LIFE SKILLS EDUCATION

TOPIC1 INTRODUCTION TO LIFE SKILLS

1.1 Definition:
 Life skills refer to the knowledge one acquires through learning or experiences that can be used to
address everyday challenges.
 It is the psychosocial competence that enables an individual to develop adaptive behaviors to deal with
challenges and the demands of life.
1.2 Importance of life skills

 Translate knowledge, attitude, skills and values into action

 Behave responsibly and this leads to healthy living

 Develop positive attitude towards themselves and others

 Develop full potential

 Promote the state of mental well-being as this motivates them and others

 Promote risk free behavior

 Communicate effectively

 Develop negotiation skills

 Improve self-perception

 Building self confidence

 Building self esteem

 Building self-worth

1.3. Categories of life skills

Life skills can be classified into the following:

a. Skills in knowing oneself and living with oneself i.e. skills in self awareness and self-esteem.
b. Skills of knowing oneself and living with others e.g. assertiveness, empathy and sympathy and
relationship skills.
c. Skills in problem solving and decision making
Skills in knowing oneself and living with oneself

A skill in self awareness helps people to know who they are e.g. aggressive, passive or assertive

Self esteem also contributes in knowing oneself.

Skills in knowing oneself and living with others

Life skills help the person to acquire skills in relating with others e.g. relationship skills, conflict
management, stress management and assertiveness.

Skills in problem solving and decision making

Life skills equip individuals with skills to make correct decisions e.g. good time management, critical and
creative management.

1.4. Benefits of life skills to an individual

a. Helps in addressing the challenges of life

b. Helps to encourage individuals to appreciate themselves
c. Helps in the correct career choices
d. Helps in building discipline among individuals
e. Helps in giving equality in treatment to others
f. Helps in managing stressful situations
g. Helps in building healthy relationships.

NB Life Skills Education has long term benefits to the society. These include educational, social, health,
cultural and economic benefits:

1. Education sector
 It helps the adolescent/youth to address personal problems
 Helps to improve on the relation between the learner and the teacher
 Helps to improve on performance
 Helps the learner to understand his/her talents and abilities
 Helps in the correct career choice
2. Economic sector
 Helps to address the problem of unemployment by encouraging their youth to exploit their talents
 Helps to encourage self-employment by engaging in useful activities
 Helps to improve on performances of employees through skills in decisions making, time management
and stress management.
3. Health sector
 It helps in addressing diseases that may result from lifestyle changes
 Helps to empower the youth to acquire skills, avoid consumption and use of drugs.
 Through education on HIV/AIDs one is able to offer best care and protection to both those affected and
infected.
4. Cultural sector
 Culture refers to a people’s way of life controlled by values and beliefs
 Life skills help in appreciating the various cultures and appreciating them.
 It helps in development of one’s culture.
5. Social benefits

