Persona Doll Training (PDT) was started in 2013 by Ms Carol Smith and a group of interested partners amongst others, the University Of Cape Town and ECD Forums after they realised the need for psychosocial support to young children and their families. Families have to deal with issues of diversity e.g. race, language, gender, religion, and sexual orientation had to be addressed. Bullying in schools, sexual abuse of young children, albinism and xenophobia are areas that the organisation address through its unique persona doll approach and methodology. Children feel more at ease to share their feelings in a non-threatening setting through communication with the dolls that are used in our approach. Children, women and girls had to be informed of their rights and where to seek help if they are experiencing any form of abuse.
Persona Doll Training SA through the Young Parenting Programme (YPP) aims to equip young parents (both male and female teenage parents) with the necessary knowledge and skills for positive parenting during this period of Covid 19. Teen parents need greater awareness of their responsibilities as parents and keeping their children safe from external abuse or household abuse. Young children are in need of caring parents and children of young teenage parents are at risk of being neglected. Issues of the importance of stimulating their children and keeping them fed and clean are of great importance.
Our goal for this WVLSA project is to reach out to teenage parents and to equip them with the necessary knowledge and skills to look after their young children and keep them safe from harm during this period and for the future.