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A Review of the

Social Circus and Children Media training for and with vulnerable children in four provinces of Ghor, Bamyan, Nangarhar, and Jawzjan

Commissioned by Welthungerhilfe (WHH) Prepared by Mariam Jalalzada

February 20, 2015

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CONTENTS

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................ 3

2. BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................... 3 2.1. PROGRAM RATIONAL AND GOALS ..................................................................................... 4 2.2. THE TARGET GROUP .................................................................................................................. 4 2.3. PROGRAM ACTIVITIES AND SERVICES .............................................................................. 5

Installing Funtainers (modified containers) ................................................................................................. 6 Practical Workshops ................................................................................................................................. 7 Performances ............................................................................................................................................. 7 Networking Sessions ................................................................................................................................. 7 Children Shura ......................................................................................................................................... 8 Bamyan Winter Program .......................................................................................................................... 9

3. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT REVIEW ............................................................. 9 3.1. RESTRICTIONS IN THE REVIEW .......................................................................................... 10 3.3. DATA COLLECTION AND METHODOLOGY .................................................................. 11

4. DISCUSSION OF RESULTS .......................................................................................... 13 4.1. RELEVANCE .................................................................................................................................. 13 4.2. EFFECTIVENESS ......................................................................................................................... 14

4.2.1 Children’s psychological development ............................................................................................... 16 4.3. IMPACT ............................................................................................................................................ 20 4.4. PARTNERSHIP .............................................................................................................................. 21

5. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS .......................................................... 22 RECOMMENDATIONS ..................................................................................................................... 24

6. WAY FORWARD ............................................................................................................ 27

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1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report is a review of a recently completed WHH-funded project titled “Social Circus and Children Media training for and with vulnerable children in four regions of Afghanistan”. Coded as AF1150, the project was implemented by the Afghanistan Educational Circus for Children (AECC), targeting children in four orphanages in Nangarhar, Bamyan, Ghor, and Jawozjan provinces. The two-year project started in February 2, 2013 and ended in December 31, 2014. The main goal of the project was to “promote children's psycho-social development by offering media, recreational, and educational activities in the creative/artistic area”.

The findings from the study show that the project’s design and reach served the target population in the best way possible. The orphanage children, who are among some of the most vulnerable and marginalized group, especially those in the rural areas, were able for the first times in their lives to participate in supervised and methodical activities that were not only fun and entertaining but were also extremely educational. Some of these children had never had close contact with people from outside their families and communities.

The program helped many of the targeted children boost their self-confidence, increase their self-worth and improve their self-image, and become more socially and actively connected with the rest of the children and community outside the orphanages. Many of these children in their first days were reported to be so shy that they could not introduce themselves properly. They now can stand before an audience with full confidence and pride, to perform a circus skill, to speak up on behalf of their provincial children Shura, and to act in a community theatrical play. Fulfilling one of the main intended results of the project, some of these children have gone on to become trainers and coordinators - managing the training and practice sessions for the new and existing children.

Moreover, the project was successful in involving all the stakeholders that matter in orphanage children’s lives from schoolteachers to the orphanage administration, government officials, and families. It is very important for this network of stakeholders to be engaged and understand the full value of social circus activities for children. Although there are gaps in knowledge and challenges of dealing with government officials, AECC’s activities has started to increase curiosity and interest in children. With continuous support, children and more importantly the communities where these children live will become more convinced of the psychosocial benefits of social circus activities.

2. BACKGROUND Decades of war and the ongoing instability in Afghanistan have affected the children the most – causing death and poverty to their families and distress and trauma for the children. Many of these children end up in orphanages – because they either have lost one or both

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parents or they come from households that are too poor to support their living and education costs. Either way, the children in Afghan orphanages are one of the most at-risk and marginalized youth groups. Children who live in provincial orphanages hail from very poor and remote communities. While the orphanages support children with accommodation and access to education, the quality of these services are very low. Neither the school nor the orphanage is a stimulating and fun environment where children can develop their cognitive and social skills fully. Because of lack of resources and expertise, quality educational art and recreational activities are virtually absent from schools and orphanages – severely inhibiting children’s psychosocial development

2.1. PROGRAM RATIONAL AND GOALS In order to extend support to the orphanage children that are one of the most vulnerable and deprived groups in the Afghan society, the Welthungerhilfe (WHH), with funding from Tereska Children’s Foundation and partnering with the Afghanistan Educational Circus for Children (AECC), implemented a social circus project with the aim to “promote children's psycho-social development by offering media, recreational, and educational activities in the creative/artistic area.”

AECC is the first and only social circus organization in Afghanistan actively bringing joy to millions of Afghan children since 2002. With rigorous training and interpersonal dialogue and expression, and acquisition of goals through dedication, social circus has the ability to alter the lives of the at-risk youth. Some of the skills that taught by social circus practitioners are autonomy, solidarity, self-esteem, physical-fitness, and communication.

AECC’s main goal is “to give children the tools they need so they can themselves develop creative and novel ways of spreading fun education throughout Afghanistan”. The AECC focuses on discovering and improving physical, artistic and social abilities of children and creating different platforms for children to express themselves as individuals as well as teams. And for this very reason, they were the best suited to provide arts education to the marginalized children of the orphanages.

2.2. THE TARGET GROUP The main target group for this project is children residing in orphanages located in capital cities of Nangarhar, Ghor, Bamyan, and Jawzjan provinces. The target group of this project also include some children in the AECC’s centers/bases, as was agreed by all parties of project contract. The total number of target group during the lifetime of this project was 378 children, the majority of whom (227 children) being orphanage children. It should be noted that counting AECC children’s involvement is not as straightforward as orphanage children; therefore, the number of total target group is higher than stated here1.

1 For AECC, the target group is not only the children who participate in the activities - it is also the communities to which the children deliver what they have learned from their involvement with the social circus. This means that in general AECC’s group include those attending performances, schools and other public venues that host these performances and

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All the orphanages, except the one in Bamyan, are managed by the Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Martyred and Disabled (MoLSAMD) at the provincial level. The orphanage in Bamyan is registered with the DoLSAMD but is supported and managed by a non-profit NGO based in Bamyan. The rest of the public orphanages are provided by the ministry with basic necessities such as food, accommodation, and access to schooling. A total of 510 children, ranging from 6 to 18 years old, live in these orphanages. Not all the children are orphans. Some have lost one parent, mainly their fathers, in the ongoing war against the Taliban (either fighting for or against the Taliban). Others have parents but they are so poor that they cannot afford to keep their children with them. For these impoverished families, sending their children to the orphanage is not only for food and accommodation, but also for access to better education and other opportunities.

The children in these orphanages are under strict schedules. Prior to their involvement with the social circus, their main activities were attending school, eating, sleeping, praying, and doing homework at night. Their entertainment was limited to one or two hours of TV (not in all, though) and playing soccer or cricket in the dusty playgrounds inside or outside the orphanage. There was virtually no regular recreational activity that children could participate.

The public schools that these children attend, is no better when it comes to entertaining educational activities. The education system in Afghanistan, especially in the rural areas remains teacher-centered, with teachers strictly sticking to the textbook, having children memorize lessons without much in depth understanding of concepts. Lack of awareness, willingness, and resources are main reasons for limited or no regular recreational activities for children in schools.

A restrictive orphanage environment and a school solely focusing on academic materials can greatly inhibit the development of children’s cognitive, social, and creative skills.

[For a detailed profile of each target orphanage please refer to the Annex I]

2.3. PROGRAM ACTIVITIES AND SERVICES During its decade-long operation, the AECC has developed a well-trained team of 25-30 Afghan staff and 150-175 junior artists in Kabul, Bamyan, Ghor and Jalalabad. It is equipped with props, costumes, puppets, mobile stages, sound systems, and music instruments. The staff and trainers are coached in theatre and circus performances, children activities and pedagogies and they have within their performance themes such as children’s rights, peace education, health issues, landmine awareness, drug abuse, and social education. A typical AECC performance is a combination of education and pure entertainment and it lasts for approximately one hour.

shura sessions, and all those who enjoy films and radio programs that are produced by children. By this definition, AECC’s beneficiaries are in millions of people.