 Improves the socialization process among learners such as relating to others in a friendly way
 Enables learners to choose good and reliable friends
 Helps learners to use their leisure time properly assists learners to recognize and avoid risky situations
 Bring about meaningful interaction among learners, teachers and the school community
 Helps in character building.
1.5. Living values and our lives
Values of life refer to the principles that govern the behavior of a person. Values help an individual to
develop a certain behavior or life skills.
Types of life values
Love
It is defined as happiness with oneself and others. It helps in developing skills in assertiveness, empathy
towards others.
A heart that has love is able to accommodate. Selfless love is truly unlimited; it forgets and forgives the
weakness and sees only beauty and specialties in everyone
Tolerance
It helps in accommodating others and accepting them. It brings about fairness in the treatment of others and
accepting other people whether we like them or not. Only when you are contented internally can there be
tolerance when you are not contented then just like a mother who has love for her child, there is no limit to
tolerance.
Respect
It means to appreciate other people’s existence.
Respect enables one to avoid discrimination of others or unfair treatment.
Responsibility
This means to take part or play a role in a given situation for proper decision making or problem solving all
the party concerned must be responsible
Simplicity
This refers to approaching a given situation with the means available without complicating matters.
It aids in ensuring that the problem gets to be addressed using the means available dialogue can be used to
end a conflict instead of violence.
Cooperation
It involves cooperating team work with others.
It helps to encourage good performance and decision making through the contribution of many.
It is based on faith, love, trust and understanding. It is not a bargaining game, in which one person’s
success is achieved at the expense of another’s Real cooperation takes place when there are good wishes
and pure feelings for each other. The highest cooperation is to partake of God’s task; and in return He will
cooperate with you forever
Honesty
This means truthfulness to oneself, it makes a person to accept reality and acknowledge who they are.
One who is honest will not tell about others but about themselves.
Humility
It means to be humble and it helps people to treat others with dignity and also be ready to learn from
mistakes.
Unity
This means oneness and it aids individuals to work together towards a common goal.
It helps in the improvement of performance of an organization towards a given goal.
Freedom
It helps to make a person feel free to do what is right.
It helps to avoid bad behavior resulting from the negative peer influences and pressure.
Peace
It means to be free and happy. It helps a person to interact positively with others and also achieve a set
objective.
It consists of positive thoughts, pure feelings and good wishes To have peace you need patience When you
are peaceful, you create an can transform a person, from weak to powerful, it makes difficult things easy
heavy things light To remain happy and share happiness with others is the greatest act of charity No matter
what happens, your happiness should not be lost.
Benefits of core living values
 Values bring happiness in life
 Values are the treasure of life, making humans wealthy and rich
 A life filled with values is a life of self-respect and dignity
 Values bring independence and freedom
 They expand the capacity to be self-sufficient
 They liberate one from external influences
 They offer protection and those who get it are able to share with others
 Values bring empowerment and remove weaknesses and defects
 They open the heart and transform human nature so that life is filled with compassion and humility
 Students also thrive in a value-based atmosphere in a positive, safe environment of mutual respect and
care. Where students are regarded as capable of learning to make socially conscious choices.
1.6 Relationships between life skills and living values
1) They both assist in personal development- Living values provide principles and tools for development
of the whole person recognizing that the individual is comprised of the physical, intellectual, social,
emotional and spiritual dimension.
2) They both help one to achieve goals in life
3) Life Skills Education is best enhanced by living values.
4) They both help one to be responsible
5) A person’s values help to define who he/she is and help determine the choices he/she makes so it helps
in decision making
Questions
1. Identify and explain five values of life skills
2. Explain the importance of life skills to a learner
3. Explain the benefit of life skills in the given areas health sector, educational sector and cultural
sector.
4. Identify two categories of life skills and explain their benefits
5. Identify two values that can contribute to living positively with other people.
6. Identify three behaviors that you possess and three values that contribute to that.
TOPIC2. SELF-AWARENESS
2.1 Definition of terms
1. Self-awareness-This refers to the ability of an individual understanding himself/herself in terms of
abilities, weaknesses and behavior.
It is an area of life skills which refers to the psychological state which people are aware of their behavior,
feelings and trait.
It refers to the realization of oneself e.g. being able to understand one’s potential weakness, strength and
also identify with other people in terms of gender, character and behavior.
2. Self-description
This entails being able to describe who you are in terms of feeling, gender, culture, profession or education.
3. Self-assessment
This refers to evaluating oneself e.g. likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses, emotional level,
character, achievements and failures.
2.2 Types of self-awareness
a. Public awareness
b. Private awareness
Public awareness
It occurs when people are aware of how they appear to others. It compels one to adhere to the social norms.
It can also cause anxiety based on how people perceive you.
Private awareness
It happens when people become aware of some aspects of themselves. It is also known as being self-
conscious (self efficacy)
2.3 Benefits of self-awareness to an individual
1. It enables one to control his or her emotions
2. It helps a person to appreciate and love his or her self
3. Helps in building courage
4. Helps in enjoying positive interpersonal relations
5. Helps in re-directing negative thoughts
6. Helps having the ability to make the right decisions in different situations
7. Helps one to understand themselves (strengths and weaknesses)
8. Helps to overcome stress
9. Helps improve on the personality of an individual.
2.4 Categories of self-awareness
Needs
These are the requirements that a person needs to achieve for survival or self actualization. People are
motivated to portray a certain behavior based on the type of need they want to satisfy. According to
Abraham Maslow theory of motivation, behavior is characterized on the type of need to satisfy. He
developed the theory of hierarchy of needs after a given need is satisfied a person is therefore____
The basic needs are satisfied first followed by secondary. In self awareness, the needs of a person
determine the types of goals.
Habits
This refers to a repeated behavior. Habits are developed based on the goals that one wants to achieve e.g.
hard work or determination.
Personality traits
This refers to the character of a person. Character can be adopted depending on the situation that a person
is in.
A leader can display different characters depending on the circumstances e.g. friendly, outgoing kind and
loving.
Emotions and feelings that can be positive or negative
Through self awareness one is able to take control of emotions to avoid overreacting or decisions.
Values
This refers to the principles that govern the behavior of a person. Through self awareness, one is able to
understand the type of value he/she possess and which type of value they require to have.
2.5. Challenges that hinder the attainment of goals of life
1. Wrong goals. When the goals are not right, one cannot be able to achieve their intended goals.
2. Lack of information or ignorance
3. Having low self belief or motivation
4. Hanging on to past failures
5. Not planning on the activity you want to venture into
6. Lack of focus: focus makes an individual to be committed on the goals they want to achieve.
7. Lack of resources or facilities required e.g. poverty
8. Procrastination: this refers to the postponing of activities. It prevents one from the achievement of
goals within the time limit given.
9. The fear of the unknown prevents one from facing challenges or risk taking.
10. Negative thoughts and opinions.
2.6. Strategies to overcoming challenges in life
1. Focus on goals
2. Set goals can be achieved within the resources available
3. Believe in yourself
4. Use role models or mentors
5. Aims at completing the set goals
6. Set reminders to enable you achieve your goals on time
7. Have a mission and a vision in life. A vision is an oversight of a statement of a way you want to be
or what to achieve in a given point. It helps to inspire an individual to have a dream to achieve. To
 develop a vision, one must have values positive in achieving them e.g. respect, honesty. Mission is
defined as what on purpose to do. It should describe what it exactly that you do is.
Questions
1. Illustrate the differences between mission and vision, self-description and self-assessment.
2. Explain the benefits of self awareness in helping the youth to handle the following areas:
i) Drugs and substance abuse
ii) Poor performance
iii) Wrong career choices
iv) Wrong choices of friends
3. Explain the three areas self-awareness giving an example for each.
TOPIC3. SELF ESTEEM
3.1 Definition
This refers to how an individual perceives him/herself. It is the use of psychology to reflect a person overall
emotional evaluation of his/her own values.
3.2. Types of self-esteem
 Low self-esteem
 High self-esteem
Low self-esteem
This refers to a feeling of dislike or lack of love on oneself. It indicates that an individual does not
appreciate their own work.
Causes of low-self esteem
 Too much criticism from others
 Listening to what people say about you which is negative
 Child abuse
 Poverty
 Past failures and mistakes
 Negligence by parents or caretakers
 Negative judgment by others e.g. on personality or looks
 Disabilities
 When one does not appreciate him/herself
 By comparing yourself to others.
 Bullying
 Trauma
Signs of low self esteem
 They do not like talking about their own feelings or challenges
 They are introverts i.e. they do not like socializing
 They fear leadership roles
 They do not contribute opinions to decision making
 They do not care about their looks
 They have poor self expression
 They fear criticism
 They are likely to be mistreated by others
 They are easily influenced by their peers
 They are not happy about their _________ of achievement
Effects of low self-esteem
1. One feels better about him/herself
2. They have got poor performance
3. They are likely to be influenced into drug addiction or criminal activities
4. They can engage easily in risky behavior e.g. early sex and unwanted pregnancies
5. They see themselves as failures and give up easily
6. They lack interest in physical activities e.g. games
7. They are easily stressed up since they do not share problems and fear challenges
8. They do not interact with others
9. They are possessed in doing what is right
High self esteem
This refers to valuing a person’s work and appreciating oneself
Causes of high self esteem
 positive recognition with others
 Positive performance
 Encouragement by others
 Positive attitude towards life
 Care and protection offered by others.
 Good performance
 Achievements in life
Signs of high self-esteem
 Good self expressions
 They feel good about themselves
 They are achievers
 They are outgoing and sociable
 They share their problems with others
 They like defending their rights
 They are ambitious
 They like taking up challenging tasks
 They make independent decisions without being influenced by others
 They believe in their own abilities and are like to take up leadership roles
3.3. Ways of boosting self-esteem
1. Learn to relate with others
2. Do not hang onto past failures and mistakes
3. Understand your strength and weakness and make an improvement on areas of weakness
4. Do what makes you happy and motivate you.
5. Appreciate who you are no matter the strength and weakness
6. Focus on your goals and achieve them
7. Use role models and mentors to improve
3.4. Values associated to high self esteem
1. Love. It helps in appreciating oneself
2. Tolerances. It helps in overcoming challenges in life
3. Responsibility. It enables individuals to play their roles in boosting their self esteem and that of others
4. Independent. To boost self esteem, one must be independent in their thoughts, opinions and decision
taken. Independence also makes them to be who they are.
5. Humility. Encourages a person to learn from his/her own mistakes and move forward.
Questions
1. Identify some of the factors that may result to low self esteem among others.
2. Explain how you would advise an individual to boost their own self esteem.
TOPIC4 STRESS MANAGMENT
4.1. Definition of terms:
 Stress-This refers to the body’s reaction to a new change which affects it. It is an individual’s response
to overwhelming internal and external demands. When people are stressed they are unable to respond
appropriately to challenging issues and situations. Examples of causes of stress among the young
people include: academic pressure, rejection by peers changes taking place in their bodies (biological,
physical and mental), poor communication in the family and death of loved ones.
 Stress management: “set of techniques and programs intended to help people deal more
effectively with stress in their lives by analysing the specific stressors and taking positive actions
to minimize their effects.
4.2 Causes of stress
 Excessively high workloads, with unrealistic deadlines making people feel rushed, under pressure and
overwhelmed.
 Insufficient workloads, making people feel that their skills are being underused.
 A lack of control over work activities.
 A lack of interpersonal support or poor working relationships leading to a sense of isolation.
 People being asked to do a job for which they have insufficient experience or training.
 Difficulty settling into a new promotion, both in terms of meeting the new role's requirements and
adapting to possible changes in relationships with colleagues.
 Concerns about job security, lack of career opportunities, or level of pay.
 Bullying or harassment.
 A blame culture within your business where people are afraid to get things wrong or to admit to making
mistakes.
 Weak or ineffective management which leaves employees feeling they don't have a sense of direction,
or over-management, which can leave employees feeling undervalued and affect their self-esteem.
 Multiple reporting lines for employees, with each manager asking for their work to be prioritised.
 Failure to keep employees informed about significant changes to the business, causing them uncertainty
about their future.
 A poor physical working environment, e.g. excessive heat, cold or noise, inadequate lighting,
uncomfortable seating, malfunctioning equipment, etc.
 Conflict at work can also be a common area of stress
 Changes in life style
 Opportunistic diseases as diabetes, HIV/AIDS
4.3 Effects of stress to an individual
1. Skin disorders e.g. rushes or acne
2. Headaches
3. Backache
4. Stomach disorder
5. Lack of motivation in performing activities
6. Isolation from others
7. Poor nutrition i.e. over eating or under eating
8. Overspending
9. Engaging in immorality
10. Poor performance
11. Depression or stroke
12. Insomnia
4.4 Ways of coping with stress
● Recognizing onset of stress
● Identifying cause of stress
● Improving self-awareness skill
● Engaging in physical exercises
● Talking to a trusted friend
● Setting realistic goals
● Good time management
● Engaging in positive leisure activities
● Being assertive
● Choosing and keeping good friends
● Making rational decisions
● Nurturing personal values
4.5 Values related to positive stress management
1. Love. The love that the person has for themselves encourages positive reactions to problems in order to
avoid situations that can lead to stress.
2. Happiness. To avoid being stressed up, one should be able to participate in activities that make them
happy.
3. Tolerance. It helps to accommodate problems and pressure to avoid getting stressed.
4. Cooperation . Cooperation with others help to reduce stress by sharing problems with them
5. Unity. It is also encourages better relations with others to avoid conflict with them which can lead to
stress.
Questions
1. Identify five which persons can handle stress in a manner that is considered not right.
2. Explain how the following can be managed to avoid stress:
- Low self-esteem
- HIV/AIDS
- Drug addiction
- Poor performance
 3. Mary stays with her mother in one of the slum areas. Her mother is single and unemployed. She
therefore sells illicit brews and drugs to sustain her family. Some of her customers stay up to very
late which makes Mary not to go to bed on time or do her homework. She also suffers from
harassment from the male customers.
a. Identify the type of stress that Mary experiences
b. What advice would you give Mary in order to manage her stress?
c. What rights are Mary denied?
TOPIC 5 COPING WITH EMOTIONS
5.1. Definition of Emotion: This is a subjective, impulsive response to a situation. It is devoid of
logical reasoning and can be unpredictable. Emotions can be evoked in an individual by good or bad
news delightful or sorrowful situations. One’s mental thought can also evoke emotions. Emotions are
strong feelings in response to situations, issues and needs. These may cause mood swings in children
and young people in their various developmental stages. Such emotions include: love fear, anger,
shyness, and self-doubt.
5.2 Types of Emotions
 Good feelings: these are feelings that result to positive reaction and behavior e.g. excitement,
happiness or motivation.
 Bad feelings: they bring about negative reactions and behavior towards others and situations e.g.
violence or abuse.
Causes of good feelings
1. Good performance
2. Personal achievements
3. Positive recognition by others
4. Good news
5. Positive self esteem
6. Awards or rewards that are received
Causes of bad feelings
1. Human abuse e.g. forced labor
2. Poor performance
3. Poverty
4. Addiction to drugs
5. Low self esteem
6. Bad news.
5.3 Emotional Intelligence
This refers to the act of being able to control one’s emotions. It is the act of applying stress management
and good decision making in order to address conflicts without being emotional.
It also refers to what enables a person to react to a particular situation through reasoning without being
carried away by emotions.
Benefits of Emotional Intelligence
1. It allows one to reason out their actions
2. It helps address conflict between people without getting violent e.g. through the use of dialogue and
communication
3. It enables proper management of stresses e.g. it helps to control reacting to stressful situations
through displacement.
4. It helps to avoid engaging in risky behaviour as a means of managing stresses e.g. drug addiction
5.4 Feelings that resolve risky behaviour
1. Negligence by others
Negligence by others can resolve to suicidal cases, bitterness of low self-esteem.
2. Discrimination by others due to physical disabilities or terminal illness
It resolves to being aggressive, arrogant and hatred for others.
3. The feeling of not being appreciated for who you are by too much criticism
It can lead to non-performance drug addiction or maladapted behaviour.
5.5 Managing Emotions
 Identify the problematic emotion
 Analyse underlying cause of emotion
 Reflect on the effect on self and others
 Weigh capacity to handle emotions
 Seeking guidance/counselling
 Delaying action
 Self-distraction
 Walking away
 Expressing emotion through writing,
NB: Fighting/physical confrontation, verbal confrontation is a negative way of managing emotions and
should be discouraged.
5.6 Values related to emotional intelligence
1. Respect
It is required when reacting to a particular emotion in order not to give a bad picture to others and also to
earn their respect.
2. Tolerance
It helps to avoid overreacting towards others or situations e.g. in a quarrel one is able to avoid their words
3. Humility
It encourages learning on ways to manage emotions through the other peoples experiences, one’s
experiences and role models.
4. Peace
It helps to promote good relations with others and also to avoid bad feelings.
5. Responsibility
It enables individuals to play their roles in managing their emotions
Quiz
1. Explain the benefits of emotional intelligence to a business manager ( 5Marks)
2. Explain the ways in which a person can take control of their emotions
3. Identify two life values that can help in the positive management of emotions.
TOPIC 6 EMPATHY
6.1 Definition of terms
 Empathy
This refers to understanding and sharing of a specific emotional change with another person.
 Sympathy
This is taking a concern for other people and helping them out.
6.2. Importance of emphasizing
1. It helps in making the right decisions by managers which does not affect the workers negatively.
2. It helps in giving assistance to the less fortunate e.g. vulnerable children against child abuse, the
poor and those suffering from illnesses.
3. Helps in understanding other people and their uniqueness
4. It helps in proper child development and upbringing by offering proper care to others by doctors.
5. It helps individual to assist others during sickness or joblessness.
6.3. Values associated with empathy
1. Responsibility
It considers that each individual should be responsible in empathizing with others.
2. Respect
It is concerned with considering each individual as important without discriminating people with
disabilities or problems and helping them out.
3. Love
It brings about equality in treatment of others by empathizing with their situations.
 4. Kindness
It makes individual to extend generosity and help to others.
5. Cooperation
It enables all the stake holders to work together to ensure that people who require help get the
assistance needed. The government participate by enacting laws and the community ensures that the
laws are implemented.
6. Tolerance
It is the ability to assist other people in case of problems and accommodating them no matter the
opinions, status, background or physical challenges.
Quiz
1. Explain how a doctor can express empathy to a patient
2. Explain how you can practise empathy to a person with any of the following:
a. HIV/AIDS
b. Devil worship
c. Gay relationship.
TOPIC7. ASSERTIVENESS
7.1 Definition of Assertiveness
Means standing up for your personal rights - expressing thoughts, feelings and beliefs in direct, honest and
appropriate ways.
It is the ability to stand up for one’s rights and also fight for the rights of others
It is important to note also that:
By being assertive we should always respect the thoughts, feelings and beliefs of other people.
Those who behave assertively always respect the thoughts, feelings and beliefs of other people as well as
their own.
Assertiveness concerns being able to express feelings, wishes, want and desires appropriately and is an
important personal and interpersonal skill. In all your interactions with other people, whether at home or at
work or colleagues, assertiveness can help you express yourself in a clear, open and reasonable way
without undermining your own or others’ rights.
Assertiveness enables individuals to act in their own best interests, to stand up for themselves without
undue anxiety, to express honest feelings comfortably and to express personal rights without denying the
rights of others.
7.2. Characteristics of an Assertive Person
Being assertive involves taking into consideration your own and other people’s rights, wishes, wants, needs
and desires.
Assertiveness means encouraging others to be open and honest about their views, wishes and feelings, so
that both parties act appropriately.
Assertive behaviour includes:
● Being open in expressing wishes, thoughts and feelings and encouraging others to do likewise.
● Listening to the views of others and responding appropriately, whether in agreement with those
views or not.
● Accepting responsibilities and being able to delegate to others.
● Regularly expressing appreciation of others for what they have done or are doing..
● Being able to admit to mistakes and apologise.
● Maintaining self-control.
● Behaving as an equal to others.
Those who struggle to behave assertively may find that they behave either aggressively or passively.

