New chapter for Zippy's Friends in India

The first Indian children to take part in Zippy's Friends have completed the programme successfully, and hundreds more will start when the new school year begins in June. But this time they will be learning in a different language.

Kalpana Joshi, who co-ordinates Zippy's Friends in Goa, explained why the programme began in schools that teach in English.

'In India, the education system attaches a lot of importance to academic performance, and less thought is given to children's mental or emotional health,' she said. 'Some schools, which do not rely on grants from the government and are more progressive, are willing to try innovative programmes, but most of them are English-medium schools.'

Zippy's Friends was launched in four English-language schools last August and the feedback from teachers has been positive.

Some teachers' comments:

  • "I used to have deal with each child's problems individually, but once we had finished the session on communications, I could see the children attempting to handle problems on their own."
  • "I would never have known my class children so closely if not for Zippy's Friends."
  • "The programme was helpful for me. It made me aware of my own feelings, which I wasn't used to before."

One teacher even told Kalpana that, after a Zippy's Friends session on bullying, a boy in her class came and apologised for having bullied other children.

The programme ended with celebrations in every school. These children (right) are from Shiksha Niketan and are showing off the certificates they received for completing Zippy's Friends.

However, from the outset Kalpana and her colleagues have been clear that Zippy's Friends must be available in Konkani, the local language in Goa.

'Our idea behind translating the programme into Konkani is to reach the schools which get grants from government and which most Goan children attend. These schools are all Konkani-medium schools, and if the concept of emotional wellbeing is to be introduced to these schools the programme has to be in Konkani. This way we think that the children will not only benefit from the programme but enjoy it because of the Konkani flavour.'

The translation has been completed, the teaching materials are ready, and five Konkani language schools have already been recruited into the programme for the next school year. This is a first step towards making Zippy's Friends available to all young children in Goa.

Zippy's Friends in Goa is managed by the Sangath Society for Child Development and Family Guidance. The cost of launching the programme in India has been partly covered by a grant from The Funding Network and a donation from a private donor.