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In AECC's centers activities are organized in frames called Academy number 1, 2, and so on. New children get enrolled in Academy 1, where skills are less important; they then learn basic juggling and acrobatics, gymnastics, and etc. After 3 to 4 months, the best and most interested children move to Academy 2, while those less enthusiastic ones finish with making an event for their families. New children are then enrolled in a new Academy 1 and the 'cycle' continues with Academy 3 and 4. The number of children in the last two Academies is much lower but they are most skilled and eager-to-learn-circus kids.

It is worth mentioning that the Academy 1 is to be considered Social Circus (i.e. children shura, theatre, peace and hygiene education), while Academy 2 to 4 (of which the very best become part of a National Team) is more likely to fall into the category of Circus (juggling, acrobats, gymnastics, etc).

For the project under review, (AFG 1150), the target group are orphanage children participating in Social Circus. In the orphanages it is therefore easy to count the total number of target group. However, the project also includes AECC children of whom some are directly part of training the orphanage children. Due to the described gradual change from Social Circus to Circus, more of these children start as target group (participating in Social Circus) and then gradually become mini trainers.

Some of the main components of this project are the following:

Installing Funtainers (modified containers) Funtainers are a way for the AECC to establish semi-permanent bases in rural areas. These are conex containers that are colorfully painted and equipped with circus, media, and play equipment. These funtainers serve as the base for children in the orphanages to meet and practice, under minimum supervision. The project has installed funtainers in each of the orphanages, except Bamyan, where they have instead dedicated a room within the orphanage building for children to use for their practice sessions. Each funtainer has multiple rooms for storing equipment, workshops, and radio room for children’s radio production activities. The funtainers also have slides, seesaw, climbing structure, and etc -making them functioning even when they are closed.

In addition to installing funtainers in the orphanages, the project had also supported school beautification – by painting the school walls in colorful paint, drawings, and sayings in

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Persian calligraphy- many of which were done by the children themselves. In visits of the multiple schools in Ghor, for instance, one could tell what school is actively participating in social circus by their bright colorful paint. The beautification is an incentive for schools to feel part of project.

Practical Workshops During the lifetime of the project, regular weekly practical workshops were conducted, in which children, in groups of 10-30 each, learned singing, acrobatics, juggling, painting, gymnastics, and theatre. During these workshops, the AECC team assisted children to develop full shows for their school and local community members. A total of 378 children attended the weekly workshops.

To help the orphanages become more independent, around 10-15 most active children from each orphanage were selected to participate in mini-trainer workshops. These workshops produced a total of 24 (6 per orphanage) mini-trainers. These children were then supported to participate in joint-trainings with other non-orphanage children under AECC’s coverage. The extra trainings helped in identification and designation of two main qualified trainers per orphanage who then went on to become the focal point of contact for training new and existing children as well as managing the funtainers. While the children were required to practice three times a week, in many of the orphanages and especially during the summer, they practiced everyday, under the supervision of the designated trainers.

As a result of these trainings, each orphanage has its own performance team.

Performances The workshops and practice sessions were used as means to prepare children for local and national performances, which happened at least once a month. Most of the performances were organized during the second year of the project, when the children had become better versed in their circus and theatre skills. Around 11 performances of various sizes and venues (inside the orphanage, school, or elsewhere) were organized entirely by the orphanage children teams – viewed by around 10,645 people (including government officials, community members, students, and media). This exceeded the initial target of 4,000 audience members.

Additionally, orphanage children also participated in two AECC-organized annual juggling championships – where Jalalabad team, that included children from the orphanage, won both times.

Networking Sessions One of the major challenges of the orphanage children is their isolation, especially for those whose school is also stationed inside the orphanage building. This further limits their contact with the outside world.

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The networking sessions bring together social circus children from various schools together. In 2014, AECC began integrating orphanage children with their established regional networks. This was an opportunity for orphanage children to practice with and learn from children coming from different schools within the province or other provinces. For instance, in Jalalabad’s weekly networking sessions, where six orphanage children participate, children from two neighboring provinces also participate. They children all practice circus or hold Children Shura sessions.

From the field observations, it was clear that children thoroughly enjoyed their networking sessions. These sessions were opportunities for the orphanage children to learn and be inspired by older and highly enthusiastic and qualified children from other schools who had been part of the social circus for much longer.

Children Shura Children Shura sessions were organized to acquaint children with the parliamentarian system of Afghanistan, but also to train them in leadership and public speaking. The shura sessions are organized in multiple sessions, the first ones being at the orphanage level in which all the orphanage children have a chance to participate and learn about the functions of a shura/parliament. They are then divided into working groups of 5-6 tasked to list some of their most pressing concerns. The interested and most active orphanage children then participate in the provincial children shura where AECC brings together children from other schools under their coverage. In these sessions, which is a mix of orphanage children and children from other schools, one representative is elected by the children through raising red or green card for a vote of no or yes respectively. The representative from the provinces

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then participate in the national shura that takes place in Kabul. The shura sessions teach children how to identify problems that concern them the most and how to speak up in large gatherings.

Bamyan Winter Program The winter program that takes place in AECC’s Bamyan center is a 5-week long camp, in which children from other provinces come together for a period of fun and intensive training programs. During the project period, around 193 children attended the two annual winter camp sessions. Around 5-6 children from each orphanage also attended the camps. However, bringing children from Jowzjan and Jalalabad orphanages were a challenge because of the reluctance of the DoLSAMD authorities.

The winter camp consists of 24 classes of circus, 1 class of children shura, and 4 media classes. These camps are a great safe and learning platform where children socialize and learn from each other. The children selected to attend these camps are usually the best in circus skills among their peers but need more support and training to become even better. The children trainers usually emerge from the group of children who attend a winter camp or a prolonged training session in AECC’s Kabul center. The winter camp has also contributed in fostering trust relationship between the AECC and the orphanage administration. The orphanage children are given accommodation in the AECC center in Bamyan throughout program.

3. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT REVIEW The current review of this two-year long social circus project with the orphanage is commissioned by the WHH to assess four main aspects of the project, namely relevance, effectiveness, impact, and partnership with the AECC. For the purpose of an in-depth analysis of activities and its effectiveness, orphanages in two provinces of Ghor and Nangarhar were selected. The selection of these two provinces was primarily based on the number of children. Both the orphanages in the provinces house around 200 children each, which is the highest number compared to Bamyan and Jawzjan orphanages. Other than the number of children, the two orphanages are situated in provinces that vastly differ from each other in regards to their economic status and geographical connectedness with the rest of Afghanistan. The reason to highlight some of these very visible differences in the economic status and geographical connectedness of the provinces is that it can foster or inhibit the participation of children in regional and national events/workshops and the overall sustainability of the project. Ghor is a very remote and impoverished province with a population of more than 600 thousands people that live in scattered and remote villages. Geographically, Ghor is a more

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isolated province and traveling to and from other major provinces such as Kabul and Herat, take days because of insecurity and bad road conditions. There is an airport in the capital of Ghor but because of high costs, flights have remained out of reach for the common Ghoris. The few non-agriculture employment opportunities in the province are with the government (as teachers, officials, and police/army) or non-government international organizations. Migration of young men to Iran in search of work is common. Nangarhar with its one million people, on the other hand, is one of Afghanistan’s industrialized and economically developed province, mainly because of its strategic location as the economic hub between Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan. Jalalabad, the capital of the province is a bustling city of more than two hundred thousands people – almost half of entire Ghor’s population. The residents are engaged in trade, private businesses, agriculture, and manufacturing. The highway that connects Jalalabad to Kabul is in great condition and relatively more secure, making traveling to Kabul safer, easier, and cheaper. Despite the visible differences in economic status of the provinces, the public orphanages are not much different in terms of their services for children. The children in both orphanages come from very poor families, live in poorly equipped and highly restrictive orphanages, and have similar limitations in terms of access to recreational activities and quality educational entertainment.

