups should provide a safe and comfortable opportunity for all members to share ideas, experiences and feelings regarding their respective conditions and emergent circumstances they find themselves as a result of their health, social, economical and cultural conditions. Members are encouraged to share their experiences giving them a better chance to understand each other’s feelings and concerns and how each member successfully and unsuccessfully handled his/her experiences. In order to better facilitate participation, all members must be given an equal opportunity to speak without interruption. Consideration must also be given to the self-help group's agenda and keeping on task.

Group Size:

The maximum number is more critical than the minimum number for member sharing. Five to seven is a good size; ten to fifteen should be the upper limit. Ten members divided by an hour of group time works out to six minutes each--not much time for a member to talk about his or her life. However, even when a member is not sharing there is still much learning taking place. The peer counselor may decide to close the self-help group meeting to "X" number of participants. Also when a new member joins the self-help group, the peer counselor must set aside time to inform him or her about the rules of the self-help group including confidentiality.

Peer Counselor's Role:

Self-help group facilitation is the approach taken which calls upon the peer counselor to follow the members' lead as they address issues. Peer counselor can open, maintain and close discussions, and if necessary, remind members that all must have an equal opportunity to share feelings. Peer counselors can also help members explore feelings and behaviors brought up in self-help group discussion more deeply.

Context:

Peer counseling efficacy will be improved when peer counselors are able to bring forth and explore the context by which members address personal issues affecting them emotionally, socially, psychologically or even at more private level and how these influence or affect their own behavior.

Information alone does not lead to behavior change:

Behavior change is a complex process. Providing information as the sole or main intervention is generally not sufficient to lead to changed behaviors. Peer counseling in a self-help or support group set-up is needed to integrate information with hands-on experiences that are crucial in challenging people’s own feelings, attitudes and judgment regarding various issues common to members of the group.

Qualities of Effective Peer Counselor:

1. Neutral stance: It is appropriate for peer counselors to take a neutral stance when addressing ambiguous information from members and to maintain a non-judgmental manner when discussing speech therapy or personal behaviors.

2. Options: Effective peer counselors and peer counseling process offers options not directives.

3. Feelings are Powerful: Feelings are a powerful part of everyone's experience. The peer counselor cannot take away a person's feelings or "THINK I CAN FIX" another's feelings.

4. Limitations: It is important for peer counselors to recognize the limitations of their role and act accordingly.

NB: Within the structure of the self-help group meeting some things are beyond the scope of the peer counselors experience. Peer counselors need to understand this and be confident he or she can refer the member to appropriate resources.

COPING AS A PEER COUNSELOR AND SELF-HELP GROUP FACILITATOR

1. "Know where you begin and end, and where the member begins and ends".

2. Take time to assess your own feelings -- think about how feelings affect your peer counseling and your role as a self-help group facilitator. For example do they:

a. Allow you to feel more genuine?

b. Leave you feeling resentful and less willing to provide peer counseling?

c. Frighten you?

d. Reassure you? or

e. Make you feel inadequate as a peer counselor?

3. Recognize signals of stress while in the self-help group such as feeling uncomfortably involved with a member's problems, over-extending yourself beyond the peer role, feeling hopeless or conversely more powerful in a situation than is realistic or appropriate or taking on commitments for members that are beyond appropriate tasks.
4. Recognize signals of stress beyond the self-help group, such as obsessing about family or work or feelings of frustration or disappointment.
5. Identify resources, which support you such as consultation with peers or varying responsibilities in the self-help group including sharing facilitation.

TECHNIQUES TO USE AS A PEER COUNSELOR

Listening and communication skills make up the major part of good peer counseling. Below are techniques to use which can improve your listening and communication skills and help you deal with problems, which might arise in your self-help group. The more you practice, the better you will get at peer counseling.

