The editor of The Insider, Charles Rukuni, is planning to start a writing programme for children aged between eight and nine years- that is those with at least three years of primary school education.
The children will be taught the same skills that are taught to journalists, such as: developing story ideas; turning ideas into stories; interviewing techniques; organising the information; writing and editing the stories.
The programme will run over 10 days, mornings only, which means it can be run during school holidays or at weekends.
The idea, however, is not to train these children to become journalists. It is to enable the children to tell their own stories in their own words and at the same time developing a new Zimbabwean child who will be a clearer thinker and stronger communicator.
According to Roy Clark, who has been running a similar programme: “When (children) write about themselves and their words, they become clear thinkers and stronger communicators. They learn values and become more independent and well-rounded. They learn a skill that serves them for a life time.”
This is very critical in Zimbabwe at the moment because of the polarisation in the country where people are generally forced to support one side or another with apparently no room for middle ground or even to argue that neither of the two is the right side.
Through their writing children can teach their parents, teachers and community what they really feel about the world they live in.
In most cases, children are treated as spectators, having no say in making decisions on issues that affect their lives, with most of their opinions being expressed on their behalf by so-called child experts.
Rukuni has been training working journalists across the region for nearly two decades and ran a pilot project for children in Bulawayo’s Pumula suburb 12 years ago.
Ideally, he would like to kick off the project in his home town of Bulawayo, but is open to any group that comes forward first.
He prefers short classes of no more than 10 children per session to ensure individual attention as the programme also involves public reading of the children’s stories at an open day for the children’s parents.
More details can be obtained by writing to: [email protected].
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