3.1. RESTRICTIONS IN THE REVIEW Measuring psychological development of target children under this review is an extremely challenging task, for many reasons:

a) Social behavior, unlike cognitive skills that can be relatively stable across contexts and time, vary by social environment in which the child lives2. For instance, some of the children in the Jalalabad orphanage who could go home very often, looked healthier and more outspoken. The assumption here is that visiting one’s family/relatives more often boosts the morale of the child. Also, living close to the orphanage means easier access to the center of the city (because the orphanage is located in the center of Jalalabad city) and most probably better living standards (than those living in very remote villages). In these orphanages, some children could leave the orphanage and go home every weekend, while others couldn’t go more than twice a year. One can only imagine the difference in the development and self-respect of these children.

b) In the absence of baseline information, it is not possible to compare the changes and attribute those changes, both negative and positive to the project. This is perhaps the biggest

2 Ripke and et all. “Social and Emotional Development Indicators” (2008). Key Indicators of Child and Youth Wellbeing. Tayloy and Francis Group, LLC. New York

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restriction of this review. The lack of baseline data inhibits our ability to measure progress and improvement, as there is no data to measure it against.

To address this challenge, in all the interviews and meetings conducted with the children and other stakeholders, the interviewees were asked whether they have noticed any substantial change in children’s social behavior, academic performance, and self-esteem before and after the project. The responses were helpful but were usually very general – because some children had not thought about this before and teachers couldn’t be specific because they couldn’t tell which of their students were part of the circus program and which ones were not. However, all the teachers that were interviewed for this review held high regards for the circus activity and believed that it has increase students’ participation in the class.

c) For better understanding of changes in a child’s psychosocial improvement, it is important to talk to a number of instrumental people in the child’s life such as parents and teachers3. However, there are two main challenges that were faced during this review: 1) many of the orphanage children don’t have parents (one or both), some have their close relatives as their caretakers but they live far away, and in other cases neither the children nor the orphanage felt comfortable or willing to let us contact the families/caretakers. 2) The education in Afghanistan is very teacher-centric and all the teachers that were interviewed in Ghor and Jalalabad did not really know which one of their students were from the orphanage and who had participated in circus programs. The sizes of classes are usually very big, making it difficult for teachers to connect with and closely monitor students.

For a more robust and detailed evaluation of AECC’s impact on children’s psychological development, AECC should incorporate a more comprehensive monitoring and evaluation tool in its programming that ensures setting of realistic targets, collection of baseline data, and better measuring of progress. It can a be tedious and time consuming undertaking, however, its benefits will outweigh its costs because the results can provide the AECC with more concrete understanding of the impact of their programs on children’s lives, and they changes they may need to bring for the improvement of the overall AECC programming.

3.3. DATA COLLECTION AND METHODOLOGY Despite the restriction and challenges in measuring children’s psychosocial development, the study attempted to conduct a review that is restricted in size and depth children’s behavior from various perspectives. A total of six focus group discussions were held with 40 children and six teachers and school administration. Additionally, individual meetings were held with project’s field coordinators, main trainers, and the heads of DoLSAMD and orphanages.

3 Ibid.

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For developing questions specifically for the children, a brief literature review in the field of child development was conducted. According to the child development literature, the following are some indicators that can measure psychosocial development in children4:

• Psychological wellbeing that include positive self image, positive self esteem, and a lack of depression

• Activities and time use • Self regulation and control • Leadership, contribution, and citizenship • Responsibility and independence • Social competence

These indicators were mainly used as reference point for development of some simple questions to assess the depth of children’s responses. This exercise by no means is an indication of children’s improvement. However, the responses do shed some light on the internal thinking of the children – i.e. how do they see themselves and their involvement in the social circus and what have been some of the main lessons they have learned.

[Please refer to Annex II for the list of questions]

The table below, summarizes the focus groups sessions, interviews, and observations – with preliminary brief analysis.

Who Province Observations Interviews with the heads of the DoLSAMD and orphanage

Nangarhar Both expressed their gratitude for the social circus activities and were generally aware of the importance and need for the sports and recreational activities for children.

Observation from a practice session

Nangarhar

Around 40-50 children had gathered around the funtainer in their orphanage yard – all supervised by the project mobilizer, the master trainer and the designated trainer from the orphanage. They were practicing gymnastics, acrobats, and juggling. Many children were also watching the training sessions – and were later on asked to join a game. The children were having a fun time – both those who were practicing and those who were watching.

Two focus groups with 20 children, 10 in each group.

Nangarhar Orphanage

Both groups of children were participants of the social circus activities. Some were new and some were engaged since the beginning of the program.

Focus group with five teachers of the

Nangarhar The teachers taught different grades and had heard and noticed circus activities in the orphanage. However, they couldn’t name

4 Ripke and et all. “Social and Emotional Development Indicators” (2008). Key Indicators of Child and Youth Wellbeing. Tayloy and Francis Group, LLC. New York

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orphanage school any of their students who had participated in the circus. They all, however, emphasized on the importance of sports/recreational activities for children.

One to one interviews with two teachers

Nangarhar Orphanage

Observations from a Networking Session

Nangarhar Orphanage

Around six children from the orphanage had come to an all-boys school, where the AECC has a funtainer, to practice with dozens of children from various schools in Jalalabad and three other neighboring provinces.

Interviews with the heads of the DoLSAMD and orphanage

Ghor Orphanage

The head of the DoLSAMD was well versed in the benefits of social circus. He was one of the few people who mentioned specifically that recreational activities such as the social circus have significant benefits for children psychological wellbeing. He was also more aware of child development issues.

Visits to three schools, where orphanage children are enrolled

Ghor

The teachers in one of the schools, which is considered the oldest and most respected school in the province, were well aware of the circus program. This is also where AECC has installed a funtainer and has extensive activities with the students. However, teachers here too, couldn’t name (except a couple of students) their students who were in the orphanage and part of the social circus.

Two focus groups with total of 32, 16 in each group. One group was above 7th grade and the other below the 7th grade

Ghor Orphanage

Both groups of children were participants of the social circus activities. Some were new and some were engaged since the beginning of the program.

4. DISCUSSION OF RESULTS

The findings from this review are summarized in the four categories of relevance, effectiveness, impact, and partnership as the following:

4.1. RELEVANCE In the complete absence of recreational activities and art education in the orphanages, the social circus created a platform for children to play, learn, and just have fun – all of which are vital in the physical and mental development of children. Prior to the social circus activities, the daily schedule of children was limited to attending school, studying and home works, eating, sleeping, and praying. In all of the four orphanages, social circus is children’s first and only regular supervised recreational activity.

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Similar to the static and dull environment of the orphanage, the schools these children attend are no better and lack programs to stimulate creativity. Social circus is the only opportunity for the orphanage children where they can think beyond textbooks, question and analyze situations and concepts, identify their problems, speak up and be more aware of their surroundings, and above all have fun, that is essentially educational and entertaining at the same time.

In both Ghor and Jalalabad orphanages, the funtainers have turned into colorful hubs around which the children gather every day either to practice or watch others practice. In Ghor province, there is no other way for children to get busy in their free time. They either wander about aimlessly or play soccer in a small dusty ground outside orphanage. Now that they have a funtainer inside their orphanage, they can use their free time more productively. Similarly, in Jalalabad, where children attend school within the orphanage compound, attending networking sessions in an AECC school located outside is the only regular way to interact and socialize with other children. Therefore, social circus meets children’s demand and hunger for fun and educational activities.

