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Success Story
Making data collection fun for kids gives more consistent results
Kids Have Fun with Data
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Photo: Tendai Mupfami, CRS Zimbabwe
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Children share stories with staff on
station days in Norton, Zimbabwe.
The children’s response to
station days has been
overwhelmingly positive.
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Collecting data from children is usually a one-way street: they give us information, but they don’t gain anything in return. But
now Tsungirirai, a local children’s organization supported by
USAID, has begun conducting “station days” — an effort in
Norton, Zimbabwe that collects accurate data on
children’s health and psychosocial issues in a way
they enjoy.
At the entrance to a station day event, each child
receives a ticket. They then pass through various
“stations” that vary with the type of information to be
collected or given — height and weight
measurements, medical check-ups, home life
counseling or information on personal hygiene and
HIV/AIDS. Once the children have gone around to
all the stations and had their tickets stamped, they
can move to the final station, where they play a
game or receive small items such as school
supplies.
Encouraging community members to assist with the activities is
an important part of the initiative, to help communities realize
the importance of listening to children. The evaluation also
identifies special cases and trends among the children so that
follow-ups, referrals and program changes can be made.
The children’s response to station days has been
overwhelmingly positive. Community members who help with
the activities become more sensitive to the importance of
listening to children, which has helped to identify special cases
and trends. The data compiled has been accurate, consistent,
reliable and simple to collect.
Most importantly, station days are fun, and the children get to
learn important facts about themselves. Recently children were
asked to describe what a station day is. Their response? “It is a
day when Tsungirirai makes sure we are healthy and happy!”
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