Jogo de Paz - Game of Peace

Jogo de Paz: One year and a lot of efforts later

Volta ao Mundo (VAM) initiated the Jogo de Paz (JDP) project in 2009: an experimentation, a bet. Our hypothesis was that capoeira could be a useful social development tool for underprivileged children in Lebanon. Were we wrong? In an effort of auto assessment and transparency, VAM volunteers would like to share with you the following evaluation elements (Check also on our website www.volta-lb.org, the JDP clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTe5HkQYGpg and the excellent marks the European Union gave us!) Through the training sessions, we have witnessed real behavioral changes among the children we are working with. JDP Kids have improved in terms of discipline and sense of responsibilities: they are learning and increasingly respecting complex rules (singing, clapping, standing in a circle or in a line, and in general obeying teacher’s orders…).

They experienced a sense of pride for achieving progress and performing in public during our graduation ceremony. One of the most important outcomes of the Project was brought to our attention by Sister Antoinette a Franciscan nun working with the street kids: she witnessed, since the beginning of JDP, a clear improvement of the children’s aptitude to learn and study in class. They are more able to focus, and most of all, more willing to learn than the children of the same group who have not been taking part in the project. Nonetheless, there are areas that still need improvements, and to tell you the truth, we have experienced some moments of discouragement.

We will need to have at the end of each class more interactive dialogue on cultural exchange and peace-building related matters. We also have to promote girls empowerment, as they unfortunately tend to be less self-assertive then the boys. Because we have seen real tangible progress, we are willing to carry on in 2011and build on lessons learned from our experience. The project has little funding, so JDP will rely only on its volunteers. In that context, any help from your side, be it in kind or financial contributions, would be extremely valuable!