ChildFund Programme Helps Shift Discipline Practices in Koinadugu
Aaron Parker ChildFund Sierra Leone’s Education for Protection and Well-being (EPW) programme is helping caregivers and teachers in Koinadugu District adopt more positive approaches to disciplining children, with communities increasingly moving away from corporal punishment.
Through community sessions, the EPW programme encourages parents, caregivers and teachers to understand children’s behaviour, listen to their concerns and guide them without violence.
For Marie Conteh, a teacher and caregiver, the approach has changed how she responds to children both at home and in the classroom.
“Before now, I used to easily resort to punishment whenever my child did something wrong. Now I ask them to try to understand the reason behind their behaviour,” Marie said.
She said the change has also strengthened her relationship with her children, who now feel more comfortable discussing their concerns with her.
The programme is also encouraging community leaders to promote positive discipline beyond the sessions. Mammy Queen Bartha, a community leader, said the Saturday EPW sessions have contributed to changes in how caregivers respond to children.
“Before now we used to use punishment to correct the children, but since we started having the Saturday EPW sessions, our behaviour has changed,” she said.
Bartha added that community members are now encouraging other caregivers, including those in neighbouring communities, to adopt positive approaches to discipline.
Yembeh Mansaray, EPW Project Coordinator at ChildFundSierra Leone, said the approach focuses on creating safer environments for children at home, in schools and across communities.
The EPW model has been piloted in schools and communities across three districts, with responsible parenting and positive discipline forming key parts of the approach.
For ChildFund, the changes demonstrate the importance of community ownership in creating environments where children are protected from violence and supported to learn, grow and thrive.