What is the initiative and where is it implemented (city or country, for example)?
Basic Literacy Classes for Older Persons is a current programme developed and implemented by a non-governmental organization, Ageing Nepal, that assists in empowering the elderly population by sharing basic literacy skills. In a close partnership with other local non-governmental organizations, this initiative helps ageing citizens transform their lives from rural to urban in Kathmandu. The programme was started as a pilot project in 2016 and a replication phase followed in 2019. The initiative seeks to empower the elderly with basic literacy skills, work with the local governments and other international and national organizations to promote elders’ wellbeing, improve their capacity for autonomous living in the local community, and promote social change and lifelong learning through literacy education.
How was the initiative established? How was it implemented?
The organizer, Ageing Nepal, partnered with a local social organization in Nepal to test a six-month class for older people in July 2016. The first project, scheduled in the Budanikantha municipality, took place at an urban centre in the Kathmandu metropolis of Kapan. In the inaugural Basic Literacy Class for Older Persons, 28 senior citizens with no or minimal knowledge took part. The students excelled at basic literacy, including reading and writing numbers in Nepali and English, pronouncing the alphabet in both languages and using a computer to type out letters at the end of the training. Each group had a computer to practice typing, which helped the learners use a mobile phone with buttons and practice basic chatting and greeting in English. With the help of a senior teacher, a facilitator delivered a total of 332 hours of in-person tutoring between July 2016 and January 2017. To repeat the eight-month-long course for the elderly at four locations from August 2019, Ageing Nepal worked with Anandapur Women's Group, Karnajyanti Foundation, Senior Citizen's Welfare Association Nepal and Jorpati Senior Citizens Society with material aid from Ageing Nepal Switzerland. The second replication phase of Basic Literacy Classes for Older Persons helped 180 people with no or limited literacy in 3 urban centres of the Kathmandu metropolis. Out of 180 participating students, 120 received certificates for completing the programme. Students in the replication phase excelled in basic writing and reading in Nepali, as demonstrated in the final cognitive tests. Such results contribute to improving the decision-making capacity and the contributions of these adults to urban community life and mobility.
Which stakeholders are involved in the design and/or implementation of the initiative? Which sectors do they represent?
Several partners are involved in the initiative, including local organizations like Karnajyanti Foundation, Anandapur Women's Group, Senior Citizen's Welfare Association Nepal (which became involved in August 2019), Jorpati Senior Citizens Society and Shree Aasthabhuja Samaj. Organizations including the NGO Committee on Ageing, which is constituted as a Committee of the Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations (CONGO) in consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), United Nations, the Virginia Hazzard Legacy Fund of the NGO Committee on Ageing and Ageing Nepal Switzerland support the initiative. With the help of the organizations mentioned above, Ageing Nepal has established a manageable social protection system and promoted active, healthy and productive ageing.
What are the impacts of the initiative in terms of facilitating lifelong learning? Who does it benefit and how?
Basic Literacy for Older Persons had a significant impact on many elderly participants by improving their literacy, boosting self-confidence and building a supportive community. The students learn verbal and written communication in English and Nepali, read and write numerals, recognize the alphabet in Nepali and English, pronounce the names of five common fruits in English, greet people, classify the names of body parts in English and write their name in Nepali. Other practical skills acquired include crossing the road safely, making and receiving phone calls, telling the time, using home appliances, identifying main parts of a computer, typing in English, speaking to a group confidently and getting around in cities without fear of getting lost.
References
UIL (UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning). 2020. Ageing Nepal: Basic Literacy Classes for Older Persons, Nepal. [Online] Hamburg, UIL. Available at: https://uil.unesco.org/case-study/effective-practices-database-litbase-0/ageing-nepal-basic-literacy-classes-older-persons [Accessed 11 December 2021].