What is the initiative and where is it implemented (city or country)?
Ganokendra (Bengali for people’s centres) and Community Learning Centres in Bangladesh focus primarily on developing literacy skills among out-of-school children, youth and adults living in marginalized rural communities, particularly women. The objective is to support sustainable local development. The activities cover aspects of income generation and basic literacy, as well as health, sanitation and early childhood care. Social events are organized for the promotion of literacy, such as theatre shows, writing competitions and local magazine publication.
How was the initiative established? How was it implemented?
A number of national initiatives for basic literacy were undertaken under the EFA National Plan of Action 1992-2000 and 2003-2015, focusing on reading, writing and numeracy skills (the 3Rs) through short term courses and campaigns. It was assumed that these courses would help learners to sustain their literacy skills and apply them for socio-economic gain, but in fact, many learners relapsed into illiteracy, especially adults making their living from subsistence farming
Various NGOs contributed to the development of people’s centres:
- Building Resources Across Communities (BRAC);
- Dhaka Ahsania Mission;
- Friends in Village Development in Bangladesh (FIVBD);
- Rangpur Dinajpur Rural Service (RDRS).
The Community Centres operate under the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education’s Bureau of Non-formal Education (BNFE).
Which stakeholders are involved in the design and/or implementation of the initiative? Which sectors do they represent?
Community learning centres were initiated by non-governmental sector in Bangladesh to establish a connection between literacy activities, skills training for youth and adults and sustainable socio-economic growth.
The ganokendra centres, operated by Dhaka Ahsania Mission and BRAC, were designed as literacy and skills training centres. These centres later expanded to become multifunctional learning and development hubs to equip the local population with essential life skills through income generation courses, early childhood care, health and sanitation and basic literacy classes. Income generation programmes included basic marketing and technical skills, as well as the 3Rs.
What are the impacts of the initiative in terms of facilitating lifelong learning? Who does it benefit and how?
Community Learning Centres have developed with the growing demand from the local community, expanding their offerings from the initial basic literacy courses to include income-generating technical and marketing skills and basic healthcare. The initiative primarily addresses poverty in marginalized communities.
CLCs promote learners’ empowerment by integrating need-based life skills and livelihood development activities into its courses, and lays the foundations for lifelong and self-motivated learning. Acquiring basic literacy skills has enabled the community to engage in dialogue on community issues and to initiate solution-oriented actions. CLCs also promote networking with other national centres and organizations to ensure collaboration and a quality response to local demands.
The success of Community Learning Centres in Bangladesh illustrates the necessity of bottom-up initiatives through community engagement to create sustainable solutions to socio-economic demands. The basic literacy, entrepreneurship and livelihood skills gained through CLCs empower communities and promote active citizenship.
References:
Noguchi, F., Guevara, J. R. & Yorozu, R. 2015. Communities in Action: Lifelong learning for sustainable development. [online] Available at: https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000234185 [Accessed 7 September 2020].