Congratulations to the teachers who recently trained to deliver the Botvin LifeSkills Training (LST) program in Kenya last month!

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Regional Office for Eastern Africa (ROEA) along with theNational Authority for the Campaign against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) helped bring the LST program to the teachers and children in Kenya.  LifeSkills Trainer Alayne MacArthur trained the teachers on how to effectively implement the state-of-the-art prevention education activities and teaching strategies found in the LST program. The teaching techniques of facilitation and feedback, coaching of cognitive and behavioral skills, and behavioral rehearsal ensure that students fully understand and can demonstrate the key skills taught in the curriculum.

Middle School students in Kenya are learning to develop skills that help them enhance their self-esteem, develop problem-solving abilities, reduce stress and anxiety, and manage anger. The middle-schoolers are also learning how to meet personal challenges such as overcoming shyness, communicating clearly, building relationships, and avoiding violence. These skills combined with the drug resistance skills found in the LifeSkills Training program help students build effective defenses against pressures to use tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs.

“The fact that teachers halfway around the world are bringing the LifeSkills Training program to life in their classrooms and the profound impact our work can have on the lives of so many children…that’s what makes our work so important and so rewarding,” said Dr. Gilbert J. Botvin, professor emeritus at Cornell University’s Weill Medical College and developer of the LifeSkills Training program.

Project leadership team: 

Boniface Wilunda – UNODC

Dr. Saade Abdallah – UNODC

Dr. Fayzal Sulliman – UNODC

George Karisa – NACADA

Alayne MacArthur – LifeSkills Trainer

Susan Maua – NACADA