What is the initiative and where is it implemented (city or country, for example)?
Africa Centre for Education and Community Development (ACECD) is a not-for-profit organization that aims to improve the education sector and contribute to social development in sub-Saharan Africa.
The organization advocates for holistic education, supports infrastructural development, focuses on climate change and sustainable development, promotes social and economic empowerment and encourages high accountability, selflessness, trustworthiness, collaboration, charity and transparency.
The organization's key objectives are social development through mobilization of the community, educational research and enhancement of technical and vocational skills in underprivileged members of the community. Through training, inclusive education for sustainable development, protection of the environment in the face of climate change and professional training for workers, the initiative aims to improve the overall quality of life and economic prosperity of the citizens (ACECD, n.d.).
How was the initiative established? How was it implemented?
The conditions that the rural communities had to endure included lack of basic infrastructure such as school buildings, clinics and roads as well as a scarcity of educational materials and basic facilities. Extreme conditions were highlighted by poverty, low school enrolment and attendance rates and a high indicator of teenage pregnancy rate.
The organization focuses on diverse areas of societal development such as the environment, climate, research and advocacy, economics, education and poverty alleviation. It aims to provide quality training that will ensure sustainable development and maintenance of the ecosystem.
The centre offers education on climate change and its impact on society. The organization actively engages in educational research, identifying problems in the education system and searching for solutions to improve learning conditions. One of the organization's main goals is to provide vocational and technical training to decrease the unemployment rate and support farmers through practical training and other forms of assistance.
The centre focuses on improving the education sector, which implies developing infrastructure, building schools and creating and distributing didactic materials to ensure quality education. To improve learning outcomes, the organization provides professional training for educators to enhance their teaching skills and integrate innovative teaching methods into school practice. Additional programmes for the general public organized by the centre include workshops and classes on hygiene, water sanitation, environment, peace and citizenship.
The centre conducts activities to improve the quality of life of marginalized communities in sub-Saharan Africa, including providing portable water and addressing mental health and wellness (ACECD, n.d.).
Which stakeholders are involved in the design and/or implementation of the initiative? Which sectors do they represent?
The stakeholders of the initiative represent both the private and public sectors. The initiative involves the education sector, including schools and other educational institutions, and anonymous donors. The centre is accountable to volunteers, beneficiaries and the general public (ACECD, n.d.).
What are the impacts of the initiative in terms of facilitating lifelong learning? Who does it benefit and how?
The centre has had a significant impact on communities in terms of facilitating lifelong learning; numerous achievements throughout the years illustrate this effect:
- In 2014, the centre sponsored two pupils and a teacher from Apesokbi St. Joseph’s Junior High School for the German-African Educational exchange programme for three weeks.
- Eight classrooms in two schools in Apesokbi received whiteboards and markers to enhance learning.
- The centre contributed to the renovation of St. Joseph Junior High School. These included the construction of a modern water closet facility and the provision of potable drinking water for students.
- In the academic year 2019/2020, all schools in Apesokubi, both public and private, received footballs. Two hundred dual desks were distributed to schools in need at Apesukobi.
- Akyekyerease Junior High School in Apesokubi was supported by the construction of a water closet toilet facility. Moreover, 3-unit and 4-unit classroom blocks were completely renovated and equipped with electricity and ventilators.
- At Ashiaman Technical School in Ashaiman, Accra, 10 students received sewing machines (ACECD, n.d.).
References
ACECD (Africa Centre for Education and Community Development). n.d. About ACECD. [Online] Oyibi-Accra, ACECD. Available at: https://acecd.org/about-us [Accessed 4 September 2021].