TEAM TALK

WHAT IS TEAM TALK?

In the year 2000, the UN listed 8 Millennium Development Goals (MDG) to be achieved by 2015.  Since 2011 Team Talk has been using innovative ways to promote gender equality and empower women and encourage girls to remain in primary education- addressing the second and third MDGs:

2. Achieve universal access to Primary Education. 3. Promote gender equality and empower women

There is still plenty of work to be done to address these goals.  In rural Kenya there is little gender parity in primary education and many fewer girls access secondary education. In 2011 many girls in this region were leaving primary school early to be married or after becoming pregnant.

Team Talk takes a fresh approach by using TAG rugby alongside classroom sessions to address gender equality in rural Kenyan schools. Team Talk started at the request of community elders in the Westgate and Ntalabany regions in 2011. It has since expanded into schools in Lakipia, Mweiga and the Mara and works alongside the Mukogodo Girls Empowerment Program.

A complete overview of Team Talk is available in pdf format here.

WHAT & WHY?

We run TAG rugby alongside education sessions in primary schools to help the boys and girls to play together, they develop teamwork and a mutual understanding of each other. Team Talk seeks to directly improve the lives of girls, enabling them to be aspirational and play a fuller role in the family and the wider community. The boys develop a greater level of respect for the girls.

Women and girls are significantly disadvantaged within many rural communities and improving female education and self-confidence are key to long-term family prosperity, health and well-being.

In this region of Kenya in 2011 between a third and half of all girls drop out of education between the ages of 12 and 17, primarily due to marriage and pregnancy.

HOW DOES TEAM TALK WORK?

We use sport to encourage girls and boys to play together, they develop new skills
simultaneously and recognise the benefits of teamwork.

After initially contacting the community leaders and school headteachers we organise a Team Talk team visit. Our team is made up of four Kenyan coaches often with volunteers from the UK spend a week in the school. After a series of TAG rugby sessions and classroom education sessions the week culminates in a large tournament to which the wider community are invited.  The pupils enjoy the opportunity to compete in mixed team and it provides an opportunity for the team to thank the school teachers and school management for allowing us to visit.

After the initial Team Talk visit our Kenyan team make regular follow up visits to the school to encourage teaching staff and continue to deliver classroom and Tag rugby sessions.

WHY TAG RUGBY?

TAG rugby is little known among the communities in this region of Kenya. This allows the team to introduce the game to both boys and girls so that they develop similar skill levels within the week. The Team are able to introduce an exciting and enjoyable opportunity for all the pupils to build self-confidence, develop better communication skills and improve teamwork. Everyone joins in.

Alongside each TAG rugby game is an integrated education session. These often use team building games to help the boys and girls working together and recognise the strengths of each member of the community.

Sustainable change takes time, and this sensitive approach is:

  • Appreciated by the community elders and women themselves.

  • Expected to increase the participation of girls in primary education to 90% over a ten year period.

  • Will directly lead to a reduction in both early marriage and young mothers, which in turn inspires girls to seek secondary education.

TEAM TALK AIMS

  • Use TAG Rugby to encourage integration and positive relationships between boys and girls.

  • Use fun team building games and education sessions to develop mutual respect between boys and girls.

  • Empower girls and boys to strive for secondary education & challenge long standing gender stereotypes.

  • Teach boys and girls the importance of sexual health & challenge attitudes to the opposite sex.

WHERE DOES TEAM TALK WORK?

Team Talk often works in conjunction with, and with the support of, conservancies. We started Team Talk in 2011 at Lewa Conservancy about an hour north of Mount Kenya. We have worked in 13 schools in Laikipia, Westgate, Mweiga and Mara.

So far we have worked in the following schools (Map View):

Ntalabany Primary School, Lewa | Leparua, Lewa | Lpus Lelua, Westgate | Ngutuk Ongiron, Westgate

Ngare Ndare Primary School, Lewa | Kanyunga Primary School, Lewa | Chumvi Primary School, Timau

Eldonyo Erinka, Mara | Oloibor Murti, Mara | Ole Moncho, Mara | Laburra Secondary School, Mweiga

Lokusero Primary and Secondary School, Borana | Ereri Primary School, Ol Pejeta

THE FUTURE OF TEAM TALK & HOW YOU CAN HELP

To support the continuity of Team Talk delivery we would like to have two full time Team Talk workers in the schools all the time.
We would like to create a training facility which pupils could come to for tournaments and training.

We would like to create links with schools outside Kenyan so that children in UK schools can support the work of Team Talk with follow up visits. In the future we would like to create accommodation for visiting GAP year students. To support the work of the Kenyan Team we would like to have a vehicle to enable them to travel between the schools.

Team Talk can only operate because of generous support. You can help us roll out the project so that Team Talk and its important messages can be brought to many more schools and communities.

Our aim is to expand Team Talk into all the Lewa & Borana supported schools.

If you can help, please email  hello@endeavourmedical.co.uk