1. Open-Ended Questions

You will want to use open-ended questions to keep group conversation moving and probe deeper into topics and feelings raised by self-help group members. A "closed" question can be answered with "yes" or "no" or a simple statement of fact. An open-ended question requires other information to be answered.
Example:
Closed: "At what age did you first test for HIV?

Open: "What was going on in your life when you first started thinking of going for HIV Counseling and testing?"

Benefits of open-ended questions:

• Reveal deeper and more personal issues
• Allow for more peer centered support
• Involve the person more actively in the self-help group

Drawback of open-ended questions:

• May take more time to get information
• May open up difficult or challenging issues that are not easily addressed in the self-help group.

2. Active Listening

"Active listening techniques" include engaging and responding to the person based on something he or she has expressed, either in words, or in non-verbal actions or behavior or through body language.

Not recommended:

Repeating words should be used sparingly. This is not actually an active listening technique. Repeating does not give a person a sense of being listened to.

Client: "When I'm about to speak I get nervous and immediately withdraws. It really upsets me."

Peer Counselor: "This just really upsets you."

Recommended:
Paraphrasing, that is saying what the person has said, using different words.
Client: "When I'm about to speak I get nervous and immediately withdraws. It really upsets me.
Peer Counselor: "It's very distressing."

3. Reflecting:

Expanding on the topic, adding in an acknowledgment or exploration of feelings or unstated thoughts.

Client: "When I'm about to speak I get nervous and immediately withdraw. It really upsets me.
Peer Counselor: "Yes, I can see that and I wonder if you might be angry about it, too."

4. Interest:

Expressing genuine interest in the circumstances and feelings of a client and inviting further disclosure.
Client: "When I'm about to speak I get nervous and immediately withdraw. It really upsets me."
Peer Counselor: "Help me understand what it is like for you when you go through this experience. Can you give me a picture of what a really happens leading to withdrawal-how you feel when you start speaking, what happens once you're aware of these thoughts or "how do you feel upset?"

5. Reframing:

Offering an alternative way of looking at a situation, usually one that is more constructive and positive.
Client: "When I'm about to speak I get nervous and immediately withdraw. It really upsets me."
Peer Counselor: "Yes, you're miles ahead of someone who does not have those feelings and isn't willing to be aware of them. And being upset about your nervousness to speak is a good sign because it means your instinct to take care of yourself is really kicking in."

6. Interpretation:

Making some inference that has not been clearly expressed by the client. This is a more advanced skill, best left to trained professional therapists. Additionally, while interpretation is an important technique in therapy, it has less applicability in the self-help group. Even skillful peer counselors usually don't know enough to make successful interpretations. Simply, don't analyze the motivations of others.
Client: "When I'm about to speak I get nervous and immediately withdraw. It really upsets me."
Peer Counselor: Perhaps what is really upsetting you is the guilt and shame you feel about situation."

7. Process:

This skill involves listening; reframing and expanding what the client said musing a question.
Client: "When I'm about to speak I get nervous and immediately withdraw. It really upsets me."
Peer Counselor: "How come this upsets you?"

Client: "I feel stupid and condemned?"

Peer Counselor: "How come you feel stupid and condemned."

Client: "I really don't know when to start opening up to my peers and peer counselor?"

Peer Counselor: "You don't quite know how to begin....

Client: "I don't know if this group is worth it?"

Peer Counselor: "You feel?"

Client: "I don't know who is good as a true friend with whom I can freely share my feelings and experiences?"
Peer Counselor: "You're unsure of the kind of a friend or a group where you truly feel part of?"

Client: Yes

Peer Counselor: what constitute a good friend or a worthwhile group to you?

8. Attending Behavior:

This skill involves eye contact, posture and verbal and non-verbal cues. Eye contact may vary from person to person. So a peer counselor can't assume because a person doesn't look at you in the eye that she or he is hiding something.

What posture should a peer counselor take? Whatever posture is comfortable for you. Be you.

Are there verbal and non-verbal cues peer counselor can use? Try "us/huh" "hmmm." Also non- verbal cues are smiling, looking puzzled, nodding, or leaning forward in interest. Be you.

