October 2002
by Marina Emiliani
in collaboration with Lavinia Gasperini
Extension, Education and Communication Service
FAO Research, Extension and Training Division
Part 1 of 3
The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
This compendium is based on and acknowledges technical inputs received from the Italian NGOs quoted in the study.
On 19 April 2002 a meeting was held on "Basic education for rural people: the contribution of the Italian non-governmental organizations" at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) headquarters in Rome, Italy. The purpose of the meeting was to strengthen partnerships in order to increase access to quality education for the rural poor, and to discuss the results of research undertaken on the same topic. Sixteen Italian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) plus various FAO staff members from different departments participated. The meeting was organized by the Education Group of the Extension, Education and Communication Service (SDRE), Sustainable Development Department, FAO.
The Compendium of experiences of Italian non-governmental organizations in basic education for rural people details research undertaken as part of FAO's initiative to support basic Education for rural people. The Compendium includes summaries of 37 education projects benefiting rural people which are identified among the activities of approximately 150 Italian NGOs.
Rural-urban disparities are issues of major concern for the international community and FAO member countries, as are disparities in education in rural areas. Seventy percent of the world's poor live in rural areas, where children's access to education, adult literacy and quality education are still much lower than in urban areas.
In this regard, F AO and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) are reaching out to key partners to join them in their concern that the Millennium Development Goals1 of poverty and hunger eradication and universal primary education will not be achieved by 2015, if rural people do not have better access to basic education. While education is a right on its own, basic education2 is also one of the conditions for food security and sustainable development. This is why FAO and UNESCO are building a new partnership to support Education for rural people. The partnership, launched at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg on 3 September 2002, is a new flagship for a worldwide initiative on Education for all (EFA). The partnership is open to members committed to work individually or together to promote and facilitate basic quality education for rural populations. NGOs and other civil society organizations (under no financial obligation other than the one already undertaken through projects they promote in favour of basic education in rural areas) are invited to join FAO and UNESCO in a partnership designed to increase coordinated and collaborative efforts with, and for, rural populations.
Notes:
1 United Nations Millennium Development Goals: 1)Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; 2) Achieve universal primary education; 3) Promote gender equality and empower women; 4) Reduce child mortality; 5) Improve maternal health; 6) Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; 7) Ensure environmental sustainability; 8) Develop a global partnership for development. For more information see: www.un.org/millenniumgoals.
2Basic education refers to a whole range of educational activities that take place in different settings and that aim to meet basic learning needs as defined in the World Declaration on Education for All (1990). It thus comprises both formal schooling (primary and sometimes lower secondary) as well as a wide variety of non-formal and informal public and private educational activities offered to meet the defined basic learning needs of groups of people of all ages. The World Declaration on Education for All states in its first article that "Every person - child, youth and adult - shall be able to benefit from educational opportunities designed to meet their basic learning needs". It goes on to say that these needs comprise essential learning tools, such as literacy and numeracy, as well as the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes people require to function well and continue learning in their particular environment. It also acknowledges that "the scope of basic learning needs and how they should be met varies with individual countries and cultures, and inevitably changes with the passage of time". Source: Education for Rural Development and Food Security, Addressing Global Changes, Chapter II, pp 40 -41. FAO & UNESCO-IIEP, 2002.
The projects described in the Compendium indicate that Italian NGOs are serving a wide variety of vital learning needs for different subgroups of children, youth and adults. They address the poorer rural areas of the developing world, often reaching people who are not assisted by state interventions. Crucial issues for rural development and sustainable livelihoods are targeted, such as: literacy as a cross-cutting issue, basic life skills related to nutrition, health and HIV/AIDS, agriculture, small and micro enterprises, human rights and broadening community participation.
Some non formal education projects address similar learning needs as formal education, but target people who either have not had access to schooling or who were forced to abandon it due to poverty. These projects provide people with the opportunity to access basic education. Moreover, they are directed at serving important basic learning needs, which are often disregarded by formal schooling.
Some important lessons that can be drawn from the research are:
What is interesting about this research is not only the final product, but also the process that led to it being undertaken. This process entailed close partnerships among people volunteering within the UN system and civil society. For six months Ms. Marina Emiliani, a FAO volunteer from the Republic of San Marino, and dozens of volunteers from Italian NGOs collaborated to compile, refine and discuss the Compendium. The research undertaken and the meeting held ignited a partnership process that will certainly develop further. By working with NGOs, people can contribute towards finding creative and innovative solutions for the difficult educational problems facing rural communities. This was one of the aims of this initiative, and the FAO Sustainable Development Department is grateful to all those who participated in the 'Education for Rural People's Partnership' endeavour.
