CONSTITUTIONALISM :
In 2013 Zimbabweans from all walks of life took part in the creation of their first home grown constitution, which the Government of Zimbabwe later adopted as the country's supreme law, but taking part in constitutional view gatherings does not warrant one knowledge about the constitution, hence there is need to find ways of giving information to people to be aware of their constitution, as well as how it can be used to promote their rights by infusing a culture of constutitonalism through children.
USING ART & GAMES TO COMMUNICATE
It has been proven through research that no matter what age a person is, or what colour they are , they all love fun and games, so it made sense to DCI Zimbabwe to adopt this strategy and use it in developing a fun way to tech about the constitution of Zimbabwe and other human rights issues, in a way that is so engaging,fun, entertaining and educational. Children must be taught how to think,not what to think.
As a child and women's human rights activist organisation with extensive experience in creating curriculum using activities and games, we have used colouring materials to engage young children in order to maximize their achievement, we applied research-based strategies to teach people the basic content of the Constitution. Since people learn 95% of what they teach to someone else,we will conduct training of trainers for those who are going to distribute and train care givers and children on how to use the colouring books.In future we are going to produce, playing cards,snakes and ladders and online applications to use on providing knowledge on the constitution and other human rights conventions.
ART AS A PREHISTORIC MEANS OF COMMUNICATION
It is fascinating to know how, for millions of years, human civilization has lived without any oral communication whatsoever and how they have managed to communicate with each other through body language – gestures, noises, etc. Also, it is amazing how different types of languages have developed over the years – sign languages, spoken languages, etc., due to human evolution. Today there are nearly 5000 spoken languages all over the world.
PREHISTORIC CAVE PAINTINGS
Before spoken languages started evolving amongst human civilization, one of the ways of communication that we find very interesting was art, and, to be more exact, cave art, and the ability to understand what people tried to say through cave paintings and learning about their ways of communicating with one another. Prehistoric cave art shows us how our ancestors described their way of life, the way they saw the world and how they have been expressing themselves and their beliefs.
DCI Zimbabwe believes that art is a unique way to communicate, and brings more chances of socialising , problem solving and promotes critical thinking and brings an understanding to humans as it is fun and participatory , we saw this concept as unique and so decided to use it in addressing problems and as an advocacy tool. With financial and Technical support from UNICEF & the Switzerland Embassy, DCI Zimbabwe carefully designed two coloring books containing Constitutional content and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), so that children could read and colour the books while getting knowledge on their country's constitution in an un-intimidating, test-taking format in their homes and community constitutional clubs.
"DCI Zimbabwe has developed this project as a way to share knowledge about the constitution with children as they are the vanguard of the future of this nation" it integrates the element of socialization in several ways that will heighten the excitement in using the colouring books while reinforcing the material. This shall keep it fun for everyone.For one to use these colouring books you don't have to be a Constitutional expert. The idea behind this concept is to teach, learn as you play.
UNDERSTANDING THE CONSTITUTION THROUGH ART :
In designing the books, we felt it was important to make it a functional and beautiful piece of art. As children colour on, they are drawn into a sense of the richness of nature, their surroundings and our country's most important document: the Constitution. The covers of the colouring books themselves are designed to make the book attractive to any user, the first pages of each book gives an abstract concept on the Constitution, such as the branches of government, or the impact of violating the Constitution, the colouring books do not contain Ideological connotations, they are concrete and easy to grasp.
As we desinged these colouring books we also wanted to make the user aware of the Constitutional teams who sacrificed so much to ensure that "We the People" have the power we deserve. For that reason, users choose their own colours to colour the books.
The Constitution colouring books will help to increase Constitutional Literacy in Zimbabwe to 55 % in the next 5 years, as children who are using them now move into Adolescent stages , starting with children is our motto and has been our streanth. If one does not read, they remain Illiterate,people need to read the Constitution and know what it says, and ensure its implimentation for the blessings of liberty for themselves and their children.
The continued vitality of our democracy is dependent upon an informed citizenry. Understanding the history of the Constitution and its amendments will assist all of us to fully appreciate these rights and responsibilities as they have evolved over time. Moreover, such an understanding will ensure that these rights will continue to be exercised, valued, and cherished by future generations.
It is our belief that unless Zimbabweans improve their Constitutional IQ, we could be in danger of losing our identity as we know it.
We believe the Constitution colouring books go a long way in helping to make the Constitution to come to life in a vibrant way for our neighbors and for their children and grandchildren, DCI Zimbabwe join hands with every Zimbabwean citizen to preserve our democracy through elevating Constitutional Literacy to every child.