9. Summation:

This is a combination of one or more phrases and includes a reflection of feelings. A peer counselor ties together content and feelings and tries to put things in perspective and identifies important trends, conflicts and possible decisions. Peer counselors must be aware of the biggest danger: DISTORTION. Therefore, check periodically with your member for accuracy. Also, be prepared to focus on the positive aspects of the situation and don't feed into the negative aspects.

Problem Solving in Peer Counseling Situation

If a problem arises between group members, here are a few hints for how a peer counselor could handle the situation:

1. Identify feelings of members using the techniques outlined above.

2. Defuse the situation and encourage "airing out" of feelings

A common problem in self-help groups is that one group member is especially judgmental or monopolizes the self-help group. A peer counselor may follow these suggestions:

1. Talk with the person outside of group about your feelings and perception.

2. Discuss options regarding how to maintain a supportive environment.

3. Come to a joint resolution on how each person is an important support to another

3. Awareness: Maintain your awareness of feelings. This alone may not be enough to keep difficulties from arising in the meeting.

4. Observation: Acknowledge the feelings.

5. Peer Consultation: Share experience with colleagues and express your frustration, as well as gathering information for dealing with such situations.

6. Mentoring: Share experience with a more experienced colleague especially if there is a continuing issue with an ongoing member.

7. Referral: If your feelings are strong and interfering with ability to provide "good" peer counseling and after consultation the situation has not improved. Recommendation: Refer this member to another support group, seek professional assistance or ask members' from the self-help group a consensus on the situation.

What if a self-help group facilitator runs out of things to say?

Set an environment that allows the members lead and you follow. Check in with members as to how they are feeling or what they want to do next. Remember you are the facilitator not a group leader and do not need to control the conversation. As a peer counselor, ask questions that may increase knowledge of your members' concerns. Go with the flow of the conversation and avoid changing subjects just to fit into the agenda if the conversation is productive.

CHAPTER II: SELF-HELP GROUPS

• Self-help Group Goals
• Self-help Group Ground Rules
• Self-help Group Agenda
• Self-help Group Activities

SELF-HELP GROUP GOALS

Suggestion: Self-help support groups serve a variety of goals. Some of them are listed below. These can range from providing personal support and encouragement to providing advocacy, education and outreach to your local community. You can work with your group to set its own goals.

Ø Teach each other about HIV/AIDS: Its basic facts and prevention measures

Ø Teach each other about how HIV affects each one of us

Ø Help members feel better about themselves regardless of their HIV status

Ø Validate members' experiences and feelings and create a safety net for members

Ø Help members identify, understand and express their feelings

Ø Build self-confidence and self esteem

Ø Help members build a personal support system

Ø Help members learn how to have fun

Ø Teach stress management techniques

Ø Provide opportunities for members to help their peers

Ø Create a safe place to talk about feelings

Ø Help members identify what they need for themselves

Ø Help members realize that they aren't the only ones with this problem

Ø Strengthen coping skills

Ø Help members find ways to deal with their painful feelings

Ø Help members to trust others and if necessary explore obstacles which inhibit trusting

Ø Encourage intimacy and bonding within the support group

Ø Host workshops and lesson sharing sessions

Ø Conduct regular community outreach activities

SELF-HELP GROUP GROUND RULES

Here are some basic ideas for ground rules for self-help group meetings. You can hand these out at meetings, add to these or develop your own with the group.

(a) Cooperation: Cooperation is essential. Take care of yourself and others. Remember, these are learned and gradually developed skills.

(b) Group safety: Everyone's feelings of safety and comfort are top priorities in the group. "Negative" feelings such as boredom can serve a positive group function if expressed with concern.

(c) Expression of Feelings: To share feelings safely, make "I" statements: "I feel" or "I want..."

(d) Use of Time: When working on an issue or providing support, be brief and specific. Use the time as efficiently as possible.