4.2. EFFECTIVENESS The overall vision of AECC is to raise awareness about the importance of children’s physical and mental wellbeing through art education and recreational and fun activities. The AECC network aims to create an environment for children so they can thrive mentally and physically. Although there is an emphasis on children’s individual growth, AECC’s programs are designed as such to involve all the relevant stakeholders in children’s lives to become supportive, and to acknowledge the need for educational recreational activities for children. It is important for children to be involved in activities that are fun and that also stimulate their creativity and growth.

More specifically, one of the main objectives of the project AF1150 was that “400 children in the orphanages and AECC’s centers/bases participate in weekly

Ajab is one of the trainers in Jalalabad orphanage. The 8th grader is originally from Nuristan and has been in the orphanage for the last eight years. Ajab has resumed the responsibility of managing the funtainer and training the children in juggling, gymnastics, and acrobats. He is a soft-spoken and cheerful young man. He is determined to continue his education and become a doctor in the future.

“We let children to be children”

David Mason, the founder of AECC

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Social Circus and Media activities”. During the lifetime of this project, around 378 children actively participated in weekly social circus activities such as juggling, acrobats, gymnastics, theatre, and media production. This is slightly below the initial target of 400. However, the real target group included in this figure is much higher as AECC does not only count the number of children directly involved, they also count the number of attendees in a performance or the number of people who had watched films and theatre and listened to radio programs. Therefore, for AECC the total target group of this project is much higher than recorded in the project documents.

Another objective of this project was that “5 children in each of the orphanages (total 20 children) are successfully trained to be mini trainers in the orphanage”. Throughout the lifetime of the project, 6 children from each orphanage (total 24) were groomed as voluntary mini-trainers. The trainers were selected from the 15-20 top performers who had in turn were selected from a larger pool of 80-90 children. Because of children’s enthusiasm for the social circus, AECC surpassed the initial target of 20 mini trainers in total. These trainers are currently coordinating practice sessions for new and existing children and organize shows. They also, interchangeably, travel to other provinces (this means that if two of them travel to Bamyan in one occasion, the other two will go in another occasion – this is to ensure they all get a chance for these exposure visits). These mini trainers in the orphanages are integrated with the rest of the AECC network through joint workshops, shura sessions, and performances. Children under the supervision of these mini trainers have been able to improve their circus skills dramatically. For juggler children in Jalalabad for instance, juggling with two balls is the start, and as they progress, they are capable of juggling with five or six balls – and the advanced jugglers also use periodic body movements while juggling. In addition to circus, children have also learned basic techniques of radio program production and art of interviewing. The children in Ghor, for example, have produced radio shows in which they have interviewed the local government officials or orphanage children in a show titled “Ashiyana-e Man” or My Home. The incentive of attending regional and national performance or being selected for networking/shura sessions encourages children to work harder and improve their concentration and discipline in order to get better at whatever skill they like (i.e. be it juggling, acting, singing, drawing, and etc.). The children not only learn skills they had never thought of learning before, they also get numerous chances to show them off to large audiences. The other objective of the project was “an average of minimum 1,000 children, parents, local community members and governor officials in each region (total 4,000) have seen a performance and/or media presentation by the participating children in the orphanages”. However, the number of audiences during the lifetime of the project exceeded the initial target by a great margin – bringing their total to a little more than 10,000 people.

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In Ghor, for instance, the orphanage circus team is in high demand. While they had to organize shows, more recently, they receive invitations from the government officials to perform in almost every official event in the province. The Ghor circus team has turned into local heroes. In two occasions, teachers interviewed in a public boys school, could name a few students for their amazing circus skills that they had witnessed during a performance. Orphanage children not only participate in their local events, they also attend national AECC events held in Kabul, where they perform in front of thousands of spectators. Both in Ghor and Jalalabad, children proudly talked about the times they traveled to Kabul to take part in national competitions and festivals. For many of the children in the focus group discussion, one of their wishes was traveling to Kabul. All this exposure has great benefit in children’s self-esteem. They take pride in their skills and pleasure in showing it. They are so proud of their skills, that whenever there is the mention of someone visiting them, they all want to organize a mini-show for them, even if it is only for one person.

4.2.1 Children’s psychological development The intention of this review is not to measure progress in psychological development of children because of lack of baseline data. However, in the absence of such critical baseline information, the study attempted to use a set of questions that can provide some insight about target children’s thinking. The study includes information gathered from focus group discussions and individual interviews with children, teachers, project staff, and government officials.

A total of four focus groups were held with children from grades 5-11 in both Ghor and Jalalabad orphanages. Each focus group consisted of 10-15 children and their engagement with the social circus activities varied from only a few months to two years. The questions asked were the same for all the groups. However, there were multiple follow up questions that were different for each group – to make sure children feel comfortable and engaged. An average of 2.5 hours were spent with each group. Some of the questions were easier for them to respond such as the their time at the orphanage and circus activities, main benefits of the circus program, and what they wanted to be in future. For other questions such as ‘what was their one wish’, ‘how they resolve a conflict inside their orphanage’, and ‘how many friends do they and how they became friends with their current friends’, children took quiet a while to respond – and sometimes had to be given examples or hints to really understand the questions.

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In general, children in Jalalabad were quicker in responding to the questions. Their responses may not have been well thought through but they made an attempt, and mostly successfully, to come up with an answer. Children in Ghor, however, took longer to process a question and come up with an answer. For some of the questions, they couldn’t come up with an answer at all (even after they were told a list of options they could choose from). For instance, when asked what was their one big wish, they couldn’t think of anything. After some probing, one or two children did respond that they wanted to have a bicycle or car but it was with a lot of reluctance. Ghulam Nabi, one of the mini trainers said that they had never thought about this question. The inability to come up with a response could mean that the children only think of things obtaining of which seemed possible. When they mentioned the desire of having a car, everybody, including the child talking, laughed – according to them, it sounded absurd to want to have a car – because it was just ‘impossible’.

The children in Jalalabad, on the other hand, wanted a variety of things: a car, bicycle, motorbike, trip to Kabul, Turkey or Dubai, and etc.

One reason for this difference could be that children in Jalalabad are not as marginalized and live in a city that is being urbanized rapidly. Another reason could be children’s association with the social circus program. The children, who could speak up about their wishes, were mainly the ones who had been with the circus much longer and/or had traveled to Kabul for a performance or shura. Although there is no proven causal relationship between children’s ability to speak up and social circus involvement, one cannot dismiss the importance and benefit of group activities. Feeling part of a group gives power and a sense of identify for children. Some of the best of the best are formed into the groups who then perform at the regional and national level. They also get to travel and participate in regional networks and shura sessions. Being part of such a team inspires the rest to strive to be better so they can have access to such opportunities as well. There were some visible differences, for instance, between the children who had been to Kabul and those who had

Meet Abdul, Children Shura representative

In the shura session of 2014, the 13 years old, 7th grader Abdul Rahman from Ghor orphanage was elected as the head of the shura. To be considered, he had to speak about his community and convince his peers that he could best represent Ghor in the national shura that would be held in Kabul. Abdul spoke about worsening security, lack of electricity, and low quality of education in his province. Other children liked his speech and voted yes for him by raising their green cards.

Abdul is cheerful and smart. He had lost his father when he was only two years old. He has been living in the orphanage for the last three years. He is the youngest in his family and loves to study. The day he saw the AECC’s field mobilizers setting up a funtainer in his orphanage, he was one of the first kids to get hooked to the program.

Abdul is an expert juggler and had once attended juggling festival in Kabul. He is keen on traveling more, especially to Bamyan for the winter programs. He says that juggling has helped him focus better.

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not. The ones, who had been to Kabul, were more active and social. For instance, Abdul from Ghor orphanage is a self-confident charming child who was very responsive to the questions asked. It war for his charms and ability to speak up that he was chosen as Ghor’s children shura representative.