As mentioned, this work is part of a set of initiatives aimed towards strengthening Education for Rural People partnerships. Enquiries for participating in this partnership programme can be directed to Lavinia Gasperini or Ester Zulberti, Extension, Education and Communication Service, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). E-mail address : Lavinia.Gasperini@fao.org or Ester.Zulberti@fao.org.
People interested in becoming volunteers within the Education Group in the Extension, Education and Communication Service (SDRE), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) can look up the FAO VOLUNTEER PROGRAMME: www.fao.org/VA/vol.htm and should then contact Lavinia.Gasperini@fao.org for further information.
The projects were classified under the following headings and sub-headings:
1. Level and type of education
Primary Education
Secondary Vocational Education
Non Formal Education: addressing childhood, youth and adults, those specifically addressing women.
2. Focus
Integrated
Literacy and Numeracy
Nutrition
Health and HIV
Agriculture (forestry/fishery/land/water)
Small and Micro Enterprise
Human Rights
Specific and shared characteristics were identified, analysed and classified within the above framework of the research project.
Several NGOs focus their activities on expanding access to education, as they firmly believe that education enables people to improve their living conditions. In many countries however, governments are unable to provide rural people with sufficient and appropriate access to education. Schools frequently undergo teacher and didactic material shortages, while the buildings are often small, dilapidated and unhygienic. NGOs work to provide adequate infrastructures to develop and maintain schools in remote rural areas.
Another aspect the projects have in common is the linkage between school and agriculture. Curriculas and programmes are often prepared for urban schools, then transferred without adaptation to rural areas. In most cases, the links between school and agriculture are overlooked, as are the economic, social and cultural needs of rural areas.
As a response to parents requests for assistance in providing education, NGOs set-up a number of projects for their children, such as: agricultural education, literacy and numeracy. Furthermore, according to Associazione di Cooperazione Rurale in Africa e America Latina (ACRA), parents want their children to understand their cultural background, to feel a sense of belonging to their land, so that they will want to take care of it in the future. With this perspective in mind, school is not a 'waste of time', but an opportunity to learn how to read and write, and to apply theory to local agricultural and rural development needs. Several NGO projects support schools that link education to agriculture, where in addition to literacy and numeracy, students have lessons in agriculture, breeding and horticulture. For example, in the afternoon, students spend time working in the school's orchard and vegetable garden, putting theoretical lessons into practice.
In Brazil, Opera di Promozione dell'Alfabetizzazione nel Mondo (OPAM) and Associationes Escuela Familia Bahia (AECOFABA) collaborate with a school called Agriculture Family School (part of the international movement of the "Maisons Rurales Familiales"), which has adopted a special approach: the 'rotation' of work and school. Students alternate 2 weeks of studying at school with 2 weeks of working at home, thereby ensuring that they are not totally separated from their natural habitat and family. They spend three years studying practical and theoretical subjects, learning techniques on how to sow, cultivate, harvest, breed animals and keep bees. Consequently, when they return to their rural communities, they have a better understanding of agriculture and a higher sense of social awareness.
The development of school gardens is a frequent characteristic of many NGO projects, and essential for the promotion of pedagogic, economic, social and nutritional aspects. Besides linking the curriculum to the local environment, the gardens provide the opportunity for introducing students to new varieties of fruit and vegetables, thus improving their quality of nutrition. Moreover, by selling surplus products, the gardens generate a small income, which helps the school maintain itself and, in some cases, to survive.
An additional common aspect addressed by Italian NGOs, is intercultural and bilingual education. Very often teachers do not know the local language; school programs are developed in the official language of the country, and often do not adequately reflect local history and customs. Consequently, young people begin to reject their own language and culture. To address this problem, Progetto Sviluppo CGIL (PROSVIL), Nexus CGIL Emilia Romagna and the local partner "Gestion y Desarollo Ltda Freire Town Council", have developed literacy projects with intercultural and bilingual approaches in Mapuche, a rural area of Chile. The methodology used is based on Mapuche indigenous culture, on the actual socio-economic conditions, on the prospects of integration in the school system, and in the local labour market. ASIA has developed a cultural centre in rural China with a library of over 4000 volumes in Tibetan, Chinese and English. ACRA and the local partner Mission Catolique S. Ignace, in Chad (Africa), have collected, translated (into the local dialect or French) and printed several local stories, myths and tales from rural communities. In 1995, in Chiapas (Mexico), MANI TESE and the local partner ZNLA started a secondary school project in rural areas with the aim of training bilingual teachers for primary schools.