7.3. Steps to being assertive

1. By encouraging good communication with others
2. By practising empathy and sympathy in order to treat other people fairly.
3. By acquiring good decision making skills
4. By promoting or boosting high self-esteem in order to defend yourself
5. By being self-assured
6. Practising good stress management strategies.

7.4 Importance of assertiveness

1. It helps in building self confidence

2. Promotes communication (self-expression)
3. It resolves to good decision making
4. Helps to reduce stress through better ways of addressing problems
5. It helps to boost a high self esteem
6. It helps in sympathizing with other people
7. It helps to improve on performance through believing in one’s ability.
8. It helps in the achievement of life goals.
7.5 Differences between Assertiveness and Aggressiveness
Aggressiveness Assertiveness
Involves violence and arrogance Involves resolving conflict without engaging in
violence.
 They are selfish and ego-centric Are generous and selfless (mind about others)
They like abusing other people’s right They mind about other people’s feelings and
treat them fairly
They make autocratic decisions without Democratic approach is preferred in decision
consulting making
Prefer dictatorship rule and see themselves on They prefer team work with others no matter
top of others their position

They are outspoken and may use abusive words They freely express opinions but watch their
words.
They are not likely to defend other people’s They protect their rights as well as the rights of
rights or help them out of their problems others and give assistance to them.

Eliminate/Skip
7.6 Differences between aggressiveness and passiveness
Aggressiveness Passiveness

Very arrogant and like violence They shy off from others and are not violent

They like using rude and abusive words They carefully watch their words and rarely talk

They like to lead other people They fear leadership roles and prefer to be
controlled by others

They display high levels of high self-esteem They display high levels of low self esteem

They prefer making decisions without including They do not participate in decision making or give
other people’s opinions their views or opinions

They are quite outspoken and they communicate They are reserved i.e. keep their opinions to
freely themselves.

They are likely to abuse the rights of others They are likely to be controlled and be mistreated.