There was also a difference in the manner children responded to the question about the good and bad things of their orphanage. For both children, but more for Ghor children, the main reason they liked the orphanage was that it enabled them to have access to better school. In Jalalabad, while children mentioned the shame but they were also more critical of their school – such as lack of qualified children. Jalalabad orphanage children were also more vocal about the bad food quality and the treatment of the supervisors. In Ghor, however, children did not feel comfortable highlighting anything negative. Last year, one of their peers was expelled from the orphanage after he had complained about food and corruption at the orphanage in front of a delegation from Kabul. This may have made them extra cautious about opening up.

The orphanages have a strict rule-based system, where children are constantly being watched and they are expected to behave a certain way all the time. Corporal punishment is common. Although rules are necessary to manage a large group of children, when they are coupled with beating and cursing and a severe lack of any emotional support, it can affect children’s psychological wellbeing. The schools the orphanage children attend are no better in their treatment of children. The examples of corporal punishment given by the children included being slapped or hit with a stick, having to stand up on a table or with one leg in the corner of the classroom, and dismissal from the class.

For these children, social circus is a break from the strict and sometimes harsh environments. The circus provides them with a space where they can freely engage in fun and stimulating activities. The field mobilizers hired by AECC have been trained in children pedagogies and treat children with care and kindness. In Ghor and Jalalabad, the children look up to project mobilizers and trainers. Since the trainers are from among the children, who have not only excelled in circus skills but are also relatively better in their social behavior, they can serve as role models and inspirations for the younger children.

All the children that were part of the focus groups expressed their love for the social circus. Prior to the launch of the program, they did not know what to do with their free time. Their only pass time was to play soccer or cricket in the dusty grounds inside or outside of the orphanage. The original schedule for children’s practice was three times a week, under the supervision of the project’s field coordinator/master trainer. Once some of the children became trainers and were designated with the responsibility of managing the funtainers, the children were able and willing to practice/play everyday.

Another very important and effective component of the project is the children Shura, which is another tool to help students become good leaders by improving their public speaking and

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awareness of their community. They also learn the functioning of Afghan parliament, voting system, and election. The children in the shura sessions get to elect their favorite candidate. The candidates in turn have to give a talk about his/her views on community’s problems and challenges. The children are given red cards for no, green for yes, and yellow for neutral votes. The shura then elects the representative and his/her two aides. The social circus in general and its shura and networking sessions in particular help children from different backgrounds come together for learning and experience sharing. These sessions explicitly or implicitly train children to listen and respect each other’s opinion, to work hard and be persistent, to keep good personal hygiene, and to be role models for other children in the community. In response to “how do you resolve a conflict at the orphanage”, the children in Jalalabad were ready to say that before reporting it to anyone, they would try to resolve it among themselves. And if nothing works, they will inform the orphanage supervisors to intervene. The children in Ghor could not think of a way. Furthermore, in response to “how do you treat someone that is different from you’, children in both orphanages paused. The reason for their pause was that they really didn’t know how to interpret ‘different’. Once they were told that by different it could be anyone with a different ethnicity, religion, language, and etc. All the children eagerly expressed their desire to be friendly to the person and if it’s a newcomer at the orphanage, they will help him with settling in.

In addition to the focus group sessions with the children, a networking session in which six orphanage children from Jalalabad orphanage was observed. These sessions are held at a nearby boy’s school (AECC regional center) where children from different schools within Jalalabad and other neighboring provinces such as Kunar and Laghman participate. The orphanage children, who were observed during their networking session, said they really enjoy the weekly networking sessions. According to them, this is when they get a chance to get out of the orphanage, socialize with kids from other schools, and brush up their skills (since children from the boys school are far ahead because they have been part of AECC for a much longer time). A subtle difference was noticed between the orphanage and school students. The students in the school were bolder and more confident and much better in circus ‘skills. One assumption is that because the school children live with their families, study in a better school, and have been associated with the AECC for a longer time; their social and circus skills are much better compared to the orphanage children. However, the children from the orphanage stayed with each other, were quieter, and did not seem to actively engage in socializing with other children. There could be many factors – one being an inferior image that orphanage children may have of themselves or they may be intimidated by a group of much bolder and skilled children. But regardless, the belief is that if the orphanage children continue their practice session under direct supervision of the AECC for a bit longer (perhaps another year or two), they too would be bolder and more

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confident. These networking sessions are great platforms for orphanage children to learn and be inspired by their own peers that are better.

4.3. IMPACT As mentioned above, AECC’s work by design can bring change and awareness in entire communities. The project’s design is such that it involves a wide variety of stakeholders, from the heads of the Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled (MoLSAMD) at the provincial level to heads of the orphanages, schools, teachers, and families/caretakers of the children. This interconnected network plays an important role in a child’s growth and development; therefore, their involvement and awareness about the benefits of recreational and social circus activities can prove detrimental in the sustainability of social circus activities and children’s increased participation.

Further, the orphanages now have an established system of providing recreational and entertaining activities to the children. A funtainer is installed in each of the orphanages with equipment and a group of active, skilled, and enthusiastic children that can manage and coordinate the activities with minimum supervision.

The DoLSAMD and school officials are more aware of the social circus activities. For Ghor, since the province is so remote and impoverish, AECC’s colorful funtainers and beautification of schools are highly visible – which then leads to better support from the community. The government officials and school teachers were very vocal about a wide range of benefits that the social circus activities have on children – such as physical and mental wellbeing, social behavior, and self-confidence. All the teachers interviewed in Ghor schools were extremely impressed by the social conduct of circus students during their practice sessions in the school. In both provinces, participation in social circus has encouraged some children to become more involved with other sports. Furthermore, the success of AECC activities and the popularity of AECC children have encouraged others to participate in existing funtainer activities or initiate their own activities. In one case in Ghor, one of the boy’s school in which there is no funtainer, they students after being exposed to AECC had lobbied their school successfully to provide them with mattresses so they can practice gymnastics.

The project’s emphasis on inclusion of stakeholders has led to better awareness of the government officials. The DoLSAMD and schools in the target provinces had never heard of social circus for children prior to AECC’s operations there. Through AECC’s social circus programs, the local communities are made aware of the benefits of social circus activities and importance of children’s psychological development. In the meetings that were conducted with teachers and heads of the DoLSAMD, orphanages, and schools, there was a unanimous approval of the positive impact of sports on children’s physical and mental development. The head of DoLSAMD in Ghor, for instance, praised the social circus for offering a variety of activities that helps children get involved no matter what age, interest, and physical

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capacity. They all stated that social circus is the only platform where children can be engaged in healthy and educational entertaining activities.

4.4. PARTNERSHIP The partnership between WHH and AECC was beneficial for both parties for the following reasons:

For WHH, the partnership with an experienced local partner not only ensured high quality of service delivery in the field, it also built on the gains made during the partnership for another similar project. Furthermore, AECC’s understanding of the context, their extensive network, and knowledge of children pedagogies made it a suitable partner for WHH, for whom supporting the psychosocial development of vulnerable and marginalized children is a priority working area.

The AECC has been working in Afghanistan for more than a decade now, promoting educational and leadership opportunities for children. Prior to this partnership, AECC had a well-trained team of around 30 Afghan staff and 175 junior artists in Kabul, Bamyan, Ghor, and Nangarhar provinces. These artists are well trained in children pedagogies, circus skills and performances, and theatre. These trainers/coordinators that have been working with AECC for a number of years, were instrumental in kick starting and maintaining high quality of the project in the target four provinces.

Furthermore, AECC’s regional centers in Kabul and Bamyan provided much needed logistical and monitoring support to the newly established funtainer bases in the four orphanages. The existence of AECC centers helped with the integration of orphanage children to the entire AECC family. Through its octopus model, where AECC has established a number of permanent bases like the ones in Kabul and Bamyan – each of which will then support a group of funtainer bases. Through a mix of permanent and semi-permanent bases, AECC makes sure to keep operational costs low and to promote greater ownership by the local institutions.

