Mentor Discussion Guide for Low Literate Mentors: REAL Fathers Initiative

Originally developed and evaluated as a pilot program to prevent harsh discipline of young children and intimate partner violence, REAL engages young men as they enter into fatherhood. This transition point in their life is an opportunity to discuss and engage with different ideas, behaviors, and to develop skills in their relationships. Men in the community are identified by fathers, their partners, and community members to become mentors. Mentors participate in a training and mentor young fathers through home and group visits. Supplemented with a poster campaign to reinforce messages from the mentorship sessions and a community celebration, the program seeks sustained violence prevention in the home and improved family relationships. The pilot program was implemented and evaluated in Amuru District, Northern Uganda from 2013 to 2015. Evidence for prevention of harsh discipline of children, improved parenting practices, reduced intimate partner violence, and improved partner communication and participant's enthusiasm for the REAL Fathers activities led to the scale-up and adaptation of REAL. The adaptation and scale-up included implementation in other regions of Amuru District in Northern Uganda and adaptation of implementation materials for a different cultural community in the Nwoya and Nakapiripirit Districts in the Karamoja region of Uganda. The scale-up also included addition of a family planning module (home and group mentorship) to increase knowledge and demand for modern family planning, revisions to the guidelines for a lower-literate community, and integration in existing development programs (a livelihood program in Northern Uganda and early childhood development centers in Karamoja). The REAL Fathers Mentor Discussion Guide is a core material associated with the REAL Fathers Initiative Implementation Guidelines. The guidelines and their core materials include the REAL Fathers Implementation Guidelines for Adaptation and Use, which provide guidance on how to prepare for, adapt, and implement REAL Fathers. The REAL Fathers Mentor Training Curriculum is a training curriculum for mentors, while the REAL Fathers Mentor Discussion Guide is a session-by-session guide for mentors to use in home and group mentoring sessions. Examples of session-by-session posters are included in this guide. The REAL Fathers Mentor Resource Sheets are brief guides that highlight main points from each session for mentors to use during mentoring sessions. The REAL Fathers Initiative engages young men as they enter into fatherhood, providing them with the opportunity to discuss and engage with different ideas, behaviors, and to develop skills in their relationships. The program seeks sustained violence prevention in the home and improved family relationships through mentorship sessions, poster campaigns, and community celebrations. The REAL Fathers Mentor Discussion Guide is a key component of the program, providing mentors with the necessary tools and resources to effectively mentor young fathers. The REAL Fathers Initiative has been implemented and evaluated in various regions of Uganda, including Amuru District, Northern Uganda, and the Karamoja region. The program has demonstrated evidence of prevention of harsh discipline of children, improved parenting practices, reduced intimate partner violence, and improved partner communication and participant's enthusiasm for the REAL Fathers activities. The program's success has led to its scale-up and adaptation, with the addition of a family planning module and revisions to the guidelines for a lower-literate community.