7.7 Values relevant to assertiveness

Love
It promotes the following:
 - Equality in treatment of others
- Helps one to appreciate who they are and believe in their own abilities
Respect
In order to protect other people’s right; one must have the value of respect for other people rights.
It helps a person to behave right in order to earn respect from others
Cooperation
It is necessary in order to defend the rights of other people; we should be carried out as a team.
Simplicity
This refers to addressing issues using the resources available in order e.g. to fight for human rights the
community around should participate.
Honesty
One should be honest with him/herself in order to understand their personality in order to have the right
changes required.
Quiz
 Using a table, illustrate the differences between passive, aggressive and assertive characters
 Illustrate the differences between peer pressure and influences
 Outline three situations in a work environment where peer influences and pressure can affect
employee’s performances.
 Identify three life values relevant to assertiveness and explain which assertive character they can
contribute to.
 Explain how one can avoid pressure resulting to the following:
a. Negligence of duty at work
b. Poor performance
c. Use of drugs
d. Engaging in unhealthy relations
TOPIC8. NEGOTIATIONS
8.1. Definition
This refers to having an agreement or understanding between the parties involved.
It refers to a process whereby parties are able to form an agreement or deal.
It refers to methods that can be used in order to create an agreement between people.
8.2. Negotiation techniques
These are the methods applied in order to create an understanding or agreement between two people.
a. Dialogue
This refers to a conversation held between two or more people.
It enables creating understanding people leading to agreements between them
b. Communication
This refers to exchange of ideas and opinions which results to understanding between people. It can be
applied in situations to address problems or challenges where those involved agree on the opinions
exchanged.
c. Diplomacy
It involves having good relationship with others through respect to other people and use of courtesy.
It is used to promote good relationship between countries through hospitality and respect.
d. Win and win method
The parties involved are both able to gain from the agreement or decisions that have been made e.g. in the
equal sharing of the property between partners.
e. Compromising/ the lose and lose method
Parties are able to sacrifice both their desires in order to reach an understanding that is good for all e.g.
both do not stand gain out of the agreements made.
f. Win and lose method/competing
The agreement that is made results to a party gaining from the agreement and the other one losing out e.g.
in arbitration there is competition between parties concerned where one stands to lose and the other gains.
8.3. Importance of Negotiation
a. It helps in addressing a conflict without getting violent
b. It helps to improve working relations between employees and the management
c. It helps promote team work between people
d. It helps to improve performance
e. It helps to develop healthy relations between persons
8.4. Situations that require negotiation
a. When addressing a conflict
b. When addressing complaints for customers
c. When making decisions- in an organization, decisions can be made through the following:
- Autocratic/authoritarian approach
Decisions are made by one person without consulting others
Advantage
Decisions are made faster which can be useful in addressing emergencies
Disadvantage
The decision is not likely to be acceptable to many since it only has the opinion of one person
- Democratic Approach
 The manager consults the others before making decisions
Advantage
Employees are likely to accept the decision made because they are also involved.
Disadvantage
It is not suitable for addressing emergencies since the process may delay.
d. When entering into a business transaction
e. When addressing relationship problems
8.5. Values related to negotiating
a. Responsibility
The value of responsibility is important in negotiating since it enables all the parties involved to
give their input and contribution to the process.
b. Cooperation
The negotiation process requires team work between the parties concerned in order to succeed.
Each party should ensure that they work towards reaching an agreement.
c. Tolerance
Parties involved in negotiating should be tolerant and accommodative in order to compromise for
the sake of reaching an agreement.
d. Honesty
This promotes trust between parties involved in an agreement in order to create good understanding
between them.
e. Respect
The value of respect is concerned with appreciating the different opinions given during the process
of negotiating.
Quiz
a. Explain three reasons why people require to negotiate in a business organization
b. Identify any three techniques of negotiating and give situations where they can apply
c. Explain the benefits of negotiating with the subordinate staff as a business manager
d. Identify two values relevant to negotiating and explain their contribution to the process.
TOPIC9. NON-VIOLENT CONFLICT RESOLUTION
9.1 Definition of terms
 Conflict-refers to a disagreement or lack of understanding between parties
 Conflict management-refers to the methods used to handle a conflict or conflict situation e.g.
violence
 Non-violent conflict resolution-refers to other strategies that can be used to resolve a conflict
without using violence e.g. dialogue or reconciliation.
9.2. Types of conflicts
 a. Between the employer and employee
It can be brought by poor decision making by the manager, poor time management, indiscipline
cases, and intoxication by workers and poor performance.
b. Conflicts between parents and children
This includes favouritism of a particular child, poor communication between the parents and their
children and poor role modelling by parents.
c. Conflict between peers
This is due to jealousy, competition or lack of focus on the goals to be achieved.
d. Conflict between nations
e. Conflict between learners and the teachers

