Volume 3: issue 1 of our newsletter Contents • Editors Note • KENYA: Parenting 101: Parenting styles and learning outcomes for school children • MAURITIUS: PAN Member, Halley Movement • Triple P Demystified • PAN Events: Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya and Ethiopia Round table meeting

1. PAN Digest
Volume 3, Issue 1
Your children will become what you are; so be what you want them to be – David Bly
CONTENTS
Editor’s Note
KENYA: Parenting 101: Parenting styles and learning outcomes for
school children
MAURITIUS: PAN Member, Halley Movement
Triple P Demystified
PAN Events: Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya and Ethiopia Round table meetings
Gearing up for the 2013 Conference on Parenting
Malawi PAN Country Chapter Lead, YONECO,
is hosting the 2nd pan-African Conference on Parenting 2013
THEMED: Adolescents (boys and girls) with Parenting Responsibilities
WHERE: Mangochi, Malawi
WHEN: 16 - 17 October, 2013
View Conference information here
FAQ: information for delegates coming to Mangochi, Malawi
CLICK HERE
Editor’s Note
Parenting Program. The approaches being evidence-based have
been successful in strengthening families in South America,
Europe, and Australia. The 2013, study, focuses on a wide spectrum
of parents ascaregivers of children aged 2-12.
PAN together with participating partners in the project will
present an evidence based parenting approach and further to
that, ensure that parents in selected communities in Kenya have
the necessary background information to provide expert advice
on the possibility of implementing Triple P approaches, and their
roll out.
This is all geared towards a cultural acceptability assessment on
the possibility of adapting the Triple P parenting program in an
African setting. If culturally acceptable, PAN will advocate for its
local adaptation, as well as seek funds to support its scale-up in
the region.
Be on the lookout for the launch of its findings in
early 2014! Further, in this issue, PAN interviewed
Triple P experts from United Kingdom, Canada
and Australia to demystify the approach that
shall prove valuable for many parents and
practitioners clamoring for parenting approaches
that are relevant to the modern and changing
times
Evaluating the Cultural Acceptability
and Efficacy of Group Triple P Among
Kenyan Parents
PAN, in her endeavor to explore evidence-based
approaches that provide parenting education
initiatives for the benefit of families in Africa, is
spearheading a parenting advisory/working group,
in Kenya.
Similarly, PAN’s partnership with the University of
Queensland, Australia (School of Psychology
Parenting and Family Support Centre) is underway to
investigate the perceptions of the Triple P - Positive
Enjoy the read...Sincerely,
Stella Ndugire Mbugua
Editorial Co-ordinator
Figure 1: Triple P - PAN partner and secretariat
Staff in Nairobi, during the pilot project

2. PAN KENYA CHAPTER: Parenting 101: Parenting styles and learning outcomes for school children
Shared By Irene Nyamu, PAN Member and partner
Are you, as a parent, always available for
your child? This question should jolt many
Kenyan parents, to seriously ponder and make a
deliberate choice to improve their parenting
style.
As a society, we seem to have accepted the
ATM- absentee parent syndrome as inevitable,
and we are okay with it. But we keep asking “what
has gone wrong with our young people?”
I recently came across an interesting publication by
the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC),
which I will use to illustrate my concerns. In 2010,
KNEC conducted an assessment of learner
achievement among class three pupils in public
schools. KNEC tested literacy and numeracy skills
of 7,931 class three pupils to find out if they had
indeed acquired expected skills and competencies of
this schooling level. They considered a number of factors that affect the learning outcomes such as school and classroom conditions,
the learning facilities (chalk, text books, teacher’s guides etc), teacher qualifications and competencies, school management as well as
learner characteristics and family level conditions, specifically, support for learners by parents and other family members.
“Research by KNEC, showed that alarming numbers of
house helps as well as older siblings, are the ones
helping children, from Kenyan schools, with their
homework; where are the parents?...” retorted Irene
Nyamu.
