A guide to delivering Safe Circles workshops

Before the presentation

1. Pick a topic that is relevant to the children in your community and the issues that affect them.

2. Decide on the best place to deliver the workshop – this might be a school, temple, church, mosque, or community centre, but it could even be a house.

3. Decide how you will deliver the content. If possible, try to gain access to a projector and screen to deliver the presentation. If you do not have access to these, consider printing the presentation to read from. Or simply keep the presentation open on your phone to use as a guide while sharing its contents. It’s more important to share this knowledge than to have all the right tools in place.

4. Schedule a date and time for the presentation and inform the children and their caregiver (e.g. teacher/parents) to ensure the child will be present.

During the presentation and question and answer session

1. Aim to create a safe and comfortable atmosphere by speaking in a warm and inviting tone. Make sure you can be heard clearly by everyone in the room.

2. Receive all questions with appreciation and interest. Do not act surprised or distressed by any question.

3. If you are asked a question that you do not know the answer to, never make an assumption or give an inaccurate response. Instead, say that is a good question but you do not know the answer to it and that you will forward that question to a doctor. Feel free to forward any such questions to hi.safecircles@gmail.com and Dr Mihitha Basnayake will respond to you.

After the presentation

1. Some Safe Circles workshops come with activity ideas and activity sheets. Make use of these to help children absorb the messages from the presentation.

2. Some Safe Circles workshops come with classroom posters. After the presentation, put these up in the classroom or home so that the highlights of the presentation can be revisited regularly.

3. If a child comes to you to report a difficult personal experience, determine if the child is presently in danger and, if so, call the National Child Protection Authority on 1929. You can find a list of supportive resources to help with other challenges here.

Thank you for doing your part to help children live safe and empowered lives.

Do you have any further questions about delivering a Safe Circles workshop? Write to hi.safecircles@gmail.com – we would be happy to help you!