(e) Identifying Needs: Learn to identify what you really want: nurturing, support, information, etc. Don't accept help that isn't exactly what you want.

(f) Confidentiality: It is essential that what occur in the group remains in the group. In practice, there are many limitations to confidentiality, both individual and institutional. It is important that both the principle of confidentiality and the realistic limitations be acknowledged.

^(g) Commitment to Change: Work in the self-help group is often most effective when it includes a commitment to action to improve oneself. Ask: "What can be done to change the situation?" "How can we help each other?" Where can we go from here?"

^(h) Celebration: Give priority self-help group time to celebrate success.

SELF-HELP GROUP AGENDA

Meeting formats for self-help groups range from loosely structured to more formally structured meetings. The following activities are common to many meetings and can be used as a guide for structuring your self-help group.

(a) Announcements: Any information about community or national activities is shared with the self-help group members. Peer counselor may call individual members to make own or group announcements;

(b) Leftover feelings: Any feelings (appreciation, resentments, fears, etc.) or realizations from the previous meeting are expressed in order to clear away old feelings and enable everyone to be present and effectively participate in the present meeting.

(c) Formal Opening of Meeting: At the agreed upon time, the meeting should be called to order by the facilitator. A welcoming statement such as, "XYZ Self Help Group is dedicated to empowering people who Living Positively with HIV/AIDs to share through self-help in a safe and comfortable environment". Members are thus encouraged to freely and confidently share their respective feelings, painful and or enjoyable experiences and any other issue that will benefit all other members in seeking to live positive and productive lifestyles.

(d) Check-in: Members express how they are feeling (excited, anxious, sad etc.) and whether they wish to use time in the meeting. It is essential that each member check-in with other group members.

(e) Activities/Discussion: At each meeting the peer counselor has two tasks:

i. To facilitate a self-help group activity or discussion and

^ii. To keep time to ensure all members who wish to speak have time to do so.

(f) Wrap-up: The self-help group reserves five to ten minutes at the end for closing that includes appreciation and criticism.

(g) Refreshments can be served at a break or after the meeting, providing time for informal conversation and further network building.

SELF-HELP GROUP ACTIVITIES

It often helps if the peer counselor has an activity or discussion topic planned for each meeting. Ideas can come from members or can be taken from the suggestions below. Some of these ideas can be completed in one meeting and others may need to be completed over a series of meetings. If you have other good ideas that have worked in your own support groups, please send them to:

Richard Bonyo, HAPAP Field Officer: Email: ochieng_bonyo@yahoo.com/ info@brandsons.co.ke

(a) Topic: Introductions

Goal: Establish group rapport

Activity: Getting to know each other

Pair members in the group--preferably with someone they don't know very well and instruct members to ask each other the following questions:

Name, when or where you were born? What one word describes you best? How do you feel about your HIV status? What do you like about your status or what does your status show you? What bugs you about your status? Ask members if they want to share what they have learned about the other person.

(b) Topic: Personal History

Goal: Validate personal experience

Activity: Discuss my social history

Pass out a piece of paper and markers and give members an entire meeting to draw a chronological history of their lives --from when they were born to the present. This is a time line. Beginning with birth, describe some of your memories relating to your sexual behavior, describing each situation noting on the time line when it occurred. Members share their time line in the group.

(c) Topic: Personal Awareness

Goal: Increase personal awareness

Activity: Discuss my feelings

i. Begin the meeting by asking members to name as many feelings as they can--such as: A time I felt angry was; A time I felt happy was; A time I felt scared was; A time I felt guilty was; and A time I felt ……………. was, etc. and members share.

ii. Discuss how you feel when feel that people are focusing at your life so much or they gossip at you.

iii. Discuss a response that a person made about your status and how you responded to him or her.

iv. Homework assignment: Keep a journal for one to three weeks that focuses on how you perceive your HIV status in various situations. For example you might use a chart with the following headings: Day/Time; Situation/Setting; Activity; Reactions of other

v. My thoughts and feelings; and consequences. Have members share their experiences.

vi. Discuss three situations where your stuttering stopped you from expressing what you wanted.