One of the findings that will shock many Kenyans is how little parents are
involved in their children’s education. In the research, nationally, 49% of the
pupils did not get any assistance with their homework at home. Of the 51%
reported getting assistance with their homework, it was provided by older
siblings for 43.3%, and 36.4% got assistance from their mothers. A paltry
17.3% of the children got help from their fathers. The most affected
provinces were North Eastern and Nyanza where 73.8 and 52.2% of the
children reported not getting any help at all. A sizeable group in urban
areas were supported by the house help!
The research confirms the fear and alarm which child welfare practitioners in Kenya have been raising, on the lack of proper parenting,
which is causing lot harm to the young generation of Kenyans. Further, few parents in Kenya know about the existence of the
Department of Children Services, or the 24 hours National Child Helpline 116 run by Childline Kenya, six years since it was established.
Fortunately for them, a lot of children for whom the helpline was established know about helpline 116 and use it very often to get
help on a wide range of issues they may be dealing with including coping with adolescent and peer problems, reproductive health
and sexuality, career choices and academic performance, and even more important, to report violence and abuse they or other
children may be going through at home, school, in their neighbourhoods or community at large. Through reports by children and
community volunteers, Childline Kenya has rescued hundreds of children from abusive situations and alternative care sought for
them. Every day, the child helpline 116 is dealing with over 3,000 calls from children and concerned adults. Out of these, about 1,000
calls involve really serious situations for children, most of whom are totally neglected by parents and caregivers or simply grossly
violated physically, emotionally and even sexually.
These are signs of parenting gone wrong! The fact that so many children call,
means that there is a problem, which should no longer be ignored. We need
“Few parents in Kenya know about the existence of the
parents to be more involved in the upbringing of their children. Parents
Department of Children Services, or the 24 Hours
should be available both physically and emotionally throughout the growth
National Child Helpline 116 run by Childline Kenya, six
and development of their children, to guarantee transmission of positive
years since it was established...”
values, attitudes, and to nature talents of their children. Skilful parenting is
one of the greatest assets that can enable parents to bequeath their society
with responsible and productive citizens! Unless we take urgent action, we
are likely to lose a generation of very promising, talented but “emotionally damaged” and misguided Kenyans.
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3. Mauritius: PAN Member, Halley Movement
Helpline Mauritius: Online counselling service for children and young persons.
CLICK HERE launched by H.E the President of the Republic of Mauritius in September 2012, allows children and
young persons to have free, anonymous and confidential counselling through chat and email. Halley Movement is a registered
Non Governmental Organisation working for the welfare of children and young persons in Mauritius since 1990.
Prior to its launch, advocacy sessions were held in schools and colleges, youth centres, service clubs, district and village councils.
The face book page contains detailed information on the sessions: CLICK HERE. The sessions comprise a
powerpoint presentation highlighting this free service. Sensitisation materials including Leaflets, flyers, posters and other materials
are shared. Participants willing to use the service are encouraged to log in on to CLICK HERE.
Beta Project: Basic Education to Adolescents
The Beta programme is a community based programme providing functional literacy and numeracy,
computer courses and lifeskills to marginalized children. The programme covers a class of thirty
learners from six villages in the south of the island. The courses at conducted at the village of
Batimarais.
This Programme allows the learners an opportunity to learn to read and write and acquire moral values
and skills which they can use in their future life. More information is available on:
CLICK HERE
Internet safety for Children and Young people
With the support of its subsidiary organ, Internet Child safety Foundation which ensures the safety of Children and young people on
Internet, Halley Movement has launched various community based programmes ranging from a research study to the training of
Cyber Guides who are volunteers attached to this organ.
Internet Child Safety Foundation supports parental education and encourages positive content for children. The website is
CLICK HERE.
