Persona Doll Training (PDT)
P.O. Box 18183;
7824 Wynberg, Western Cape
South Africa
Contact person: Mandy Hudson
+27 (0)84 456 8977
info@pdt.org.za
mandy.hudson@pdt.org.za
http://pdt.org.za/
Topics
- Antiracism, policy of integration
- Educational policy/project
- Social policy/disabled persons
About us
Persona Doll Training (PDT) is a unique organisation with 100% focus on human rights, inclusion and diversity in practice. PDT is a registered non-profit resource and training organisation established in 2004. We are based in Cape Town but operate nationally and have worked in other African countries.
Our vision is a society free of prejudice where everyone experiences dignity, feels respected and is included.
Our commitment is to empower women, children and youth through using the Persona Doll approach to be ‘change agents’ in their communities. We aim to raise awareness, share information and skills, unlearn prejudice and discrimination, build respect for difference, develop positive values and build self-esteem and confidence.
We use participatory empowering methodologies and work in partnerships to ensure sustainability of programmes in hard to reach communities. We provide training and on site support, undertake research and monitoring, produce and supply learning materials and manuals, story collections, DVD materials, e Learning courses, and Persona and Teen Persona Dolls. We provide employment for HIV affected and infected women breadwinners in our Doll-making project.
The Persona Doll Approach
Persona Dolls are a creative, interactive tool used around the world in anti-bias work with children and adults. The Persona Doll approach offers a practical and unthreatening way to ´unlearn´ prejudice, challenge discrimination and develop psychosocial skills.
Teachers, childcare workers, care givers, home visitors and community workers use the Dolls as powerful tools in exploring, uncovering and confronting bias – in preschool and early childhood development centres, schools, communities, youth groups, parent education and in home based programmes. Persona Doll Training offers training, materials, Persona Dolls, online resources and support on using Persona Dolls to embrace diversity and ´talk about things that are difficult to talk about´.
First developed as an anti-bias approach in the United States in the 1970s, Persona Doll Training was introduced in South Africa by Carol Smith, Founding Director of PDT SA in 2004. The approach builds on universal and African traditions of storytelling, taken a step further – into discussion and dialogue, with a strong focus on hearing children´s voices. Dolls help children to express their feelings and ideas, think critically, challenge unfair treatment and develop empathy with people who are different. The approach helps to develop life skills, self-esteem, respect for diversity, problem solving, peace building, language, and emotional literacy.
PDT supports doll-making workshops, which produce unique Persona Dolls, small play dolls, anatomically correct dolls and Teen Dolls. PDT provides skills and employment to disadvantaged communities through doll-making projects. PDT mentors doll-making projects and provides a detailed doll-making Manual.
Training
• PDT offers ´hands-on´ experiential training in using the unique Persona Doll approach to promote equality, inclusivity and psychosocial development. We build the capacity in adults (ECD practitioners, home visitors, youth mentors, parents/carers) to be able to deal with issues of poverty, protection, violence and abuse, racism, and stigma in their own lives and with young children and families. We offer a variety of packages tailored to address specific training needs and issues in various contexts.
• PDT provides support and mentoring through on-site visits and practical workshops adapted for specific settings. We offer training in all provinces in SA and other African countries. The optimum size for training groups is 25 participants. We train trainers/ leaders, adults, and practitioners working with children and youth of all ages.
For training logistics, resources, and costs please consult: www.pdt.org.za
Mandy Hudson is the Administration Manager of Persona Doll Training (PDT).
For other net participants we can offer an expert guidance through trained staff, give an expert opinion, procure expert information and establish new contacts in the field of our work.