In addition to this extensive physical network, AECC also has a wealth of knowledge regarding children pedagogies. Their knowledge and current approach is the product of rigorous observation and of years of trial and error.

For AECC, the partnership with WHH was equally important and beneficial. Since the beginning of the project, AECC’s overall organizational and operational systems have become more developed and structured, an important development making it easier for AECC to scale up its activities and expand its outreach.

With support from WHH for this project, AECC could identify and hire new staff that greatly added value to the coordination of activities across the four regions. They also established a new center in Mazar-e Sharif that would oversee activities in the northern region, especially the orphanage in Jawzjan, where AECC didn’t have operations before.

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According to AECC management, their partnership with WHH allowed them to expand their beneficiary base and reach out to some of the most at-risk and vulnerable children in the orphanages and IDP camps. The experience and lessons learned are valuable assets for AECC that would make their future engagements with such groups smoother and less challenging.

One of the challenges of the partnership was the strict requirement of WHH for regular reporting of activities and application of stringent procurement rules – leading to delays in activities. However, once the WHH became more acquainted with the AECC team and their dedication to quality and children’s cause, many of the requirements were relaxed to give the AECC the space and time to rather focus more on the quality of service delivery, than to spend too much time and resources on logistics.

It was for this reason, that AECC had a free hand in designing activities in which they could integrate orphanage children with their other children. Moreover, these requirements and the feedback from the two projects with WHH helped AECC identify some of its weak areas based on which they developed a more structured organizational strategy. They realized that in order for the funtainers to run smoothly, it should be supported and monitored by a regional center.

One important lesson learnt from this partnership is that in order to strengthen the capacity and independency of local institutions, they should be given the space to test and find the most viable solution for serving the target group better as well as reducing the costs of service delivery.

Overall, AECC and WHH’s partnership has been one of learning and experience sharing endeavor for both parties. They had dealt with criticism and disagreements in a very professional manner and have built a very strong trust relationship that can be an asset for their future joint undertakings.

5. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS There is no doubt that project AFG1150 was an effective and efficient program in creating an educational and recreational platform for some of the most at-risk children in the four provinces of Afghanistan. Two years prior to the implementation of the project, the target orphanages did not have any recreational activity base. The majority of these children had never before seen or interacted with people from the outside of their villages or orphanages. For some, it was the first time they had traveled as far as the capital city of their province where their orphanage is located. The project not only helped children thrive

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within the orphanages by engaging with social circus activities, it also provided an opportunity for the children to participate in learning and experience sharing excursions organized in AECC’s permanent bases in Kabul and Bamyan.

The children in the target four orphanages are extremely vulnerable and lack access to quality education and recreational activities. The AECC with its diverse set of regular and supervised recreational activities not only has brought fun and laughter to the otherwise dull lives of these children, it has also created a platform where the children can thrive, mentally and physically. The funtainers have become the symbol of fun, hard work, and persistence. Practicing circus skills, organizing performances and plays, and attending children shura and networking sessions are a joyous break for the orphanage children - away from the harsh and strict realities of their orphanages.

Moreover, teachers and orphanage administration have begun to feel the need of such activities for children. They are grateful for the attention given to the children. They praise order and organization of regular practice sessions in schools and have taken notice of circus children’s good manners. They believe social circus is an essential service but because of lack of resources and expertise, they cannot deliver such services to children. Therefore, they have embraced AECC and its activities with open arms.

Through AECC activities, some children have also become better students in their classes and popular in their communities. Their engagement with social circus have encouraged them to seek more – such as getting engaged in other extracurricular activities if and when they are available. In Ghor some of the circus children at the orphanage are also members of a boys scout program that is managed by PARSA, an organization that provides leadership opportunities for children and help them become more responsible citizens in their communities. The children also attend free winter classes in computer, English, and math organized by non-profit organizations.

Additionally, shura sessions have helped children assess problems of their concern and speak up about them to the relevant government officials. The shura and networking sessions are also a platform for the orphanage children where they can be together with other children and have an equal chance of growth and recognition for their talents. In the shura sessions children’s origin and economic background are not differentiating factors – it is the circus and leadership skills that sets a child apart. For orphanage children who have an inferior image of themselves, this can have tremendous positive impact on their self-esteem and self-worth.

The implementation of this project while was very successful, had its challenges – especially when it required constant dealing with the government officials. In at least two of the orphanages, the DoLSAMD officials had created hurdles in the implementation by not allowing children travel. In Jalalabad, on many occasions, the head of DoLSAMD had not given written permissions for the children to attend national festivals or networking sessions,

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At least once, two boys were so upset about not being able to participate in a national event after months of practice that one day, they hopped on a bus and drove all the way to Kabul without a formal permission. The orphanage administration then asked the AECC staff to send them back immediately – without allowing them to participate. When children practice for months to participate in a performance and then they realize they are not given the permission to attend, it can be devastating emotionally. Despite AECC’s efforts, the Jalalabad DoLSAMD has remained somehow reluctant.

Further, although schools and the orphanage administration agree that without the AECC’s intervention, children did not have much to do during their free time, there is still some gap in their knowledge about a range of benefits of social circus – other than providing a space and opportunity for the children to exercise. Their general comments about the benefits meant that they had no idea that social circus is about building children’s self-confidence, that it helps them stand up and represent the interests of their own and their peers, and that it contributes to a more conscious and aware community in which importance and attention is given to children’s psychosocial development. It is perhaps this lack of understanding of social circus that these officials have remained skeptical and restrictive towards children’s movements. The stakeholders such as the government officials are yet to be fully convinced that strict academic school education, while essential, is not sufficient for children’s growth and they should be involved in more creative arts education.

Despite these challenges, the social circus has taught children in circus skills and more importantly has helped them become more active and aware of their communities, encouraged them to work harder, and to be hopeful of a brighter future. This is of great advantage for the orphanage children because they come from remote villages where they cannot think beyond the boundaries of their small communities. AECC in a way serves as a great mentor that inspires children to strive to get ahead in life – it can give children hope and an objective in life. And for orphanage children who are mainly left on their own, this is a great service.

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Provide a higher number of children of remote provinces with opportunities to participate in regional and national workshops. One of the greatest advantages of the AECC program for the orphanage children have been the exposure children get to the world outside – either through performances, networking sessions, or children shura. However, the number of children involved in such activities is very limited for a variety of reasons such as DoLSAMD not giving permission for the orphanage children to leave the orphanages or budget limitations.

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In provinces like Ghor and Jawzjan, that are remote and not easily accessible and where AECC doesn’t have a center or access to a nearby AECC center is restricted due to road conditions, children are not as skilled and active as their counterparts in more accessible places such as Jalalabad where it is a short distance from AECC’s Kabul or Bamyan regional centers. These children need more exposure visits to winter camps, workshops, and performances organized in Kabul or other active permanent bases of AECC so they can brush up their skills and feel proud about their involvement with the AECC family. The challenge of obtaining permission from the DoSALMD officials can be addressed through closer working relationship and better orientation about the social circus activities. AECC is capable of convincing officials and families about the importance of exposure visits – hence, they should allocate more budget in the future projects for remote provinces so more children can attend trainings more often.

2. Bridge the gap between the orphanage and their respective schools. Children in the orphanages are usually at a disadvantage compared to children who are not from the orphanage, because they don’t have access to the warmth and emotionally supportive environments of their homes – at least not on a daily basis. The AECC can serve as the bridge between the schools and orphanage children, by helping schools become more aware and accommodating to orphanage children. In Ghor and Jalalabad, there is a need for better orientation of teachers so they can be aware of the lives of the orphanage children. The teachers in Ghor were a little critical of AECC – in not orienting the teachers about the orphanage children and their inclusion in the circus program. They expressed their willingness that if they knew what students of theirs are from the orphanage, they could extend extra support and keep an eye on their progress. This might be an empty claim, but giving it a try would do no harm. There is no doubt in the fact that it is a teacher’s responsibility to know more about each one of their students. However, the teacher-student ratio in these schools (and across the country in general) is so high (30-35 students per class/teacher), making it very difficult and challenging for a teacher to build closer relationship with their students. However, with some encouragement from the AECC and regular interactions with the teachers, and informing them about AECC activities, some teachers may be inclined to provide more support to their students that come from the orphanage.