For more information about Halley Movement, contact:
Mahendranath Busgopaul
Secretary-General
Tel: +230-6770451
Email: halley@intnet.mu or info@halleymovement.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/helplinemauritius
Twitter: http://twitter.com/halleymovement
www.halleymovement.org
www.helplinemauritius.org
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4. Triple P Demystified
Figure 3; Dr. Caroline Anne Johnson:
Figure 4: Ms Jacquie Brown; Triple P
Clinical Psychologist, Triple P International
Implementation Specialist, Canada
Professional Trainer; United Kingdom
Figure 5: Divna Haslam, Ph.D MAPS; Head, International
Research Development, Parenting & Family
Support Centre; University of Queensland, Australia
1. According to Triple P, how should a parent approach parenting?
Dr Divna Haslam
The Triple P Positive Parenting Program suggests parents should approach parenting with the knowledge that raising healthy
well-adjusted children is something that takes time and effort but that is of critical importance. Triple P is all about empowering
parents with knowledge required to be the best parents they can be. Triple P suggests that parents should pay special attention
to building positive relationships with their children and encouraging positive behaviour as well as using assertive, non-harmful
discipline strategies that teach children how to behave.
2. Does culture negatively affect parenting?
Ms Jacquie Brown
As societies change, it is not unusual for traditional family structures and parenting practices to be challenged. For example in
Kenya urbanisation and the loss of the extended family to raise children has made it more difficult for many parents. As
circumstances change, it may be necessary to develop new parenting practices that reflect the new circumstances. Unwillingness
to examine whether traditional practices are still the most helpful to parents can make raising children in a modern world very
challenging.
3. Praising children is a good parenting strategy. Elaborate a little and also tell us what happens if you don't praise them?
Dr Divna Haslam
Parents can encourage more of the behaviour they would like to see by using descriptive praise. Praising children for behaviour you
like, makes children more likely to display that behaviour in the future. Children are motivated by positive attention from their
parents. For example if a child uses nice manners and a parents praises them by saying something like “Thank you for using such
lovely manners” the child is likely to use manners more often. It is easy to think that if the child is behaving well they don’t need
any attention, but children who don’t get attention or praise for behaving well can sometimes act up to get attention.
4. Tell us a little about teaching children new skills, and about incidental teaching.
Dr Caroline Johnson
Parents play an incredibly important role in helping children learn new skills and behaviour. From infancy, children are tuned into
what their parents do and say, and parents can facilitate children's development of language, social skills, general knowledge and
problem solving abilities. Parents also help children learn more subtle skills, such as how to manage their emotions and deal with
situations where they may not get their own way. Incidental teaching involves tuning to situations where children are motivated to
learn, such as times when they may ask a parent a question or come to a parent with a problem. Rather than answering the
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5. question or solving the problem for the child, incidental teaching requires parents to provide a hint or guidance so that
children are able to answer the question or solve the problem for themselves. In this way children are better able to become
independent problem solvers.
5. A little on behaviour charts. What are they and how important are they in parenting?
Dr Caroline Johnson
We are all motivated by rewards. For instance, a question you might ask yourself is whether you would go to work if you
weren't paid? Behaviour charts are a useful way of providing an extra incentive to motivate a child to learn a new task or
complete a task they may find more difficult. It involves setting a small goal for a child (e.g. staying in their bed all night) and
providing a token reward such as a star or smiley face on a chart to recognise when the child has achieved the goal. Token
rewards can be backed up with other rewards; however, younger children are often motivated by the token itself. Backup
rewards don't need to cost a lot; the best rewards often involve activities with parents, such as cooking together, having a
picnic or family outings (e.g., to the park or zoo). Other backup rewards include small treats such as choosing dinner, a new
book or small toy. It should be easy for children to achieve their goal at first, but becomes harder as children are more able.
Behaviour charts should be phased out after a few weeks, but children should continue to be praised for the achievements
they have made.
6. How should one prevent negative behaviours/traits in children?
Dr Caroline Johnson
All children will misbehave from time to time, and no child (or parent!) is perfectly behaved all of the time. However,
sometimes parents can inadvertently reinforce or reward children for behaviours that they would rather their child didn't do.
For instance, if a child gets their own way after a tantrum they are more likely to have a tantrum again in the future. Also, if
parents ignore children when they are behaving well, children may be more likely to misbehave simply to get attention from
their parents. Positive parenting involves tuning in to children's desirable behaviour and letting them know when they are
behaving well, while at the same time using assertive non-hurtful methods of managing misbehaviour.
