Her teacher’s suggestion

turned out to be true, and she

found the course changed her

ways of conducting trainings.

Even though she had some

experience attending other

trainings before, she says,

what she expected as a trainee

was that they could get all

things from trainers. But what

she had learned from FCTOT

was that she could use the

experience from participants

and let them find the way to

solve problems by them-

selves.

“FCTOT is totally different

from other trainings I used to

do. It is not spoon feeding,

but it demands all effort of the

participants,” she says.

FCTOT is a training pro-

gram established in 2010 with

the aim of training local ex-

perts of diverse backgrounds

to be effective community

leaders and building networks

of highly trained community

leaders.

DESPITE being a dentist and

working as a health worker in

non-governmental organiza-

tions, Nang Nu Nu Yee, a

reproductive health coordina-

tor, never thought she would

become a confident trainer

mastering in training designs

after attending a seven-week

course.

“I’ve learnt lots of lessons

from the course including

how to create the training

design which is really impor-

tant for trainers,” says Ms

Yee, the coordinator of Karen

Women Action Group, adding

that she also learnt some key

components such as experien-

tial learning cycle, adult

learning characters, giving

and receiving sandwich feed-

back, and trainer’s behaviors.

Ms Yee, a Pao ethnic from

Taunggyi, attended the

FCTOT, Foundational Cycle

Training of Trainers, in July

2011 after being introduced by

her teacher who thought she

might get lots of knowledge.

Training for change

I N S I D E T H I S

I S S U E :

TOT &

FCTOT

3

BUBBLE

AND WAVE

3

Missing

Alumni

3

Step Up,

Step Back

4

Reading 4

Plan like Hell;

Go with the

flow

4

Dear Alumni 4

T H E A M E R I C A N C E N T E R T H E A M E R I C A N C E N T E R T H E A M E R I C A N C E N T E R T H E A M E R I C A N C E N T E R

T O T & F C T O T A L U M N IT O T & F C T O T A L U M N IT O T & F C T O T A L U M N IT O T & F C T O T A L U M N I

R A N G O O N , B U R M AR A N G O O N , B U R M AR A N G O O N , B U R M AR A N G O O N , B U R M A TOT & FCTOT O C T O B E R 3 1 , 2 0 1 1 V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 2

S P E C I A L P O I N T S

O F I N T E R E S T :

• ...This is really special

for the people who are

really interested in the

welfare and develop-

ment of our community.

Because this course can

change us to become a

new person like an

agent who can lead the

future civil society...

• ...It was so pleased

gathering with my

friends, trainers and

alumni ...

• ...I’m automatically

stepping back and back

and back ...

• ….In eventually, I could

face this challenge...

NEWSLETTER

Limited Circulation

Design: Jimmy Rezar Boi

“FCTOT is totally different from other

trainings I used to do. It is not spoon feeding, but it

demands all effort of the participants.” Nang

Nu Nu Yee, FCTOT 4

TOT/FCTOT Alumni and participants gathering at graduation

ceremony of FCTOT batch 4.

FCTOT encourages community leaders to embrace collaborative approaches to bring change for Myanmar society

Sai Aung Thein (TOT 2)

P A G E 2

“I hope that one benefit that comes

from the FCTOT program is that there

are more community leaders using

experiential, participatory, collabora-

tive, and inclusive approaches to the

work that they do,” says Mr David

Root, the founder of FCTOT.

FCTOT was changed from TOT,

Training of Trainers, pilot programs

that were being conducted outside of

the programming of the American

Center’s work in 2008. According to

Mr Root, they saw the success and

value of TOT so that they worked to

incorporate it fully into the program-

ming of the American Center’s work.

During 2008 and 2009, Mr Root,

with his two colleagues who started

TOT, took a long look at the course

and after some deep reflections, they

decided that the three month approach

that they had used for TOT was a bit

too heavy and that the course would

be more effective if it was broken up

into three different “cycles”, a Foun-

dational, Intermediate, and Advanced.

But unfortunately, after running the

program in 2010, it was decided that

only the first Foundational Cycle

would receive funding and be deliv-

ered, he says. After the fouth batch of

FCTOT, the program has benefited

around 75 participants combining

with TOT and ultimately resulted in

many good trainers who are working

in different fields and benefiting

their communities.

Mr Root, who has been teaching and

training in Myanmar for four years,

says they are looking for current or

emergent community leaders in the field

of community development and civil

society.

“We ideally target individuals

who are engaged in bringing change

to their communities, who are con-

nected, and who are committed to

continuing their work in Myanmar,”

he says, adding that if the purpose of

training is to create change, then they

ideally want individuals who have

demonstrated change efforts in their

communities already and who are po-

sitioned to continue brining change to

their work and communities.

According to Mr Root, participants

of the program would conduct an ef-

fective, objective-oriented, participa-

tory and experiential-based training

session. They would also create a

learning environment and community

that embraces and promotes diversity,

collaborative learning, self-discovery,

and reflective thought, he adds.

Mr Root says that he has already

seen multiple collaborations between

individual alumni who have been

working on projects that have em-

braced the principles of inclusion and

collaboration.

Although the concept of collabora-

tion and inclusion is familiar among

Myanmar people, the rate of using

them is still very low and a lot of

trainings are more top-down that the

trainer is always the source of infor-

mation without acknowledging or

including the participants knowl-

edge, says Dim Sian Nem, FCTOT’s

associate training specialist.

“I think this program will bring

more collaborative practices and pro-

mote inclusions among diverse indi-

viduals and communities,” Ms Nem

says.

This is also true for Ms Yee who

also says that FCTOT is very effective

and steered her to become a powerful

community worker for her society.

She felt she was equipped with the

essential skills and techniques which

enable her to facilitate the commu-

nity very well in order to empower

the capacity of Myanmar society.

