The Ten Million Hero Book Project
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The Ten Million Hero Book Project |
A Hero Book is a form of Memory Work. It is a document, and a process, in
which a child is invited to be the author, illustrator, main character and
editor of a book that is designed to give them power over a specific
challenge in their life. The Hero Book process can be described as one in
which groups of children are led through a series of drawing exercises and
autobiographical story telling. In the work there is a focus on challenges
and problems, which are in some way political as well as a personal, in the
sense that these are problems that affect other children as well, and that
have their roots in what may be described as public health issues. At the
end of the process, the child has a hand bound storybook of their own
making, that heralds and reinforces their hero survival-resilient qualities
and that also draws attention to the deeper social issues.
Memory work might be defined as the deliberate setting up of a safe space in
which to contain the telling, retellings and reconstructions of stories
about our lives. This space or container might be a room, or the shade under
a tree, or it might go beyond this to include a container like a box, or a
book or a map, designed to hold and document the stories.
In therapeutic contexts, the scope of memory work is not necessarily
restricted to the past, its purpose is often to deal with difficulties in
the present, and its main orientation often tends towards planning and the
future. Memory work often acknowledges and reinforces the amazing capacity
people have to survive and even to celebrate life amidst all the challenges
Memory work is widely practiced in Africa and beyond. Many practitioners
are collaborating under the umbrella of the Ten Million Memory Project
(10MMP). The 10MMP includes a deliberate mix of academics, faith bashers,
flat earthers, grass rooters, youngsters and veterans. Our vision is to
share memory approaches with at least 10 million children across Africa by
2010. This is being accomplished through networks like the Red Cross and
REPSSI, and by developing key partnerships in countries across Africa.
The broad strategy at this stage includes the development of simple training
material, the establishment of pools of regional master trainers, media and
communications, advocacy, the integration of memory work into education, as
well as ongoing monitoring and evaluation.
Under the banner of the Ten Million Memory Book Project, many children are
creating their own hero books and mini libraries of hero books that can
inspire and be read by other children.
For more information see:
www. uct. ac. za/
depts/ cgc/pubs/pindex. htm