9.3 Causes of conflicts

a. Poor decision making
In business organizations, poor decision making can lead to a conflict between the managers and
employees e.g. when the decisions affect performance or the welfare of the staff.
b. Misunderstanding
Lack of agreement between parties can lead to poor understanding between themselves which ends up in
conflict.
c. Poor stress management
Stressful situations can result to poor control of emotions making one to offend others e.g. violent or
abusive
d. Poor relationship with others
It resolves to poor communication leading to lack of agreement and poor decision making.
e. Lack of trust between parties
Mistrust between parties leads to poor exchange of opinions and lack of agreement.
9.4. Consequences of conflicts
a. It creates a poor working atmosphere.
b. Results to poor communication
c. Leads to lack of team work
d. Poor decision making – conflict will lead to lack of participation by others in the decision making
process leading to decision that are not welcomed by all.
e. It results in poor relationships – lack of agreement between parties will always result to poor
interaction
f. It can lead to violence or war as a means of settling a dispute.
9.5. Institutions that deal with conflict in the society
a. The school
It is used as a channel to address a conflict through competing and arbitration whereby school rules
and policies are applied.
b. Council of elders
The council of elders facilitates settling of a dispute through a dialogue and communication or at
times they apply collaboration and negotiation.
c. Religious institutions
Religious teaching or doctrines can be applied to settle disputes between people. These can be in
form of arbitration and compelling.
 d. Courts
The court of justice utilizes the law of the land found from moral principles, customary laws or
family laws. Arbitration is applied where judgement is passed in accordance to the set laws.
e. The family
A family is described as the basic unit in the society. It is able to resolve a conflict depending on the
type of family i.e. nuclear or extended. They apply accommodating compromise and negotiating.
9.6 Life skills related to conflict management
a. Assertiveness
Encourages fairness in the treatment of others or during negotiating process
b. Skills in good decision making
Promotes trust and understanding between parties
c. Good time management skills
It helps to limit conflicts brought by poor time management between employer and employee
d. Skills in good communication
It enhances understanding through sharing of opinions and ideas in order to reach an agreement and
to make effective decisions.
e. Negotiating skills
It creates better agreement between parties concerned by facilitating understanding between them.
9.7 Conflict management techniques
a. Dialogue
This refers to a conversation held between two or more people. It enables creating understanding
people leading to agreements between them.
b. Diplomacy
It involves having cordial relationship between people through use of courtesy and right protocol to
avoid disagreements. It aids in promoting good relation between many countries.
c. Arbitration
In arbitration, conflicts can be resolved between people by applying a particular law and the
agreement is presided upon by a neutral party (arbitration). It is applied in school, council of elders
or the court of law.
d. Use of good communication between parties at a dispute
Communication refers to the process of exchange of information which brings about good
interaction between people and agreement between them which helps to promote peaceful co-
existence.
e. Conciliation
A neutral party (conciliator) encourages communication between parties at a dispute when they are
not able to communicate with one another which helps in solving the conflict between them. It is
majority used
f. Negotiating
It is a process that will encourage resolving a dispute between people by promoting agreements
between them.
9.8 Life values responsible for conflict management
a. Responsibility
It aids in addressing a conflict whereby parties in a dispute are able to play their roles in ending the
conflict
 b. Cooperation
It is applicable in getting to collaborate with others as a means of resolving a conflict.
c. Tolerance
It enables getting to accommodate others and tolerate circumstances that are not without desires
d. Peace
It brings about happiness between parties and better relations as a means of avoiding conflict
between them.
e. Kindness
f. Humility
TOPIC10. EFFECTIVE DECISION MAKING
10.1. Definition
This is regarded as a cognitive process that resolves to selection of a course of action among several
alternatives.
10.2 Situations that require good decision making
a. In career choices
In order to make the right choice of a career, good decision making is relevant and should be in line
with talent and abilities.
b. In the choice of friends
c. In avoiding peer pressure and influence
d. In avoiding teenage pregnancies
e. In resolving issues with drug addiction
f. In realizing one’s goals and objectives
g. In boosting good performance
h. In order to deal with personal problems such as stress.
10.3 Challenges facing the youth that require good decision making
a. Unemployment
For the youth to address unemployment, good decision making is required so as to engage in some
activities that can help generate an income.
b. Influence from their peers
Negative influence from peers can lead to lack of realization of the set goals and so proper decision
making is required to avoid negative influences.
c. Lack of experience in handling a problem or situation
This leads to poor decision making due to ignorance on how to handle the problem.
d. Lack of support from other people who can guide them in making the right decisions e.g. in sex
education or the use of drugs.
10.4. Factors that influence decision making
a. Knowledge and experience in making decisions
It resolves to poor decision making when one is not able to understand the best approach to use in
making right decisions. Informed decisions can only be made owing to the experience one has in
addressing situations.
b. The uniqueness of the problem
Each problem is unique in the sense that they affect people differently and so different suggestions
can be utilized in addressing them. This require independent decision making without being
influenced by others when trying to address a challenge.
 c. Influence from the environment
Interaction with other people or the type of upbringing that a person has can make him/her to make
the right decisions or not. The environment also has certain factors that will influence the choices a
person makes.
d. Use of role models
Use of role models or mentorship can help to promote better decision making by receiving advice
and knowledge to prompt right decision making.
10.5 Steps to effective decision making
a. Identification of the problem
It is the initial step where one is able to understand the type of problem/challenge experienced.
b. Analyzing the problem situation
This involves trying to understand the effect of the problem or challenge experienced.
c. Identification of alternatives
It involves coming up with possible ways to aid in addressing the challenge.
d. Weighing the options available
The alternatives that have been identified are measured to find out the advantages and limitations in
their use i.e. for each of the alternatives one must be able to understand its impact.
e. Selection of an alternative
The best alternative is selected depending on the resources available and the benefits that it has.
f. Implementation stage
The alternative that had been selected is put into action to aid in addressing the situation.
g. Assessment of the situation
It involves evaluating the situation at hand to find out if it was rightly resolved or not. The process
is repeated if the problem was not addressed properly.
10.6 How to make effective decisions
a. By ensuring that one is emotionally stable when making the decision. Negative emotions can
resolve to overreaction and leads to poor decision making.
b. By applying reasoning anytime a decision is to be made. In reasoning one is able to make a decision
relevant to their objectives and priorities.
c. By avoiding other people’s influences into the decisions on choices that we make.
d. By ensuring that the decision made is relevant to the situation.
e. By having enough knowledge and information on the courses of action to undertake.
f. By employing critical and creative thinking. Critical thinking involves reasoning out our actions
and decisions while creative thinking refers to generating new ideas and formulas to handle a
situation.
10.7 Consequences of not making the right decisions
a. Results to poor performance
b. Leads to lack of reconciliation of goals
c. Can result to risky situations e.g. getting into drug addiction, unwanted pregnancies or engaging in
crime.
d. Can result to stress if the decision made results to other problems.
e. It can lead to a conflict between parties.
10.8 Institutions that make decisions in the community
a. Schools/colleges
 Schools participate in decision making in order to address the following:
- Good performances
- Choice of friends
- To address problems/stress among learners through guidance and counselling
- To address challenges experienced through learning.
b. The family
Decisions are made within the family to aid in addressing conflicts, improvement of relations and
problem solving
c. Peer arbitraries
The peer arbitrators participate in decision making to address conflicts between two persons.
d. Court
They make decisions to end a dispute or conflict by using the laws of the country.
e. The religious bodies
They employ use of religious practises or doctrines to make decisions to end a dispute or promote
agreement between people.
10.9 Life skills related to decision making
a. Good communication skills
In organizations, decisions affecting others can be made effectively by collecting their views and
opinions. This is through good communication which will make the decisions more acceptable to
others.
b. Problem solving skills
In order to make decisions that are relevant to addressing the problem good problem solving skills
are needed.
c. Negotiating skills
People need to negotiate and agree on the decisions they make for team work to be promoted.
d. Assertiveness skills
It helps in ensuring equality and fairness during decision making to avoid making decisions that
affect the people negatively.
10.10 Life values related to decision making
a. Honesty
It encourages truthfulness in the type of action and decision that is made. It guides individuals to
make the right decisions all the time.
b. Integrity
It creates independence in mind whereby choices and decisions are made without negative
influences by others.
c. Kindness
Brings about generosity towards the needy whereby decisions made will help to support the less
fortunate.
d. Peace
It contributes to positive decision making by ensuring that decisions made will lead to peaceful co-
existence with others.
TOPIC11 CRITICAL THINKING
11.1 Definition
It involves the use of rationale in our thoughts in order to come up with better ideas to address a situation.
It involves reasoning during thinking.
11.2 Risky situations that require critical thinking
a. When dealing with drug addiction
b. To reduce the rate of school dropouts
c. In career choices
d. When dealing with personal problems like stress
e. When dealing with unemployment
f. When addressing challenges experienced by the youth e.g. relationship problem or identity
problem.
11.3 Consequences of making decisions before thinking critically
1. Poor performance
2. Stress
3. Poor relationship with others
4. Engaging in risky behaviour e.g. drug addiction
5. Lack of realization of goals
11.4 Values relevant to critical thinking
a. Independence
This refers to being independent in thought when making choices and decisions. It helps in making
decisions based on one’s principles and values.
b. Responsibility
It upholds the fact that one is always responsible for their decision making a person to always make
the right decision.
c. Tolerance
It brings about the possibility to tolerate a problem to avoid rushing over a decision
d. Simplicity
It brings about ease of addressing a situation without complicating matters.
TOPIC12 CREATIVE THINKING
12.1. Definition
It refers to new approaches or new ideas utilized in our thoughts.
12.2 Situations that require creativity in thinking
a. In addressing unemployment, where creativity is needed to come up with an activity to generate an
income
b. In order to attain goals and objectives of life
c. In addressing personal problems
d. To boost good performance
e. It is utilized in order to make effective decision
12.3 Importance of being creative
a. Better decision making
b. To come up with new methods of production
c. It helps in generating business ideas
d. It helps in solving problems e.g. avoiding competition from other businesses
12.4 Consequences of not being creative
a. Poor decision making
 b. It increases unemployment
c. Increases low performance in an organization
d. Results to poor problem solving skills
12.5 Values related to creative thinking
a. Responsibility
It enables a person to generate ideas that can be useful to a situation because they are responsible
for addressing such situations.
b. Tolerance
It enables one to accommodate new situations and changes brought by the new ideas generated so
as to succeed.
c. Integrity
It allows one to stick to their own moral values and principles while making choices or decisions.
TOPIC13 PROBLEM SOLVING
13.1. Definition of terms
 A problem-refers to a situation or challenge that requires to be addressed.
 Problem solving-the process of finding solutions to difficult or complex issues.
13.2 Problem areas that require to be addressed
a. Unemployment
b. Poor performance
c. Lack of attainment of goals
d. Stress
e. Poor relationship with others or relationship problems
f. Economic problems e.g. poverty
g. Physical problems e.g. sickness
13.3 Causes of Problems
a) Poor decision making
b) Lack of goals and objectives to attain
c) Negative peer influences and pressure
d) Stress
e) Scarcity of resources
f) Being discouraged by others
g) Conflict with others
h) Comparing yourself to other people
13.4 Problem solving skills
a. Effective decision making
b. Good communication with others – it encourages sharing of ideas which can help in addressing a
problem.
c. By use of arbitration to address conflict
d. Seeking assistance from others councillors, peers or mentors
e. Practising empathy – it helps in extending assistance to the less privileged
f. Diplomacy- this involves treating other people with respect in order to promote good relationship
with others
g. By negotiating with other people – it is applied where the problem encountered require team work
to address it.
13.5 Values relevant to problems solving
a. Happiness
The alternative selected to address a situation must create happiness to an individual
b. Integrity
An independent decision should be made to address a problem.
c. Responsibility
All persons should take charge to address their issues.
d. Tolerance
The right method should be applied to address a challenge by persons practising tolerance
Quiz
1. Identify two possible causes of problems to an individual
2. Explain how the following methods can be applied to address problems by learners
a. Guidance and counselling
b. Correct choice of friends
c. Consulting of experts
TOPIC14.LEISURE
14.1 Definition of terms
 Leisure-It refers to any activity of pleasure that one can engage in during their free time.
 Leisure time is free time whereby one takes a break from their normal duties
14.2 Types of leisure’s
a. Positive leisure
These are activities of benefit to an individual used for the following benefits.
a. To develop and nurture talents
b. To relieve one off stress
c. To help in socializing with others
b. Negative leisure
These are activities of leisure that result to problems to an individual. They are:
a. Drug use
b. Engaging in crime
c. Unwanted pregnancies
c. Active leisure
It involves a lot of physical activities that help to relieve a body of emotions and keep it in shape
e.g. participating in sports or doing exercises.
d. Passive leisure
It involves minimal physical activities e.g. watching movies or listening to music
14.3 Advantages of leisure
a. To reduce stress by taking a break or rest
b. To manage stress e.g. exercises help to relieve the mind of emotions
c. To keep physically fit e.g. for HIV/AIDS victims exercise promotes better functioning of the body.
d. It helps in developing talents.
14.4 Values related to leisure
a. Happiness
Leisure activities help to develop happiness among individuals by making them relaxed.
b. Independence/Integrity
 It enables one to avoid negative peer influence and pressure into unlawful activities of leisure.
c. Responsibility
To avoid negative leisure one should be responsible and makes a choice of the right activity to
engage in.
d. Tolerance
It calls for perseverance to try and ensure that person’s always engage in the right leisure activities.
e. Respect
The leisure activity should not make a person to lose one’s respect of how they behave.
TOPIC15 TIME MANAGEMENT
15.1 Definition of time management
This refers to the skills of being able to utilize time properly.
15.2 Importance of time management
a. It enables one to engage in leisure activities at the required time
b. It helps one to realise his or her goals and objectives
c. To avoid stress brought by pressure from unlimited time period to complete a task
d. It enables one to perform tasks or duties within the time allocated.
e. It helps to avoid conflict with others due to lateness.
f. Helps to ensure that time wasted is avoided.
15.3 The time wasters/robbers
a. Talking too much
b. Procrastination
c. Over engaging in leisure activities
d. Lack of plan on how to manage time
e. Lack of prioritization of goals
15.4 Values associated with time management
 Responsibility
 Integrity
 Respect
 Corporation
 Honesty