“This is really special for the people

who are really interested in the welfare

and development of our community.

Because this course can change us to

become a new person like an agent

who can lead the future civil society,”

she says.

While there are many benefits

FCTOT providing to its participants

and Myanmar society, there are also

some challenges in delivering it, Mr

Root says.

“The largest challenge faced in de-

livering this training is balancing the

time required to effectively bring

change to an individual, or group, with

the busy lives of our targeted benefici-

aries,” he says.

Mr Root adds that his challenge with

Myanmar participants lies in his in-

ability to speak a local language in

which to deliver the trainings.

With batches of trainers fully trained

and well-equipped, Mr Root is already

formulating the next step. FCTOT is

developing a completely local training

force that will be able to deliver the

course in a local language in order to

create more sustainability and reach

for their program.

“Over the next year that will be one

of our main objectives,” he says.

Continue from Training for Change…..

Limited Circulation TOT & FCTOT

Participants are participating in group

work of experiential learning cycle

P A G E 3 V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 2

songs altogether when Ma Wai and Ma Nwe come back from Thailand. Unfortunately, I could not meet Jimmy, John, Aungzubu and Ma Kyi. I totally believe that we can meet coming days to share experiences. That is why, I am counting the days and times that we are going to gather in the future. SMART,FCTOT(3) Tintzawhein@gmail.com

There was so heavy raining day in 28th September. But, I was going to Total Learning Academy to meet my friends and trainers. I was so nervous that it was not sure to meet my friends at To-tal. In reality, I met two of my lovely sisters –one is Ma Stella and another one is Magret. It was so pleased gather-ing with my friends, trainers and alumni at that day. At the graduation day, fortu-nately I met with Min Htike and Ma Mo and Magret again. We had spoken a lot about our memorable events that were happened at FCTOT (3).Min Htike and I were wishing to meet again and to sing

TOT and FCTOT Teaching opens the window to the world.

Organizing teachers accumulates a force to make a better world.

Training of trainers, the program we love all!

Foundational Cycle Training of Trainers, Enhance skills of teachers, no exceptions

to those of community leaders.

Core elements for community development, Discussed and shared by achievers.

Theories, techniques, and methods Acquired and practiced together by learn-

ers.

Outstanding trainers contribute knowledge and experience

To their juniors and future leaders.

Training of trainers, the program to be joined by all!

Thu Zar Thwin (TOT 1st batch)

“BUBBLE AND WAVE” Air and water marry and mix

Outcome a bubble there it exists;

Grow big and big, it colors

Green, red blue…the spectrum flowers Then blows the breeze it disappears.

Open sea vast in the water

High booms up the crest the boasted

Sounds of whisper and roar its varied calls

Almighty the waves rise and fall.

From the cradle to the grave

A life of a human subsists,

Like a bubble

Like a wave

There appears and comes vanished.

MY DEATH IS ETERNAL (ig\aoNcif;oñf jrJ\) MY LIFE IS MORTAL (ig\toufoñf rjrJ) How ‘beautiful’ or ‘powerful’ it ever would be

In a moment a blink … a flash …

A swell of water rises and breaks

As life lasts, is unpredicted.

The essence of being a humane lies

How survives beneficial to one’s environ_

The genuine beauty and power of

REPUTATION never dies.

Green (TOT October 2008)

Limited Circulation TOT & FCTOT

MISSING

ALUMNI……

...

was the time that I had already finished FCTOT Batch 3. I was very enthusiastic in

application of my lesson learned at FCTOT. It was almost the right time for me to provide health education on hand washing in my mobile clinics and donation services at Than-Lyin, Yan-gon. I was very delight and I prepared my training design according to the participants (approximately 30 numbers of sixth standard students) in monastic school. Although I excited (positively) for this Health education but I was confidence at that time. When I arrived the classroom, I excited again (negatively) to my participants who were about 9 years old and more than 60 participants waited for my session. I coped my stress with my previous experiences. I started according to my training design and I observed I couldn’t control them due to their young age. Do you know how I solve this problem? At that time I recalled the phrase ‘Plan like Hell; Go with the flow’. I was unsuccessful in evaluation criteria on 5 portions ( For Certificate…..). I felt a bit depression but I relieved my stress. In eventually, I could face this challenge.

F

C

T

O

T

Batch 4

fter FCTOT, I came to know about Step up and Step Back. That really makes me to reflect

my manner. Every activity and discussion in CDCE(Community Development & Civic Empowerment), I tried using step up and step back equally. But here I mostly use step back because when I see everyone is stepping up heheeeeeeeee;D I’m automatically stepping back and back and back and almost out of the discussion and room and even feel lonely;( ahhhhhhhhhhhh;P But who knows, I got such kinds of listen-ing skill and observation skill by stepping back that I need to improve in my life from CDCE Chiang Mai..........;))))) By Miss Nwe Nilar (FCTOT 3)

Community Development & Civic Empowerment Program Chiang Mai, Thailand

P A G E 4

For the senior and Junior alike

It will never avoid you to delight

Have a problem in your life

Get a help of how to fight

Venture in the nature

To find the treasure of pleasure

Want to light your nights?

Then you should like it

John DJ

Limited Circulation

V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 2

TOT & FCTOT

AAAA

Step Up, Step Back

;Plan like Hell

By Min Htike

ItItItIt

Dear Alumni…. We really appreciate those who contribute articles, read newslet-ter, and give feedback to be bet-ter newsletter. To keep and touch alumni, join FCTOT Alumni facebook page and con-tribute articles, poem, experi-ences, activities related with our newsletter’s trend. For next TOT & FCTOT Newsletter Volume 2, Issue 1, please send articles be-fore December 20, 2011. Newsletter Team