The fight against the exploitation of child labour in rural areas is an issue dealt with by several NGOs. According to MANI TESE, the exploitation of child labour is inversely proportional to the increase in illiteracy. In India, MANI TESE and the local partner MGRES (Maria Grace Rural Education Society) not only work to provide education to rural working children, but also to sensitise parents to the importance of education and the serious consequences of child exploitation. MANI TESE and MGRES train rural people in income-generating activities to develop financial independence; they also provide legal assistance to the victims of rights violations.
The example of the Associazione Italiana Amici di Raoul Follereau (AIFO), is particularly interesting because it promotes primary school education in rural India for children with disabilities. The AIFO and ST. JOSPEH SERVICE SOCIETY (local partner) project consists of a school where disabled children study alongside non-disabled children. The project aims at a multiplication effect , namely to facilitate rural disabled children's access to formal education.
Different NGOs recognise the importance of addressing women's educational needs, especially for those living in rural areas.
There are two issues which NGOs consider most important in rural areas: firstly, to increase women's awareness of their rights; secondly, to ensure that women obtain the essential education needed to ensure and promote their financial independence and wellbeing.
In many countries, and particularly in rural areas, women's rights are violated. Women suffer from abuse, brutality and marginalisation, which means that they are unable to fully participate in society. In Bangladesh, Opera di Promozione dell'Alfabetizzazione nel Mondo (OPAM) and Rural Vision (Social Voluntary Organization) have set up programs to address the needs of women and their husbands in 20 rural villages. The goal is to provide information on women's rights and on equality between the sexes. As such, the project organises a social education course, which uses the following methods: documentaries on torture and violence against women are shown, and seminars with village leaders are held on both reducing violence against womens and trengthening women's rights.
Literacy projects are numerous, and linked to the development of fundamental life skills. Often these are basic agricultural skills, which provide technical knowledge to support crop cultivation. These basic skills help to produce the types of food needed for a balanced diet, thus linking agricultural education to nutrition. Literacy projects are also connected to health education in the subsequent ways: the development of basic skills related to improving hygiene conditions, monitoring the growth of children, preventing HIV/AIDS and treating the most common illnesses. Further, many NGOs firmly believe in the concept of providing women with basic income-generating skills, which promote economic independence. Consequently, courses are provided in a variety of disciplines, such as: tailoring, dressmaking, sewing, the breeding of small animals, the cultivating of medicinal plants and spices, handicrafts and small and micro enterprises.
Regarding projects related to non-formal education for the population in general, once again the most important goals were: literacy and numeracy; agricultural education; nutrition and health education; small and micro enterprises.
Some interesting specific aspects were analysed:
Adventist Development Relief Agency (ADRA Italia) and the local partners ADRA Philippines and Mountain View College, have a school project in the Philippines, where parents and children are in the same class; they study the same subjects and they complement their studies with musical education. It was proved that children learn faster than their parents do, and that they participate more actively in social activities. Istituto Sindacale per la Cooperazione con i Paesi in Via di Sviluppo (ISCOS) uses a technical training method based on adult education; the method follows a circular path: theory-practice-verification-theory. By linking theory and practice, they were able to provide employment for people in areas that required their newly learned skills, allowing them to see the results of their education immediately.
In the early 1990s, Centro Laici Italiani per le Missioni (CeLIM) and the local partner Monze Diocese, launched a project in health education aimed at preventing HIV in Zambia. The project addressed young people of school age. It included sex education lessons for students, and training courses in sex education for local teachers. The project was deemed a success, and as Zambia is one of the countries most affected by the HIV virus, sex education lessons were extended to younger students, while training courses were expanded to street educators in order to reach those who have dropped out of school.
An interesting common aspect is the safeguarding of the environment. Training and educational projects promote sustainable agriculture, soil control, water preservation, and careful energy use. Some NGOs develop the practise of Integrated Pest Management (IPM), as does FAO, discouraging the use of destructive pesticides and expensive fertilisers, while encouraging the use of organic products.
An additional common aspect is the development of associations or farmers' co-operatives. The aim is to take advantage of co-operatives in order to increase productivity. Often, a co-operative has more purchasing power in the market or with suppliers, and can easily obtain credit from Banks or financial entities. In addition, a co-operative can provide its members with a technical assistance centre or practical professional training courses.
In Senegal, ISCOS and CNTS (Confederation Nationale des Travailleurs du Sénégal), have created self-sustaining bread-making co-operatives, capable of producing high quality mixed-grain bread at a fair price.