The teachers play a much greater role in an orphanage child’s life because, while other children have their families that provide them with constant emotional support, the orphanage children may need to get that from their teachers and school administration. The special attention of the teachers to the orphanage children (in a subtle way – not emphasizing their identify as orphans) can be beneficial for children as they will be encouraged to do better in school and for AECC to have teachers serve as sources of information for changes in the children’s performance and growth.

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Furthermore, the closer integration of teachers and school administration with the AECCs orphanage activities can positively contribute to teachers’ understanding of importance of children’s psychosocial development.

3. Better educate the schools and orphanages administration and teachers in the overall goal of social circus. The government officials at the provincial level are not very familiar with the robust impact of social circus activities on children. Their general understanding is that sports are good for physical health of the children. In both the provinces visited, teachers and DoSALMD officials spoke about the benefits of sports and exercising in general terms. They weren’t able to articulate many other benefits of social circus – which is more than an exercising opportunity for children. They should be made aware of a more noble benefit of social circus, which is improving children’s self-confidence and leadership, and how social circus makes children better in school, and overall more aware and better citizens in their communities. With its experience in educational recreational activities and emphasis on children’s psychosocial development, AECC is in a great position to educate the orphanages and school administrations to value and pay more attention to the orphanage children’s overall growth.

One way is that these stakeholders participate in some of the networking and shura sessions or observe the children during their practice sessions – something that AECC has struggled with because these officials usually don’t have the time or interest to become more involved in orphanage children’s lives. Another way would be to seek the support of the orphanage directorate at MoLSAMD in Kabul if they can support the AECC in organizing formal information sharing sessions with the provincial stakeholders. What AECC can also explore is participating in some of the official regular gatherings in which officials from the Ministry of Education and DoLSAMD as well as teachers participate. This can be a venue where AECC can brief about their work, its impact, and the kind of support they need.

4. Provide children with the appropriate sportswear. One of the most pressing needs of children in both Ghor and Jalalabad were lack of appropriate sportswear– especially for the practice and networking sessions, where children get to mingle with other children who may be dressed more appropriately. The children have received shirts with the circus log on it, but they wear the shirts (that have become really worn out already) with torn trousers and really worn-out shoes – that neither look good nor is comfortable. The demand for proper uniforms was much stronger and consistent among all the children interviewed in Jalalabad than in Ghor. It seems that since children in Jalalabad interact with children from the outside orphanages more often (in schools within the Jalalabad city or networking sessions in Kabul), they have felt the need more than children in Ghor who don’t get to travel as often. Regardless, proper sportswear can boost morals and be an incentive for children who work hard and are more active.

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4. Develop handover policy prior to the completion of project. One of the great aspects of AECC’s work is that they have a long-term vision for their activities. They have developed systems to keep the costs of maintaining a funtainer or center as low as possible so once a specific project ends, the activities can continue. As for this project, some of the funtainers and its associated staff will be maintained by AECC because they have some existing activities that are already funded by another donor. However, for the places where they don’t have existing funding, there is the risk that activities have to be scaled down or even stopped because AECC cannot pay the mobilizers or trainers or to support children’s participation in the regional and national events, which will in turn affect the motivation and skill level of children in the orphanages.

Therefore, it may help if AECC develop a clear hand over policy way before the projects comes to an end. The policy should include information about the funding gaps and potential sources to address that gap, an analysis of the centers/funtainers to be handed over including (some of the funtainers may not need much of AECC’s involvement and supervision while some may not be independent enough to carry on the activities). It will be helpful for all the stakeholders to know the timeline of the handover and their specific roles and responsibilities after the project ends. The handover policy should also incorporate a plan for AECC’s role after the handover of the funtainers to the relevant institutions (i.e. schools or orphanages). The AECC should plan for a year of only observation after the funtainers are handed over to make sure that activities are not discontinued, the quality of services is not compromised, and that the overall social circus objectives are met.

6. WAY FORWARD The project AF1150 with AECC came to an end in December 2014. Although a system has been established in each of the target orphanage that can ensure continuation of activities without much financial support for a certain period, there are still many challenges that if not addressed can cause discontinuation and collapse of activities in some of the orphanages. One of the main objectives of the project was to train children from the orphanages to become trainers and supervisors so they can carry on the activities. The project also closely worked with the DoLSAMD officials, schools, and orphanage administration to ensure ownership and continuation of activities. However, there is the need for WHH to continue engagement with the orphanages and AECC for the following main reasons:

• For the last one year, AECC has been working on developing an organization-wide model called the ‘octopus model’. This model, which is being developed as a direct result of AECC’s work with the WHH, will help AECC’s activities become more structured and organized. The model will also help the AECC in expanding their outreach to more remote and marginalized communities. In order to support an ever-increasing number of funtainers in various locations, AECC will establish regional centers inside schools or other community/government-provided buildings.

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Each center will then be the head for a number of funtainers that are situated in its proximity (hence the octopus terminology). The center will be responsible for providing technical support to its attached funtainers. One of the lessons learned for AECC was that without a regional center, the funtainers, especially relatively newer ones, could not be as active; therefore, a more regular and quality support was needed to enhance the operation of the funtainers. During this project, the funtainer that was established in the Jawzjan orphanage, for instance, could not function without support from a regional AECC center. Since there was none around that region, AECC established one in Mazar-e Sharif, which will be the resource center for funtainers in the northern region. This has greatly helped the funtainer in Jawzjan in improving the quality of its activities. Any new funtainer that will be installed in the northern region will be linked to the center in Mazar-e Sharif to get technical support in the form of skilled trainers and hosting workshops, networking and shura sessions, and regional performances. For the lack of funding, AECC is considering its options on how to maintain the running costs its newly established center in Bamyan. If they can’t find funding or don’t get some support from the government in terms of provision of land or space where the center can be moved to (to bring down the core costs), AECC may regretfully close down the center. AECC will need financial support to maintain some of its existing center as well as establish new ones.

• As for the orphanages, although each orphanage has children trainers among them that can provide training and supervision support to the new and existing children, there is still the need for a coordinator. The two main trainers and 6 mini trainers in each orphanage are not yet independent enough to organize regular activities, without any supervision. It has been only less than a year that these trainers have been given the responsibility and they feel the need to have the support of someone from the outside of the orphanage, to maintain order and motivate children. The belief is that these funtainers would need to be supported for a couple of more years in order for the funtainers to become fully integrated with the DoLSAMD.

It should be noted that AECC has made sure to maintain the cost-effectiveness of its activities by encouraging volunteerism and hiring local labor. Some of the major costs are associated with setting up funtainers and initial trainings to create a skilled base that can then continue training new and existing children. Currently, AECC estimates that the cost of maintaining a funtainer – including the payment of trainers or a coordinator is around USD 100-120 per month. This includes regular top-up of equipment such as juggling balls, stationeries for drawing and painting as well as transport costs to and refreshments in school performances and Shura activities per

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year. It also includes a small monthly incentive for 1 adult mobilizer and 2 trainers chosen from among the children.

While the actual Funtainer activities as mentioned above can be continued with little financial support, the more pressing financial need is for children’s participation in the network sessions and regional and national events. Expenses for this vary from region to region as the main cost includes transport, food, refreshments and accommodation for children attending these activities.

In all the provinces, the children are hoping that their social circus activities continue. Similarly the orphanage and DoLSAMD officials all see the need for the expansion and continuation of projects such as the social circus. Similarly, WHH and AECC also believe that an extension of the project will build on the lessons learned from the project and will improve the prospect of independency of the orphanages in running and managing social circus activities.