TOPIC16 DRUG AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE

16.1 Definition of terms:
 A drug is any substance that if taken it can bring about a change in the normal functioning of the
body.
 A substance is anything that has a chemical component that can affect the body.
 Drug use refers to the correct usage of drug e.g. according to the prescription on the amount
required.
 Drug abuse refers to the wrong use of the drug (s) e.g. not for the purpose intended or overtaking
the substance.
16.2. Commonly abused drugs
a. Tobacco
b. Marijuana
c. Alcohol
 d. Glue
e. Miraa
16.3. Causes of substance abuse
a. Misuse of leisure time
b. Negative influences from peers
c. Availability of drugs
d. Affordability
e. Laxity in the laws of the government concerning the intake of drugs
f. Stress
16.4 Signs and symptoms of drug and substance abuse
a. Hallucinations (day dreaming)
b. Irresponsible behaviours
c. Engaging in crime for unemployed youth to get a source of income
d. Maladjusted behaviour
e. Changes in the body e.g. change in eye colour,
f. Lack of appetite
g. Being inactive or over active,
h. Being emotional, changes in the colour of the lips, dry skin that is pale or being emaciated.
i. Lack of psych and morale in performance
j. Self neglect e.g. poor hygiene
16.5 Effects of drugs to an individual
a. Lack of reasoning leading to wrong actions
b. Becoming sick e.g. headaches, stomach upset nausea or fatigue
c. Poor grooming
d. Being violent
e. Poor decision making
f. Poor health e.g. body weakness
16.6 Relationship between drug and substance abuse and HIV/AIDS
a. Use of drugs impairs reasoning leading to engage in behaviour that can result to the spread of HIV
virus e.g. sharing of needles when injecting drugs
b. Drug addicts can also engage in prostitution to get money to buy drugs
c. Intake of drugs will affect how much an HIV/AIDS victim is able to respond to treatment.
16.7 Management of drug and substance abuse
a. Rehabilitation of addicts
The rehab centres assists the victims through guidance and counselling to avoid intake of drugs
b. By encouraging the addicts that they can live without the drugs.
c. By introducing education on creating awareness on the negative effects of drugs
d. Seeking treatment or medication by the victims
e. Through reintegration of the addicts into the society.
16.8 Preventive measures to drug and substance abuse
The preventive measures are outlined in three major levels:
a. Primary prevention level
At this level, measures are undertaken in order to avoid intake of drugs
By avoiding negative influences from peers
 By being independent in opinion to avoid being influenced to the use of drugs
Through sensitization on the negative effects of drugs
Through introduction of strict laws concerning use of drugs
b. Secondary prevention level
Refer the user to a guider or a counsellor for advice
Use of rehabilitation centres to make the person transformed
Through treatment of the addict on the possible health conditions
c. Tertiary level
Re-integration
By allowing the addict to become mentors and advising the youth against drug consumption.
16.9 Life skills necessary for the management of drugs and substance abuse
a. High self esteem
It brings out the possibility of avoiding drug and substance abuse due to influence by peers. High
self-esteem encourages one to make independent choices without the influence of others.
b. Self-awareness
This makes one to improve on their capacity to address problems without engaging in the use of
drugs to run away from their problems.
c. Assertiveness
The values of assertiveness involve doing the right thing that benefits an individual and others. It
leads to the control of drug intake, preventing unbecoming behaviour. It also prevents negative
influences into the use of drugs.
d. Good decision making skills
This helps one to avoid misuse of drugs.
e. Good communication with others
Communication with others is a step to addressing problems without necessarily engaging in the
use of drugs to address them.
16.10 Values relevant to drug and substance abuse
a. Respect
The value of respect enables drug users to use the drug wisely so that they do not misbehaviour e.g.
taking the right amount that can help them to reason.
b. Freedom
Freedom means to be independent on the decisions made or actions to be undertaken. It helps to
avoid negative influences into the use of drugs.
c. Integrity
It relates to sticking to one’s principles and moral beliefs. It helps to ensure that individuals are able
to do what is right owing to their moral value.
d. Responsibility
To avoid drug and substance abuse, all stake holders must have the value of responsibility. They
should be concerned with ensuring that drug abuse must not take place.
 The government should come up with strict laws
 Drug addicts should be able to quite or reduce their consumption to manageable levels
 Guidance and counselling should be offered both in schools and at home to avoid the youth
from consuming drugs.
e. Independent
Quiz
a) Outline three reasons to confirm that the laws of the government contribute to high drug
consumption in the country.
b) Identify three reasons why drug intake is higher in the slum areas and among the street urchins.
c) Outline three primary level of prevention of drug and substance abuse among learners
d) Explain how encouraging in exercises on creation of employment for the youth is keen to prevent
drug addiction.
TOPIC17. HIV/AIDS
17.1 Definition of terms:
HIV
It stands for Human-Immune deficiency virus which is a virus that affects the immune system of a human
being making diseases incurable.
AIDS
It is a condition whereby one suffers from HIV related diseases i.e. opportunistic diseases e.g. cancer,
diabetes, pneumonia or heart failure.
CD Count
This refers to the numbers of the HIV virus that have affected the white blood cells.
Serum
This refers to the body fluids. The virus lives in the body fluids and become active.
It is also spread through fluids when one gets into contact with an infected person.
17.2 Ways in which HIV can be transmitted
a. Transmitted through contact of infected body fluids e.g. when sharing a needle/piercing objects
b. Transmission of mother to child during breast feeding or birth.
c. Unprotected sex with an infected person
d. Blood transfusion from an infected person
e. Incorrect use of contraceptives such as condoms
17.3 Signs of HIV/AIDS
Stage 1
 Fatigue
 Constant illnesses e.g. typhoid, malaria or pneumonia9
 Severe Headaches
 Body rashes
 Acne
 Suffering from STI’s
 Boils
 Loss of hair
Stage 2
 Changes in hair colour
 Loss of weight
 Changes in colour of fingers and nails
 Swollen in the parts of the body
 Loss of appetite
 High fever
 Nausea
 Suffering from opportunistic infections
Stage 3
 Being bed ridden
 Impaired reasoning
 Being paralyzed
 Heart conditions
17.4Ways of preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS
1. Use of contraceptives e.g. condoms
2. Abstinence
3. Knowing your status
4. Having one partner
5. Avoid sharing body piercing objects e.g. circumcision knives
6. Blood transfusion should be from those that are not infected.
17.5 Government interventions in the management of HIV/AIDs
a. Introduction of education on HIV/AIDs to make most people aware of ways to prevent it and how it
can be transmitted.
b. Coming up with policies that will help to ensure that access to medication and care for the victim is
made available.
c. The government also invests in VCT centres so as to offer free services relevant to HIV/AIDS
d. Laws on discrimination against the HIV/AIDS victims are also put in place.
e. The government offers free medication for terminal illness and other relevant areas including
HIV/AIDs