In Lebanon, Istituto Per la Cooperazione Universitaria (ICU) has developed an important project for a farmer's co-operative, which focuses on the following aspects:
The following NGO projects are sub-divided into "Level and Types of Education". Where a project addresses more than one level of education (e.g. Primary, Secondary and Non- Formal Education), the project is classified in the category of its main activity.
Primary Education
1. TITLE: "Schools and agriculture in Guera' - Chad"
ACRA - Associazione di Cooperazione Rurale in Africa e America Latina
and Mission Catolique S. Ignace, B.P.8 Mongo - Chad
2. TITLE "Primary School in Tchrimina, Benin "
MANI TESE '76
and Atacora Public Education Department and the Tchirimina Parents Association
3. TITLE: "Support to the Mapuche school of Molko ñi Meli Rewe - Chile"
Nexus CGIL Emilia Romagna
and Gestion y Desarollo Ltda Centro de Servicios Comunitario Molko ni Meli Rewe
4. TITLE: "Sanitary basic assistance and integral development of Mapuche communities in the area of Maquehue- Chile"
PROSVIL - Progetto Sviluppo CGIL
and PAESMI - Public Health Department Universidad de la Frontera
5. TITLE: Project for the development of education and cultural conditions in the Tibetan village of DONGCHE, Guide County, Hainan Prefecture, Qinghai Province, Asia.
A.S.I.A. - Associazione per la solidarietà internazionale in Asia
6. TITLE "Integrated program of rural development and prevention of child labor in India"
MANI TESE '76
and MGRES (Maria Grace Rural Education Society)
7. TITLE: "Greenhouses for cultivation of the land of Dzamthog school and clinic.
Jomda County, Chamdo Prefecture, T.A.R., P.R.C.- Asia"
A.S.I.A. - Associazione per la solidarietà internazionale in Asia
Secondary and Vocational Education
8. TITLE "Family schools in Bahia, Brazil rural area"
OPAM - Opera di Promozione dell'Alfabetizzazione nel Mondo
and AECOFABA (Associationes Escuela Familia Bahia)
9. TITLE "Secondary and Vocational Education for girls in Africa"
GRUPPO MISSIONARIO MERANO
and Congragazione delle Figlie del Cuore di Maria
10. TITLE "Agricultural School for young students in Chikuni, Zambia"
Ce.L.I.M. - Centro Laici Italiani per le Missioni
and Monze Diocese
11. TITLE: "Socio-economic development of tribal people in Assam, India"
AIFO - Associazione Italiana Amici di Raoul Follereau
and DIOCESE OF MANIKBOND
12. TITLE "Secondary School in Oventic, Chiapas, Mexico"
MANI TESE '76 and ZNLA
Non Formal Education (Children, Youth, Women, Adult)
13. TITLE: "Promoting inclusive education for children with disabilities in Chandpur - India"
AIFO - Associazione Italiana Amici di Raoul Follereau
and ST. JOSEPH SERVICE SOCIETY
14. TITLE " Pre-School Education for children 4-6 years old in Asia."
OPAM - Opera di Promozione dell'Alfabetizzazione nel Mondo
and Rural Vision (Social Voluntary Organization)
15. TITLE: "Sex Education in Siavonga, Africa "
Ce.L.I.M. - Centro Laici Italiani per le Missioni and Monze Diocese
16. TITLE: Huilio program: local and sustainable development for native communities of the Municipality of Freire, Chile"
PROSVIL - Progetto Sviluppo CGIL - Nexus CGIL Emilia Romagna
Iscos CISL Emilia Romagna- Progetto Sud Emilia Romagna
and Gestion y Desarollo Ltda. Freire Town Council
17. TITLE "Special Coaching and Skills Training for Outcast Dalit Girls, India"
OPAM - Opera di Promozione dell'Alfabetizzazione nel Mondo
and The Liberation Movement for Women (LMW)
18. TITLE: "Strengthening the repatriation and reinstallation of the returnees in Mozambique"
CIES - Centro di Informazione ed Educazione allo Sviluppo
19. TITLE: "Promotion of women's tailoring groups, Tibet"
A.S.I.A. - Associazione per la solidarietà internazionale in Asia
20. TITLE: "Socio-economic development of oppressed population groups in Nepal"
AIFO - Associazione Italiana Amici di Raoul Follereau
and WOMEN ACTING TOGETHER FOR CHANGE (WATCH)
21. TITLE "Literacy of rural women in Asia"
OPAM - Opera di Promozione dell'Alfabetizzazione nel Mondo
and "Society for the promotion of human rights",
"Association ÜZZIBNANY", "Association Ratandia Unnayan Sangstha (RUS)"
22. TITLE: "Women and medicinal plants: sustainable cultivation and processing in India"
COSPE - Cooperazione per lo Sviluppo dei Paesi Emergenti
23. TITLE : "Agricultural Co-operative in Ethiopia "
G.M.A. - Gruppo Missioni Asmara c/o Istituto Sacchieri
24. TITLE: "Setting-up of maize and millet bread-making Cooperatives, Senegal"
ISCOS - Istituto Sindacale per la Cooperazione con i Paesi in via di sviluppo
and "CNTS (Confederation Nationale des Travailleurs du Sénégal)"
25. TITLE "Health Education and Food Security in El Salvador"
AALMA - Associazione America Latina, Messico, Asia
26. TITLE "Rural Women's Literacy in Africa"
OPAM - Opera di Promozione dell'Alfabetizzazione nel Mondo
and Father Metond Katunasa, "Galibwa Catholic Women's Association".
