The “T” in T4 Global represents transformation. We facilitate “training that transforms.” Training that transforms individuals, families, communities, churches and nations.
By transformational training we mean a training process that leads to a deep, structure shift in how people interpret the world around them, including how they relate to other people, to their environment and to God. Instead of generating only changes in knowledge, attitude and behavior, transformational training generates changes in worldview. It is the kind of change that moves a person or a community from despair to hope, from helplessness to self-reliance, from corruption to trustworthiness.
An example of transformational training occurred in Southern Sudan where T4 circulated MT4 mobile schools with basic HIV/AIDS training. Unfortunately it is not uncommon for a village in Sudan to completely ostracize a known HIV infected person, running them out of town and sometimes killing them.
“After hearing the MT4 device and discussing the messages in my village, I decided to get tested for HIV,” explained a woman from Lainya County in Southern Sudan. “I tested positive. The MT4 talked about how our communities should respond with love to those with HIV. I was very nervous but decided to tell my village of my sickness. Since we had all heard the MT4 messages about HIV/AIDS and discussed them, they surrounded me with love. They continue to treat me as a sister and helping take care of me.”
Transformational training for oral culture people is highly experiential, participatory and interactive. It is based on dialogue and problem-solving through content that connects to individual and community experiences. Content arises from the needs and interests of participating learners as much as possible.
Often training programs generated in lettered cultures and brought to oral cultures are more transmissional in nature. By transmissional we mean information dissemination presented in a one-way direction from the “expert” teacher. Often transmissional training takes the form of a lecture or seminar presenting “facts” and “figures.” While changing knowledge is certainly doable, changing behavior, let alone worldview, is nearly impossible with transmissional training methods.
The transformational training process at T4 involves these four main stages:
- Empower: community led process; value community story context.
- Hear: new stories, thoughts, attitudes, ways of thinking and living; challenge existing community stories.
- Engage: experiential and participatory; relate new learning to communities stories.
- Apply: amend old community stories; create new community stories.
Click here to view the T4 Global Transformational Training Map (2008)