17.6 Care and Protection of HIV/AIDS Patients (affected and infected)

a. Care for the affected
- Offer counselling as this helps them accept the victim and extend help when required.
- Informing them about how to prevent them from getting infected.
- Training them on the right diet for the patient
- Encouraging them so as to avoid being stressed
- Advising them on the need to help the victim take the medication and do exercises.
b. Care and protection for the infected
- Offer counselling to make them accept their status and live positively
- Advice on correct dieting and doing exercises
- Encourage the victim to have proper medication
- Advise the victim to join focus groups at the VCT centres where they can advice each other.
- Avoid stigmatization by not discriminating against them
 - Encourage the victim to focus on their mission and vision in life to reduce rate of stress
- Avoid topics that are discouraging concerning the illness.
- Putting measures to ensure that the diseases is not spread to other people
17.7 Dieting for HIV/AIDS
a. For those on ARV’s, plenty of fluids is required
b. Taking a lot of vegetables and fruits
c. A lot of carbohydrates to increase energy in the body
d. Avoid fatty foods
e. Avoid sugary foods
f. Eating of legumes or beans to help build the body
17.8 Life skills relevant to management of HIV/AIDS
a. Good decision making
This is required before any sexual advances to avoid assumption that may result to further spread of
the virus.
b. Assertiveness
This helps individuals to extend help to those affected by the virus e.g. protecting their rights and
giving them proper care and support.
c. Relationship skills
This includes being faithful to one partner and knowing each other’s status.
d. Negotiation skills
Agreements should take place between all stake holders to come up with strategies to end the
spread e.g.:
- Governments should give medical facilities and services required
- The community should end stigmatization
- Sensitization on how the disease can be prevented should be done by all stake holders.
17.9 Values relevant to the prevention of HIV/AIDS
a. Responsibility
It calls upon each individual to be responsible to ensure that the virus does not spread further.
b. Tolerance
It helps accommodate the victims and accept them as part of the community
c. Love
Love for other people contributes greatly to offering proper care to the victims
d. Respect
It helps to ensure that the rights of the victims are protected and are given respect as humans.
e. Empathy and sympathy
Empathy is required by doctors or nurses taking care of the victims for them to understand the need
of giving the correct care and support.
Quiz
1. Explain the benefits of sex education in schools in the prevention of HIV/AIDS
2. Explain some of the initiatives that local leaders should come up with to control the spread of HIV
3. Identify three types of media channels that one can use to educate the community on HIV/AIDS
4. Explain how the following conditions can be managed by those suffering from HIV/AIDS
a. Fatigue
b. Stigmatization
 c. Assertiveness
d. Constant illnesses
TOPIC 18 CHILD LABOUR
18.1 Definition of terms
 A child can be defined as anyone below the age of 18 years.
 Labour refers to any income generating activity that one engages in.
 Child labour refers to the duties given to a child which deprives the child of his/her childhood
because it is beyond their abilities and harmful to their physical and mental development.
 Child work is any duty a child can perform comfortably based on their age and physical ability.
18.2 Forms of child labour
a. Child hawking
b. Herding
c. Working as house helps
d. Child employment in factories
e. Engaging children in sell of drugs
f. Child prostitution
g. Sexual abuse
18.3 Factors that promote child labour
1. Poverty
2. Negligence by parents
3. Laxity in the laws that protect the right of a child
4. Access to minimal services to help protect the rights of a child from the government
5. Irresponsible parents
6. Lack of participation by stakeholders to protect the children
7. Lack of knowledge or ignorance on child labour.
18.4 Ways of eliminating child labour
1. Creating awareness on child labour among the members of the community. This helps to avoid
engaging children in labour.
2. Educating all the stakeholders on the rights of a child. Stakeholders including the children should be
informed about their rights to help them avoid abusing their rights.
3. The local leaders should participate in campaign against child labour within their areas in order to
curb the vice.
4. Laws should be enacted by the government in order to protect children from all forms of labour.
5. Care givers/guardians to orphans must ensure to give proper care to the child
6. The schools are expected to participate in reducing child labour by informing children of their
rights.
18.5 Community awareness on child labour
This refers to making an assessment in order to evaluate the level of understanding or knowledge of the
community on child labour.
1. Identifying any advertisement concerning child labour
2. Identifying the form of child labour practised
3. Interrogate a few children to find out what they do as work
4. Interrogate a few members of the community to understand what activity they involve their children
in.
 5. Involve teachers, parents and the local leaders to sensitizing the community on child labour
6. Enquire from some of the children to understand if the experience any types of child labour.
18.6 Life skills related to child labour
1. Assertiveness
It encourages advocating for the rights of children.
2. Skills in good decision making
The government should come up with strict laws to ensure child labour is eliminated through the
use of good decision making.
3. Skills in empathy
Empathy is necessary to ensure that there is proper treatment of children by members of the family
and community e.g. it helps to extend support for the needy.
4. Problem solving skills
Great problem solving skills is relevant in order to eliminate child labour.
18.7 Values associated with child labour
a. Love
Love for children helps to ensure that they are given the best care and protection.
b. Responsibility
Caregivers and guardians should be responsible to ensure children are provided with their basic
necessities i.e. education or shelter.
c. Respect
It helps to ensure children are respected in the society and given the right treatment
d. Simplicity
As a means of eliminating child labour, simplicity is required in order to ensure that better and
simpler approaches are used to address problems without engaging children in child labour.
Quiz
i. Explain how life skills can help an individual address the problem of child labour
ii. Explain two reasons why ignorance is a leading problem of child labour
iii. Poverty should not be an excuse for carrying out child labour, give your reason to support these
statement.
TOPIC 19 CHILD RIGHTS
19.1 Definition of terms
Child abuse refers to the mistreatment of a child by an adult e.g. child trafficking, peddling by children or
exposing of children to harmful drugs and child labour.
Human rights are the basic privileges accorded to humans no matter their religion or culture.
Child rights they refer to rights that all children should enjoy from all parts of the world without
discrimination.
19.2 Types of human needs
Maslows hierarchy of needs
Physiological needs - these are biological requirements for human survival, e.g. air, food, drink, shelter,
clothing, warmth, sex, sleep.
If these needs are not satisfied the human body cannot function optimally. Maslow considered
physiological needs the most important as all the other needs become secondary until these needs are met.
2. Safety needs - protection from elements, security, order, law, stability, freedom from fear.
3. Love and belongingness needs - after physiological and safety needs have been fulfilled, the third level
of human needs is social and involves feelings of belongingness. The need for interpersonal relationships
motivates behavior
Examples include friendship, intimacy, trust, and acceptance, receiving and giving affection and love.
Affiliating, being part of a group (family, friends, work).
4. Esteem needs - which Maslow classified into two categories: (i) esteem for oneself (dignity,
achievement, mastery, independence) and (ii) the desire for reputation or respect from others (e.g., status,
prestige).
Maslow indicated that the need for respect or reputation is most important for children and adolescents and
precedes real self-esteem or dignity.
5. Self-actualization needs - realizing personal potential, self-fulfillment, seeking personal growth and
peak experiences
19.3 The UN convections on the rights of a child
It stimulates the following:
a. All children are required to enjoy the basic rights of a child no matter their race, culture, gender,
political affiliation and religion.
b. All children have got a right to live.
c. All children must access free basic education
d. Children must get proper medical care when requires
e. Children must be protected from harmful practises or conditions that might be dangerous to them.
f. Children are entitled to family name
g. All children must access basic needs including a balance diet.
h. Children should be allowed to freely interact with others and play with their friends.
i. Children should be allowed to freely express themselves
j. All children must get care and protection from both parents.
19.4 Categories of child rights
a. The survival rights
They are rights that help to promote the survival rates of children such as:
- Right to life
- Right to care and protection from both parties
- Right to access medical care
- Right to a balance diet
- Rights to basic needs like shelter or proper clothing.
 b. Protective rights
They help to prevent the child from harmful practises or danger:
- Protection from harmful influences
- Rights against child trafficking and child labour
- Rights against all forms child abuse.
c. Development rights
They are rights that help a child to develop and become citizen
- Access to free basic education
- Right to nurture and develop their talents.
- Right to appreciate other peoples culture and their own.
- Rights to special education for children with disabilities
d. Participating rights
They help a child to develop to become one that participates in activities of the country and family:
- Right to a family name
- Rights to play with others
- Rights to participate in the activities of culture of other children and their own
19.5Importance of child rights
1. It helps to promote
2. It helps to empower children to become active citizens- enables children to participate both in social
and cultural activities.
3. It motivates children to learning e.g. education makes children to develop become better persons.
4. It helps to promote peaceful co-existence between people e.g. all children should be taught peace,
tolerance and friendship.
5. It helps promote development of ethical understanding e.g. the rights to help to protect the child
against harmful practices making them appreciate bad behaviour.
6. It helps in building social skills and talents through promotion in social activities.
7. It helps to protect children from child labour and abuse e.g. children should be informed about their
rights and allowed to participate in attaining them.
19.6 Forms of child abuse
1. Sexual exploitation
2. Child labour
3. Corporal punishment
4. Negligence by parents
5. Discrimination against children due to their condition
6. Denying children basic necessities like medical care
7. Lack of education
8. Lack of a balanced diet
9. Lack of proper clothing and shelter.
19.7 How to protect the children rights
1. By observing the rights of a child
2. Sensitizing the community on the basic rights of a child
3. Enacting laws to ensure that all children are protected
4. The government provide basic services to all regions without discrimination schools or hospitals.
5. The local leaders must participate to ensure that cases about child abuse are well addressed.
 6. Schools should encourage children to enjoy their rights and make a follow up in case of abuses

