Trainer Attachment 20A: The bamboo bridge activity

Materials to Prepare:

- a large flannel board or chalkboard

- two large blank posters

- 60 cm. of yarn or string

- several long strips of colored paper (60 cm. by 2 cm.)

- four long strips of paper (24 cm. by 8 cm.), one labeled "Steps", one labeled "Barriers" and one labeled "Community Effort," and the other labeled "Resources"

- 12-15 paper labels (24 cm. by 8 cm.)

- several numbered paper cutouts to represent bare feet.

- glue cotton or sandpaper on the back of the labels so they will stick to the flannel board. Use tape to hold labels on a chalkboard.

1. Before the session prepare a poster illustrating the problem that your group identified during Session 19 (Identifying and Analyzing Priority Health Problems) and another picture Illustrating your the objective that you developed in Session 20 (Writing Health Education Objectives). Label the pictures as shown below.

2. Invite the community members who attended Session 19 to visit this session if possible . Arrange a translator if necessary.

3. Put up the posters and hang the string between the two posters. Attach the "Community Effort" label in the middle of the string.

Community Effort

4. Greet the group and explain that they will be participating in a simulation of a community gathering to review problems, goals, resources and develop a plan of action for attaining the objectives. Briefly review how your group came up with the problems and the objectives. Ask the other participants to imagine that they are members of the community participating in a real town meeting.

5. Discuss potential barriers. Write the name of each barrier on a label and place it under the "Barriers" label, under the problem poster, as shown below.

6. Discuss available resources. Write the name of each resource, such as "village leadership," on a label and place it under the "Resources" label between the problems and objectives posters as shown below.

7. Ask the group, "what is the first small step using these resources, that you can take toward solving your problem and accomplishing your objectives?" Write their answer on a label and put it under "steps."

8. Place paper foot number one at the left side of the bridge, pointed toward the objective. Continue to discuss a step-by-step plan of action. Add each step to the "step" list and put another foot on the bridge.

Bamboo Bridge

9. Ask members of the group to summarize what they accomplished in the meeting and set a time to meet again to continue discussing the project.

(Adapted from: Bridging the Gap. pp. 93-94.)