Jimba Safety programme is a prevention programme for younger children (ages 5-10yrs) aiming to promote safe and respectful relationships and preventing any form of violence against children, especially child sexual abuse and exploitation.
The Jimba Safety programme helps to create an environment where children are safe from abuse, and adults are empowered to support them. The programme uses the character of Jimba (a puppet and a mascot) to teach children about personal safety and safe relationships, featuring interactive learning and activities.
It was developed in 2004 by Center Dardedze and now is being implemented through different models of delivery:
1) Visiting Jimba at Center Dardedze – a group of children from kindergarten up to 3rd grade together with their teacher participates in an interactive on site or on-line lesson (1 – 1.5hrs) about personal safety in any relationships;
2) Jimba travelling school – an offsite module of the programme, where a special “travelling exibition” is taken to a distant area of the country from where teachers find it difficult to bring children to Center Dardedze. The programme’s team set up the exhibition in a local municipality facility and teachers bring children from kindergartens to 3rd grade to attend the programme, where they meet the Jimba mascot and learn about the safety in relationships, with a special focus on preventing child sexual abuse and exploitation;
3) Jimba Safety 11 step programme – is the the most far-reaching module of the programme delivery, as it is delivered in schools or kindergartens by trained members of staff called ‘agents’. Kindergarten or school becomes “subscribers” of the program annually and receive special support, training, annual conference, supervision as well as oversight by Center Dardedze staff. The intention of Center Dardedze is that every kindergarten in Latvia ‘subscribes’ and implements Jimba Safety 11 Step programme as a part of their curriculum. A subscription programme operating model was started in order to scale up the programme nationally in 2021. In 2023 already 122 kindergartens/schools from 22 municipalities in Latvia (there are 43 municipalities in total) have subscribed to the programme and are implementing it on a daily bases in their work with children and parents.
This model of programme requires engagement of municipal education boards, principals of kindergartens or schools, as well as parents along with the 11 lesson scenarios that are being delivered to children about their personal safety in relationship, special focus being on preventing child sexual abuse and exploitation.
The intended impact of the programmes is that:
- Children behave with respect and self-respect; they operate safe touch, have good boundaries and talk to a trusted adult with any concerns;
- Children with previous harmful sexual behaviour act with respect, self-respect, implementing good boundaries online and offline, and meet their needs in pro-social ways;
- Parents and teachers have raised awareness of child sexual abuse including risks; more alert to warning signs and intervene to prevent abuse.
All modules of the programme annually reach up to 13 000 children in Latvia. Center Dardedze is currently working on developing a delivery module for international scale up of the programme in other countries.
You can learn more about The Story of Jimba Safety Program here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZusjBdx5T4&t=11s
In you are interested in piloting the program in your country, please get in touch: agnese.sladzevska@centrsdardedze.lv