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ANNEX 1.

Orphanage Profile

Province BAMYAN Name of the orphanage Ashiyana of Samar Ownership Private Number of children 67 (24 girls & 43 boys) Number of children under direct AECC supervision

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Age range 8 -16 years old Description The children stay here full time. They go to two different public

schools in the city. AECC has not installed a funtainer in this orphanage, as they don’t have the space. However, they do have a designated room with all the necessary equipment supplied by the AECC. The playground within the orphanage is in a poor state, with only one slide. There is also a computer lab with 12 sets of desktops. The orphanage is managed through Shohada, an NGO headed by Sima Samar, the head of Afghanistan Human Rights Commission. The orphanage is also situated near the AECC center, which makes it much easier for AECC trainers to provide better support that in turn lead to better performance by children. The distance from the AECC center does play a role in the quality of the activities. Unlike other orphanages, the majority of the children in Bamyan orphanage don’t have parents or distant relative so they usually don’t have a place to go to during holidays or long weekends. Some of these children don’t even know who their parents are. Also unique to this orphanage, the children supported to go to university after they finish their high school. Some get admission in public universities in various provinces and some are admitted in a private university in Kabul. They are all supported throughout their university education. This is unlike public orphanages where they support children until a certain grade (in some until 9th and in others until 12th grade). Origin of children: The children come from various districts of Bamyan and other provinces such as Kabul and Ghazni. Before AECC: Like many orphanages, the Bamyan orphanage did not have any regular recreational and entertaining activities for children. Their schedule consisted of going to school, studying, eating, and some tutoring. Some children were allowed to play outside of the orphanage but there is literally no playground – but

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they still played soccer on dusty fields. After AECC – Current schedule: After AECC enrolled the children in the circus program, they practiced three times a week – both in summer and winter. One of these sessions was inside the orphanages and the other two was in the AECC center, where the orphanage children could mingle and socialize with children from other schools.

Province GHOR Name of the orphanage Ghor Province Orphanage Ownership Public Number of children 200 boys Number of children under direct AECC supervision

80

Age range 6 -18 years old Description The children live here full time. They go to three different public

schools outside of the orphanage. There are also 20 girls who are supported by the orphanage but they don’t stay there since the orphanage does not have the spaces and facilities to host girls. Origin of children: Children come from different districts of Ghor province. Once they turn 18, they leave the orphanage and go back to their respective districts. The orphanage does not take responsibility of the children over 18. All these children have a place to live, either with their parents or distant relative – who brought them to the orphanage in the first place. Before AECC: The children have no other extracurricular activity. The older children (grades 10-12) are in the soccer team of the orphanage, where they have won multiple trophies in inter-school competitions. These competitions however, do not happen very often and only the oldest children have a chance to be competitively involved. For the younger children at the orphanage, there was basically no entertainment. After AECC: Children of all ages participate in the social circus activities. For many of them this is the only entertaining yet educational activity. The two trainers (from among the orphanage children) are running the funtainers. Their scheduled practice sessions are three times a week. However, in summer, they love to play and practice every day after school hours.

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Province NANGARHAR Name of the orphanage Imam-ul Bukhari Ownership Public Number of children 200 (all boys) Number of children under direct AECC supervision

80

Age range 6 -16 years old Description The orphanage is located inside the DoLSAMD’s compound. All

the children attend the school that is located inside the compound and is only from grade 1-9. After grade 9th, the children have to leave the orphanage. Some are transferred to other orphanages if they don’t have a place to go and some go back to their families/relatives. A few may have a relative in Jalalabad city that they can stay with and continue studying high school and later on university. The orphanage is also very close to an all-boy’s school where AECC has a base since 2011. This allows the orphanage children to participate in other AECC activities with ease. Origin of children: Children come from various districts of Nanagarhar as well as the eastern provinces such as Nuristan, Laghman, and Kunar provinces. Before AECC: The orphanage children did not have a regular and scheduled sports activity. Their only formal sports activity is during school hour – with the supervision of a Physical Education (PE) teacher who is not skilled in any specific sport (this is the case in many public schools where PE teachers do not have to have any formal skills to become a PE teacher) After AECC: AECC has installed a funtainer in the school’s playground, around which the children gather and practice three times a week. Additionally, they also participate in AECC’s local and national performances and events such as networking and Shura sessions.

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Province JOWZJAN Name of the orphanage The Orphanage of Jawzjan Province Ownership Public Number of children 43 (all boys) Number of children under direct AECC supervision 43

Age range 6 -16 Description The orphanage is located in the capital of the city in an old building

where the overall facilities are in bad condition. The orphanage offers primary education only and for secondary and higher education, the children go to public schools. Since AECC did not have any activity anywhere close to this province, it was deemed necessary to establish a regional center in Mazar-e Sharif. This regional center will serve as the hub in the region for hosting workshops and trainings as well as performances. Children from Jawzjan have performed for events hosted by this center. The orphanage used to get supplies of food and clothes from the Turkish PRT. After their departure from the province, the orphanage get ad-hoc donations from the son of Uzbek warlord, Dostum who is also the first vice president of the country’s president. It is said that not all of these donations reach the children as some cash is siphoned at the DoSLAMD level. Origin of children: The children come from remote districts of Jawzjan as well as neighboring provinces of Sar-e Pul and Maimana. The children are not necessarily all orphans but are here because their families cannot afford to take care of them. Those who can, go home during the holidays. Before AECC: There was virtually nothing for the children to do during their free time. After AECC: There is a funtainer inside the orphanage. The children participate in social circus activities on a daily basis – each day is dedicated for one activity. The community is proud of the children who now showcase their skills and talents in events and performances. This has surprised many, as they don’t expect much from the orphans. The children, through the Shura Sessions, used to highlight difficulties in the community such as lack of sports complexes, addicted, electricity, and etc. The children also highlight the lack of proper supplies and accommodation in their orphanage. The children are known in the community, not as orphans but as circus players. In January 2014, the children had a series of music and singing workshops during their winter break. The musicians made multiple

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visits to the orphanage to prepare the children for a performance in the neighboring Mazar-e Sharif, where AECC has recently set up its regional/zonal permanent base. All the 43 children were taken to visit the center and also to perform during the opening of the center. The children were received with warmth and some were invited as guest speakers in the local TV’s morning program.

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ANNEX II

PERSONAL GROWTH AND SOCIAL INCLUSION

1. What do you want to be in the future? What you wanted to be two years ago? Do you remember? How and why has it changed?

2. What would you do if you get only one wish? 3. How do you make friends? Where did you become close with your best friend? 4. Do you feel able to express your thoughts, opinions, or ideas? 5. How do you resolve conflicts inside the orphanage? 6. Are you comfortable interacting with people who are different from you? 7. How long have you been involved with social circus? 8. Describe to me your involvement with the social circus program? What do you like

about it? What you don’t? Why are you doing it? 9. If there were no social circus, what would have you done instead during your free

time? What kinds of extracurricular activities did you do before the program was launched in your orphanage?

10. Are you proud of your personal achievements? 11. Do you feel judgmental (negative) towards people who think differently from you? 12. What other things your involvement in the social circus has taught you, in addition

to juggling, acrobats, and etc.?

QUESTIONS FROM THE TEACHERS AND HEADS OF THE ORPHANAGE

-­‐ How many children live in the orphanage? -­‐ What is their 24-hour schedule look like during school and winter holidays? -­‐ Do you know which one of your students is in the circus program? -­‐ Do you know which one of your students is form the orphanages? -­‐ Do you know if the students involved in circus are any different from the rest of the

students in your class? -­‐ How do you evaluate social circus activities? -­‐ Do you think children’s involvement in the social circus has had any effect on

children? If yes, what? -­‐ Would you encourage other students in the community to be part of AECC

activities? -­‐ What changes would you recommend to improve, if any?