What is the initiative and where is it implemented (city or country, for example)?
REFLECT Literacy and Livelihood Programme (RLLP) provides socially disadvantaged women with an opportunity to gain basic literacy skills, health education and vocational training with prospects of generating income.
Around 2000 women benefit from the programme annually. The programme is conducted in English, Arabic and other local languages. It covers family nutrition, maternity, child care, hygiene and livelihood skills alongside basic and functional literacy. The programme is concerned with alleviating poverty among women by offering training, contributing to community development, increasing awareness of endemic diseases and preventative care and enhancing knowledge on child psychology to nurture future generations.
Empowering women in marginalized communities will improve the living standards of families and the community as a whole, which will, in turn, aid in post-conflict recovery and strengthen sustainability, ensuring higher quality of life (UIL, 2015).
How was the initiative established? How was it implemented?
REFLECT Literacy and Livelihood Programme (RLLP) was first initiated in early 2005 by GOAL Ireland as an attempt to empower women with challenging socio-economic backgrounds. The programme’s implementation starts with advertising: local leaders and community groups invite women to register, attend introductory sessions and familiarizes themselves with the courses and objectives before deciding whether to participate. Course content covers pertinent community issues, which increases motivation to enrol. Conflicts in some parts of Sudan and other restricting factors such as prejudice against women’s education left numerous women deprived of basic education. By enrolling in the programme, women learn about childcare, women’s rights and environmental issues such as managing water resources. They also gain basic literacy skills and general knowledge.
Community leaders usually select and recommend facilitators to GOAL; in some cases, GOAL recruits the facilitators directly. Due to the low literacy level among women, the programme experiences a lack of female facilitators. A shortage of qualified personnel leads to recruitment of facilitators with education as low as primary level. Recruited facilitators undergo intensive training in teaching methodologies and adult education. In addition, they continue to enhance their qualifications through monthly workshops. Comprehensive manuals are designed to help the facilitators implement the programme. Each facilitator is assigned 20 learners on average; they receive a monthly stipend of approximately $50 per group, apart from which their work is unpaid.
The programme uses an innovative approach to adult learning; the learners take agency and develop learning materials and activities according to their interests and needs. A hands-on, participatory approach is encouraged: learners are not simply taught how to read, write and count; they calculate fees and healthcare costs - an immediate practical application of gained skills. This approach implies collaborative learning; learning groups meet frequently to engage in activities such as role-play, competitions, games, discussions, and other activities using visual learning aids developed by the learners themselves. The student-centred approach encourages active participation and increases self-confidence and empowerment with tangible results. Quarterly tests are administered to assess the learners’ progress (UIL, 2015).
Which stakeholders are involved in the design and/or implementation of the initiative? Which sectors do they represent?
The main stakeholder is the international humanitarian and development organization GOAL Ireland. The project is funded by the British government (Department for International Development – DFID) and the Irish government. Non-governmental organizations, facilitators and supervisors are involved in the activities carried out within the framework of the programme (UIL, 2015).
What are the impacts of the initiative in terms of facilitating lifelong learning? Who does it benefit and how?
The programme has had a significant and proven impact on lifelong learning facilitation. By the end of the first year, around 70 per cent of the participants who had been entirely illiterate gained the skills necessary to write a short paragraph and do basic arithmetic calculations. Moreover, approximately 80 per cent of the participants worked on small projects within their groups, engaging in community discussions on health and education in the process. Health and nutrition have proven to be the most pertinent issues, with 93 per cent of the participants attending the training.
Gaining basic literacy skills has allowed women to read and understand medical instructions, which has improved their knowledge of health issues. Enhanced understanding of preventative care, sanitation and hygiene affect the daily lives of the communities. The quality of life of participants’ families has also improved due to them engaging in income-generating activities. In addition, raising awareness of human rights has contributed to increased social empowerment. The participants of the programme gain insights on how to negotiate with authorities and request necessary services (UIL, 2015).
References
UIL. 2015. REFLECT Literacy and Livelihood Programme, Sudan. [Online] Hamburg, UIL. Available at: https://uil.unesco.org/case-study/effective-practices-database-litbase-0/reflect-literacy-and-livelihood-programme-sudan [Accessed 4 November 2021].