19.8 Life skills relevant to the rights of a child

a. Good decision making
In order to promote the rights of a child, good decision making is required to enact laws to protect
children.
b. Emotional intelligence
It helps in controlling emotions when dealing with children in order to treat them right
c. Assertiveness
It encourages participation by the stakeholders concerned to ensure children are protected and well
taken care of.
19.9 Values associated with the promotion of child rights
a. Love
It helps to ensure that children are well protected and well taken care of.
b. Responsibility
It helps to ensure that guardians or parents are responsible enough in taking care of the children by
providing for them.
c. Tolerance
It helps in accommodating and accepting children with special needs without discriminating them.
d. Integrity
It helps to ensure that principles are upheld to promote the rights of a child without being
brainwashed into bad culture.
TOPIC 20 RELATIONSHIPS
20.1 Definition of relationship
The way in which two or more people or things are connected, or the state of being connected.
"the study will assess the relationship between unemployment and political attitudes"
synonyms connection, relation, association, link, correlation, correspondence, parallel, tie-in, tie-up, allianc
: e, bond, interrelation, interconnection;
interdependence of
"the relationship between diet and diabetes"
 the state of being connected by blood or marriage.
"they can trace their relationship to a common ancestor"
synonyms family ties, family connections, blood relationship, blood
: ties, kinship, affinity, consanguinity, common ancestry, common lineage, connection;
technicalpropinquity
"we have evidence here of some direct relationship with the Marquesses of Bath"
 the way in which two or more people or groups regard and behave towards each other.
"the landlord–tenant relationship"
20.2 Types of relationships
a. Parents and their children
b. Peers
c. Siblings
d. Employer and employee
e. Client and service provider
f. Teacher and learner
g. Manager and employees
1. Relationship between parents and their children
It can be positive or negative depending on several circumstances. Parents are able to relate better with
their children through:
- Good communication
- Respect between parents and their children
- Inculcating/practising religious beliefs within the family
- Expressing love to the children without discrimination
- Through discipline both parents and children
Causes of conflicts between parents and their children
a. Irresponsibility
Responsibility requires each individual to perform the roles expected by them
b. Drug and substance abuse
Drug use should be done appropriately to avoid conflict between persons
c. Poor communication between parents and their children
Poor communication can result in misunderstanding leading to conflict
d. Poor stress management
Poor management of stress can result to conflict e.g. by displacing anger to other people
2. Relationship between clients and the service providers
For good business, there has to be positive relationship between the clients and the service providers
How to promote good relationship between the client and the service provider
Customer
A customer refers to one who buys or purchases products/services from an organization
Customer care
This is the concept on how to treat a customer in a manner that one wishes to be treated.
Customer services
It is the provision of services to customers before, during or after purchase.
Public Relations
It is a strategic communication process that builds a good relationship between the business and the client.
Interpersonal skills
They are skills and communications used to relate with others better.
The following interpersonal skills can easily be used:
- Courtesy
- Hospitality
- Good appearance and grooming. This helps to promote a positive image both of the
organization and the workers handling the client
- Use of polite language
- By promoting positive interactions with others
- Being friendly
Intra-personal skills
They are skills that enable people to easily interact and share information between them. It can be achieved
through the following:
a. Good communication skills (ability to exchange information freely)
b. Good listening skills i.e. empathetic listening which encourages one to understand the information
given from the senders point of view
 c. By expressing positive relations with others
Benefits of customer care services
1. It helps to win the customers loyalty
2. It is a cheaper means of advertisement
3. To promote better relationship between the client and service provider
4. Helps in addressing complaints from customers
5. It helps in giving information about services or product offered by the organization.
Benefits of public relations
1. It helps to make the organization known to the public and what it offers
2. It is a cheaper way to advertise
3. It promotes the survival of the business
4. It helps in improving the relationship between the company and the potential clients
5. It promotes the image of the organization to the public
Problem solving and decision making
Problems between the clients and service provider can be addressed through skills in problem solving and
decision making.
Clients can complain about the following:
 Low quality of products
 High prices of products
 Damaged goods
 Poor service delivery
 Non-delivery of goods
Problem solving involves using the right alternative from those available to address a situation from those
available.
Strategies to address problems from clients
1. Encourage good communication with the client to understand the problem
2. Treat the customers as important
3. Be courteous and hospitable
4. Be an empathetic listener
5. Always offer a solution to the problem whether justified or not

20.3 How to develop a healthy relationship between parents and their children
1. Parents must provide for their children to appear responsible
2. Emotional intelligence must be practised by both parents and children to handle the problems
between them
3. Communication should be enhanced especially on sensitive matters like relationship with the
opposite sex.
4. Parents must teach their children how to be responsible
5. Parents must guide their children to become religious.
20.4 Life skills relevant in promoting good relationship between people
1. Negotiating skills to enhance understanding between people
2. Skills in relationships between people to promote better interaction
3. Assertiveness skills. It helps in standing out for others or helping out the underprivileged
4. Skills in leadership to promote good relationship between manager and their subordinates
 5. Skills in good decision making to help in the choice of friends
6. Skills in problem solving to promote better conflict management.
20.5 Values associated with good relationship
1. Love – it helps in appreciating others
2. Tolerance – it helps in accommodating others no matter their limitations
3. Respect – it helps in bringing about peaceful co-existence with others
4. Responsibility – it brings about ease of addressing problems in a relationship by each of the party
contributing towards finding a solution to the problem.

TOPIC 21 GENDER EDUCATION

21.1 Definition of terms
Gender refers to the role performed by individuals depending on whether they are male or female.
Gender is determined by the values and beliefs of a society.
Sex is the physical characteristics that define male or female.
Agents that perpetuate gender
a) The school
The school brings about a distinction between the male and female gender uniform, fairness in
treatment and duty allocation
b) The laws of the government
Customary laws tend to favour people from a given gender
c) The society
The society promotes gender inequality by coming up with a code of behaviour and roles expected
of males and females.
d) Family
It determines the role to be performed by specific gender of children and how they should behave.
GENDER STEREOTYPING
This refers to preconceived ideas concerning gender which may not be true. They can determine specific
roles performed by the various genders and behaviour expected by them e.g. men should not cook, women
should not climb trees or women should not take up leaders roles.
Effects of gender to the life of an individual
a. Inequality between persons brought by favouritism for a given gender type
b. It denies equal opportunity for employment
c. It promotes human abuse e.g. domestic violence
d. It leads to career choices.
Ways of eliminating gender discrimination
a. By introducing gender education
The introduction of gender education in learning institutions helps to create awareness in the
equality of gender.
b. Use of affirmative action
Affirmative action gears towards promoting equality in gender in terms of sharing of opportunities
in employment, education and leadership.
c. The use of feminism
The feminism theory helps to promote the rights of women who are considered less privileged in
the society. It was formed to address challenges affecting women e.g. FGM, domestic violence,
early marriages and being denied opportunity for leadership.
d. Through government initiative to enact laws to promote equality in gender e.g. the laws promote
equal opportunity in education, employment and enjoyment of rights.
Values related to gender
a. Respect
This refers to fairness in treatment for all to avoid discrimination. The value of respect promotes
positive recognition of each and every person’s existence and treating them with respect.
b. Tolerance
It helps one to accommodate others though they belong to different gender groups.
c. Tolerance
It helps one to accommodate others though they belong to different gender groups.
d. Responsibility
It calls for participation from all stake holders to contribute into ending gender and inequality to
address domestic violence, gender discrimination and favouritism in employment, each member of
the society should contribute to the role.
e. Freedom
The value of freedom promotes enjoyment of rights by each individual by not considering the
difference in gender.
Revision quiz
a. Explain what the local leaders should do in order to avoid discrimination.
b. Explain why FGM is considered as a form of human abuse and why it brings about discrimination
against women.
c. Identify three values that can help to avoid gender stereotyping.