Date: 22-02-2017

ISSA delivers expert training on Resource Modules for Home Visitors in Turkmenistan

Following up on the successful collaboration between ISSA and UNICEF in the development of the Resource Modules for Home Visitors, ISSA’s Senior Program Manager, Zorica Trikic and Karen Whittaker from the University of Central Lancashire, travelled to Turkmenistan to deliver a four-day Training of Trainers (ToT) course at the Department of Postgraduate Education in Family Medicine, Ashgabat. Participants were teaching fellows of the Paediatrics and Family Medicine Department, Head of Methodology Department of MCH Center and Head of ECD Department; specialists from the region (family doctors or paediatricians, working in ECD), specialists working in ECD in pre-school facilities. Pre-school specialists were included upon the request from Ministry of Education to ensure a multi-sectoral approach. The four-day ToT training was organized around three core module topics and time was also given for participants to practice organization and delivery of sessions drawn from module materials. The main aim of the ToT were: To build a network of Trainers of Trainers in Turkmenistan, who can:

  • Transfer new knowledge and skill to the Bachelor and postgraduate students as part of pre-service training;
  • Strengthen existing teaching approaches by bringing in more interactive and student centred methodologies;
  • Transfer new knowledge and skills to staff already providing home visiting services to young children and families in Turkmenistan;
  • Support each other to develop a learning community for home visiting

This approach and training methodology was created to:

  • Present new and more interactive and learner centred approaches;
  • Model ways of presenting the module content to different audiences;
  • Provide both trainees and trainers with opportunities to put into practice, in a safe and inspiring environment, the new knowledge and skills.

Asked to evaluate the training at the end of the four day course, the participants rated it highly: awarding it 4.6 out of 5.