7. Tell us a little about the parenting education advisory network
Ms Jacquie Brown
The Parenting Advisory Network for Kenya will bring together a broad range of expertise in parenting education including
government and policy representatives, researchers and academics, and service delivery organisations. The Network will
provide advice to PAN to support short and long term planning for the provision of a spectrum of effective parenting
education programmes to meet the needs of all parents in Kenya.
8. How is the research project important to parents (and society in general) in Kenya?
Dr Divna Haslam
This project is very important to Kenyan parents. It will help to determine if the Triple P program should be offered to parents
across Kenya. Triple P has been shown to be very effective in many other countries but this research is the first to determine
if Kenyan parents also benefit from positive parenting strategies. If the project shows that Triple P is acceptable and relevant
for Kenyan parents, many more parents across Kenya may have access to the strategies that will help them raise the future
generation of Kenyans. Teaching children important skills like independence and self-control while they are young means they
are far more likely to grow into healthy responsible adults that participate well in society.
9. You collected data on parents you worked with in this project. What does the data tell you?
Dr Divna Haslam
The data we have collected tells us that Kenyan parents overwhelmingly find the Triple P strategies culturally acceptable and
useful. Many parents expressed a desire to do the full Triple P program. The results of this project suggest that Kenyan parents
would benefit from Triple P being available in Kenya.
10. After following up and concluding the research of the pilot project, what next?
Ms Jacquie Brown
Planning is underway to train 2 or 3 local practitioners who will deliver the Triple P Group Programme to 120 parents between
September 2013 and October 2014. During this time, additional funding and partners will also be sought to further expand the
number of practitioners trained to deliver Triple P so that the programme can be provided to many more parents.
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6. It is hoped that the Parenting Education Advisory Network will develop a 3 – 5 year plan that will explore expansion of Triple P
in Kenya.
N:B- PAN particularly chose to expose its members to Group Triple P program course. This just one of Triple P’s
programs, most relevant in PAN’s mandate. CLICK HERE
Group Triple P targets all parents, whilst empowering them to raise their children creatively; it is not specifically for
behavior problem families…as there are other Triple P courses and interventions for families with problems.
For more on Triple P, visit CLICK HERE
Figure 6: A caricature of the teenager’s brain, during the sensitive adolescent stage; Shared on
PAN Facebook page
Live so that when your children think of fairness and integrity, they think of you
– H. Jackson Brown Jr.
PAN Events:
Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya and Ethiopia PAN
Country Chapters’ 2013 Round table meetings
Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Kenya are more PAN country chapters that are geared up for the 2nd Pan-African Conference on
parenting (2013). Themed Adolescents (boys and girls) with Parenting Responsibilities, the various round table meetings, and
launches of some of the chapters preceded the said conference, and whose deliberations shall culminate into a collective
understanding of the realities of Teenage parenting in the African region, during the conference.
A relevant pan African survey in these and other countries where PAN’s membership (organisations and individuals working with
families and children) is represented have been conducted, and shall further inform the conference agenda. The following are
relevant pictorials of those that participated.
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7. PAN Tanzania Chapter:
CLICK HERE FOR MORE:
PAN Kenya Chapter Launch:
CLICK HERE FOR MORE:
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8. PAN Uganda Chapter
CLICK HERE FOR MORE:
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Editorial Team
Josephine Gitonga
Stella Ndugire - Mbugua (Editor)
Jared Ogeda
Isaiah Muthui (Design & Layout)
Copyright © 2013, PAN
All rights reserved
Disclaimer:
Views expressed in this publication are those of
the contributors and do not necessarily reflect the
position of Parenting in Africa Network’s
Secretariat
We acknowledge and appreciate our
development partners, for their
generous support;
ICS, OSIEA and ACPF,
as well as our Members from around
Africa and beyond.
Parenting in Africa Network (PAN) Secretariat
Regional Office, ICS Africa
P.O. Box 13892 - 00800, Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: +254 (20) 2063015/17/18
Mobile: +254 731682596/682598
Fax: +254 (20) 2063013
Email: info@parentinginafrica.org
Web: www.parentinginafrica.org

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