(d) Topic: HIV/AIDS Information

Goal: Discuss HIV/AIDs therapy

Activity: Group discussion about your experiences in HIV/AIDS therapy

Ø Members share their experiences from group events in HIV/AIDS therapy.

Ø Members share their understanding on the causes of HIV/AIDS. Use available resources in your community such as the library, another client, a VCT Counselor, or your partner to explore basic facts on HIV/AIDS

Ø Identify and explain critical steps before, during and after HIV Counseling and testing.

(e) Topic: Defensiveness

Goal: Identify how you protect yourself from being hurt

Activity: My other side

Ø Members share one defense mechanism easy to talk about. Then discuss one defense mechanism difficult to talk about.

Ø Ask members to discuss something they have never before disclosed about their status.

Ø Discuss how your HIV status affected your expectations in personal relationships, marriage, education and employment opportunities

(f) Topic: Self Esteem

Goal: Increase self-esteem

Activity: Discuss I, Me and Myself

(a) Ask members to discuss their personal feelings about the following topics:

1. What is my attitude toward and perception of myself?

2. What is my attitude toward my status?

3. What do I think of myself as a HIV+?

(b) Ask members to share their thoughts on self-esteem with other members.

(c) Using experiences from your life, discuss examples of being passive, being assertive, being powerless and feeling powerful.

(d) Ask members to discuss qualities about themselves that increase their self-esteem. Members share their qualities.

(e) Pass Out a piece of paper and pencil and ask members to create a song or a poem for the group on "My self-esteem". After each member reads a song or a poem, the members share the experience.

(f) Ask members to discuss personal rights and their importance. Use large newspaper size blank paper. Ask members to create a list of personal rights. Members share their experience.

(g) Group members discuss the concept of physical and emotional needs. Ask members to discuss what physical needs he or she may have including, such as food, shelter and clothing. Then discuss what human needs he or she may have in order to be emotionally healthy. These needs can include being loved, giving love, feeling appreciated, and being safe. Ask members to discuss: My own needs-- Met and Unmet.

(h) Ask members to discuss: "shame and self talk." Self-talk is the dialogue that goes on in your mind in any given situation.

(i) Discuss three personal goals you wish to accomplish and when.

(j) At your support group meeting discuss the following handout (copy this page):

"Rules for Being Human: Philosophical Consideration”

You will receive a body you may like it or hate it, but it will be yours for the entire period this time around.

You will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full time informal school called life. Each day in this school you will have the opportunity to learn lessons. You may like the lessons or think them irrelevant and stupid

There are no mistakes, only lessons. Growth is a process of trial and error and experimentation. The "failed" experiments are as much a part of the process as the experiment that ultimately "works".

A lesson is repeated until learned. A lesson will be presented to you in various forms until you have learned it. When you have learned it, you can then go on to the next lesson.

Learning lessons does not end There is no part of life that does not contain its lessons. If you are alive, there are lessons to be learned.

"There" is no better than "here". When your "there" has become a "here" you will simply obtain another "there" that will again look better than "here".

What you make of your life is up to you. You have all the tools and resources you need What you make of them is up to you. The choice is yours.

Your answers lie inside you. The answers to life 's questions lie ins ide you. All you have to do is look, listen and trust

You will forget all this.

(g) Topic. Family Relations

Goal: Increase understanding of family dynamics

Activity: My family relations

Ø Pass out a large piece of paper and color markers and ask members to draw expressive faces of each member of their family; partner, children, mother, father and siblings. And then next to each face write down your feelings. Members share what they drew and wrote with the group.

Ø Pass out a piece of paper and pencil and ask members to write a letter to parents and/or partner describing how HIV affects them and what they need. These letters are not sent. However, the letters are destroyed in a ritualistic fashion. If members want to share their feelings-they can.

