Understanding Child Time Use

An Introduction to a Measurement Tool

Why Measure How Children/Youth Spend Their Time?

– Program placement• Are those children/youth you are trying to reach in school?• Are they working?• What other activities are they engaged in?• What activities are important to them? What do they want to do?• What is their living environment (home, street)?

– Access and Safety• What routes do they take between these places?• How long does travel take?• By what mode?• Is it safe for them? Safe for you?

Introduction to a Participatory Rapid Appraisal Tool

•Key Elements– Informed consent: parents/caregivers and youth– Selecting places where they spend time– Mapping their community– Linking the places: routes, transport modes, time– Allocating time spent per location– Expressing what activity is most important to them

PRA Tool Sampling and Setup

•Understand your target population•Modify tool appropriately•Mixed-gender or single-gender groups?•Supplies – depend on age and final PRA protocol– Poster board or large paper– Photos, drawings of places or blanks for group

identification– Markers, pens– Tokens to represent time (e.g., one token=one hour)

•Capable, friendly facilitator

Map

Sample Results Table

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

6:00-7:00 a.m. House House House House House House House

7-8 Madrasa School School School School School Madrasa

8-9 Madrasa School School School School School Madrasa

9-10 Madrasa School School School School School Madrasa

10-11 Madrasa School School School School School Madrasa

11-12 noon House House House House House House House

12noon- 1 House Masjid Masjid Masjid Masjid Masjid House

1-2 pm Madrasa School School School School School Madrasa

2-3 pm Madrasa School School School School School Madrasa

3-4 pm Seaweed farming Playground Playground Playground Playground Playground Seaweed farming

4-5 pm Playground House House House House House Playground

5-6 pm Masjid Masjid Masjid Masjid Masjid Masjid Masjid

6-7 pm Masjid Masjid Masjid Masjid Masjid Masjid Masjid

Tallied Results

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

House 13 14 14 14 14 14 14

Madrasa 6 0 0 0 0 0 6

Masjid 3 3 3 3 3 3 2

Playground 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

School 0 6 6 6 6 6 0

Seaweed Farm 1 0 0 0 0 0 1

Total 24 24 24 24 24 24 24

Drawing of “most important activity”

Power of Mixed Methods

– Time tables– Maps– Drawings

•These tools enable us to see the complex system in which young people live. This in turn enables us to design appropriate, targeted interventions to meet their needs.