We are standing up as good Shepherds, loyal citizens to our country Zimbabwe to implement Section 7 (c) of the constitution which states that: The Government must encourage all persons and organisations, including civic organisations to disseminate awareness and knowledge of the constitution throughout society.
DOWNLOADS
To download the coloring books click on the books images on the next page
WHY WE USE COLOURING TO TRAIN CHILDREN
Reasearch has proved that colouring is a simple activity,but it helps children to develop cognitively, psychologically and creatively:
Children like colouring. They love to do it anyway, colouring can lead your child into a healthier, happier life in adolescence and into adulthood. The following are some of the key benefits of coloring pages in kids.
Psychology and development:
1. Improves Motor Skills :
The act of colouring can help to improve motor skills in young children. The actions, motions and precise grip involved in coloring can aid in the development of the muscles of the fingers, hands and wrist. Fine motor skill development can help children write more skillfully as well as manipulate small objects. They can then build on these skills to become better typists and more adept in sports and other activities.
2. Prepares Them for School :
Children’s education takes place in a classroom with a fair amount of structure. Lessons are issued on paper via assignments, tests and other written course work. Colouring sheets, books and pages can be integral in preparing kids for the more structured work on paper ahead of them.
3. Stimulates Creativity
Whether they stay in the lines or not, coloring fosters a creative spirit and an appreciation for visual differences. Colouring can stoke the imagination and inspire kids to brainstorm and learn to think of new ideas on their own naturally.
4. Contributes to Better Handwriting :
Dexterity, hand strength and attention to detail are all required to write both printed letters and cursive script. Starting out with coloring pages early can help to develop these qualities so that writing comes more easily and naturally.
5. Color Awareness, Recognition and Discernment :
The names and hues of colors must be learned, and coloring on coloring pages fosters practice and awareness of primary and common colors as well as more nuanced colour awareness of lesser-known, more subtle colors in a direct hands-on manner.
6. Improved Focus and Hand to Eye Coordination :
Coordination and the ability to focus is just developing in young children, and undertaking activities to foster and strengthen this budding talent assists in efficient, healthy development. The act of holding crayons, choosing colors, implementing the colour in the ideal spot and even sharpening crayons can all help with cultivating strong hand-eye coordination in youngsters.
7. Boundaries, Structure and Spacial Awareness :
Adhering to boundaries is an important part of juvenile and adolescent development. Even if he or she becomes a renegade artist later in life, it benefits all children to start out knowing the rules before breaking away. Colouring sheets can help with anchoring a sense of structure and the need and benefit of having boundaries. Colouring also helps children to learn about lines, shapes, colors/hues, perspective, patterns and forms.
8. Improved Confidence and Self Esteem
The ability to complete a task successfully builds self esteem and confidence in young children. Colouring regularly and completing projects boosts a child’s sense of accomplishment and pride in themselves.
9. Self-Expression :
Every human being expresses themselves differently, and many children are visual in nature. Colouring is a fertile vehicle for self expression as children make color decisions and flesh out the boundaries of a coloring page, sheet or book.
10. Therapy and Stress Relief :
Colouring is also calming and therapeutic for kids, especially if they have no other outlet for unpleasant or confusing emotions. Even kids who fall into the “normal” range of emotional health can benefit from processing their feelings, frustrations and emotions though the simple but profound act of coloring.
11.Colour as an Identity :
Colours are used as an identity for institutions and groups, every country has a flag to identify itself with, each company,church or political party has its own colours, using coloring to teach children about any subject in life will help them to create an identityt for them in the future or help them to choose a profession they want as adults.
12. Colouring as a method of communication
The oldest known symbols created with the purpose of communication through time are the cave paintings, a form of rock art, dating to the Upper irone age. Just as the small child first learns to draw before it masters more complex forms of communication, so Homo sapiens' first attempts at passing information through time took the form of paintings. The oldest known Cave Painting in Zimbabwe is that of the Domboshava Caves, the site has some examples of cave paintings which date back almost 6000 years. Though not well standardized, those paintings contained increasing amounts of information. The connection between drawing and writing is further shown by linguistics in the Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece the concepts and words of drawing and writing were one and the same and used as means of communication.
Most kids today love to colour, as proved above it turns out to be more than just a recreational activity. It can also foster physical and psychological development in a range of areas. Get your kids started with colouring as early as possible, and you’ll contribute to a lifetime of positive benefits.
DOWNLOAD COPIES OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL COLOURING BOOKS BELOW