(h) Topic: Coping

Goal: Develop coping skills about your HIV Status

Activity: How to take care of me

Ø Ask members to discuss as specifically as possible how their status bothers them? Then discuss what strengths they may have developed as a result of having tested either HIV+ or HIV-.

Ø Ask members to role-play situation when they did not say or do what they used to do in order not to disclose their status. Has anyone been in this type of situation before? Was it difficult or easy to handle? Try to learn to say what you mean. The peer counselor may ask members who agreed to role-play to leave the circle to develop a skit for the group. Theatrical props can be used. After the role-play members discuss how they can learn to say or do what they mean.

Ø Discuss how your status affects your decisions and whether being either positive or negative interferes with your final decisions. For example, talk about jobs, relationships, child upbringing and social activities.

Ø Pass out a piece of paper and pencil and develop a self-questionnaire that focuses on: How does HIV/AIDs affect me? Share your questions with others in the support group.

(i) Topic: Stress

Goal: Teach stress management

Activity: Stress reduction exercises

Ø Discuss how stress affects your personal and career life and what activities you do to relieve your stress. Do you consider taking an aerobic exercise class, hiking, challenge yourself in hobbies, social activities or solitary activities? These are just a few. Have each member, who wants to, commit to do something for him/herself to relieve stress during the upcoming week and tell the group what it is.

Ø This is for those peer counselors who want to try something that's different for a group activity. Use your community resources and request the following professionals to assist your group:

o Acupuncturist-- try this eastern health technique for muscle strain, tension reduction, and more

o Brazilian or Afro-Haitian Dance-- aerobic exercise with a special kick and movements to invigorating music

o Art Therapy-- access the wisdom of your right brain through an art project

o Creative Movement-- meditation and movements that help relax and replenish

o Improvisational Theater-- games and exercises that look at life, relationships and healing

o Massage and Acupressure-- experience the healing power of massage and learn pressure points to relieve tension

o Buy a relaxation tape and a book to take members on a visualization exercise.⁴

(j) Topic: Letting Go

Goal: Separation

Activity: Letting go of the trauma of HIV/AIDs and ushering in full life.

Ø Members share their experiences of relapse.

Ø On a large piece of paper make two columns. Label one "client" and the other "peer counselor." List and discuss whether the two are the same or different.

Ø Discuss the following statement on letting go.

• To let go" is not to try to change or blame another, It's to make the most of myself.
• To "let go" is not take care of, but to care about.
• To "let go" is not to judge, but to allow another to be an imperfect human being
• To "let go" is not to be in the middle arranging all the outcomes, but allowing others to create their own tutors.
• To "let go" is not to deny, but to accept.
• To "let go" is not to adjust everything to my desires, but to take each day as it comes, and cherish myself in it.
• To "let go" is not to criticize and manipulate anyone, but to try to become the person I am meant to be.
• To "let go" is to fear less, and love more,⁵

Members share how "letting go" applies to them.

(k) Topic: Support System

Goal: Increase members’ support system

Activity: You are not alone

Ø Pass out a piece of paper and pencil and make a list of your support system. "Whom do I talk to if I have a problem?" "Relapse?" Share your list with the group. Discuss ways members can increase their support network.

(l) Topic: Speaking Circles

Goal: Opportunity to practice speaking in public

Activity: Letting Go: Live and Let Live

References

1. Adapted from handout "Self-help Group Ground Rules", Support Group Training Project, Oakland, Ca.

2. Adapted from "Peer Support Group Structure" Support Group Training Project. Oakland, Ca.

3. Adapted from Handout "Discuss Rules for Being Human at Care for the HIV Care giver Workshop, 4/26/96. East Oakland Recovery Project. Oakland, Ca.

4. Handout from flyer "Care for the HIV Caregiver Workshop 4/26/96. East Oakland Recovery Project

5. Adapted from flyer "Letting Go", Kairos, San Francisco, Ca.