27. TITLE "Manobo Health, Agriculture and Literacy Project- Philippines"
ADRA Italia (già OSA)- Adventist Development and Relief Agency in the Philippines
and Mountain View College of Bukidnon, Mindanao
28. TITLE: "Multi-Sectoral Development Project in Support of Resettled and Indigenous Populations Residing in the Beles Valley and in Bordering Areas in Ethiopia"
CISP - Comitato Internazionale per lo Sviluppo dei Popoli
and Benishangul Gumuz Regional State
29. TITLE: "Rural Small and Micro Enterprises Jomoro and Nzema East Districts in Ghana"
COSPE - Cooperazione per lo Sviluppo dei Paesi Emergenti
30. TITLE: "Salinas Grandes, Nicaragua"
MLAL - Movimento Laici America Latina
31. TITLE: "Development of food and agricultural sector, Kosovo"
AVSI - Associazione Volontari per il Servizio Internazionale
and AYA (Albanian Youth Action)
32. TITLE: "Rural Integrated Development in Xai-Xai, Mozambique"
ISCOS - Istituto Sindacale per la Cooperazione con i Paesi in via di sviluppo
and OTM (Organizaçao dos Trabalhadores Moçambicanos)
33. TITLE: "Education. Health and Social project for rural women in Burkina Faso"
CVCS - Centro Volontari Cooperazione allo Sviluppo
and "UNION DOGORI"
34. TITLE "Food Security Programme in the districts of Macossa and Tambara (Manica Province) and Ile and Gilé (Zambezia Province) - Mozambique"
MOVIMONDO and Provincial and District Directorates of Ministry of Agriculture
35. TITLE: "Project for the economic recovery of displaced people in the agriculture and agro-industrial sectors in South Mount Lebanon region"
ICU - Istituto per la Cooperazione Universitaria
36. TITLE: "Kamurugu Agricultural Development Initiatives (KADI) - Kenya"
ACCRI - Associazione di Cooperazione Cristiana Internazionale
and Embu Diocese
37. TITLE: "Project for a Complete Agricultural Development"
LTM Gruppo Laici Terzo Mondo and NGO ADECS
TITLE: "Schools and agriculture in Guera'"
COUNTRY: Chad, (Africa)
FOCUS: Literacy and Numeracy, Agriculture
NGO : ACRA - Associazione di Cooperazione Rurale in Africa e America Latina
Via E. Breda, 54 - 20125 MILANO - Tel. 02/27000291 (02/2552270 fax)
E-mail: acra@una.org Home Page: www.acra.it
LOCAL PARTNER: Mission Catolique S. Ignace, B.P. 8 MONGO - CHAD
In 1979, the outbreak of civil war in Chad (1979) led to the closure of many primary schools and a reduction in the number of trained teachers; this resulted in the overcrowding of the few village schools that remained open. With the school-age population increasing, the state has been unable to provide schooling for those who need it.
Schooling, the community and agriculture are primarily considered separate entities in Chad. Specifically, cultural prejudices counter the concept of education, as schooling is seen as merely a way of training civil servants.
The population in Guerà reacted to the lack of primary schools in Chad by setting-up an organization called "The Association of Parents of Students" ("Association Parents d'Eleves" -APE). The Association pays teachers' salaries and builds schools through self-taxation. The aim of the association is to educate children by linking the school to agriculture.
Parents want their children to know about their roots, to feel a sense of belonging to their land, and to ensure the land is cared for in the future. With this perspective, school is no longer considered a "waste of time", but an occasion to learn how to write and read, and to apply theory to local agricultural needs.
In October 2000, A.C.R.A. and A.P.E. set-up an agricultural school project to benefit 300 students, parents and teachers. Parents, members of A.P.E., built the schools with local materials such as: sand, water and stones. A.C.R.A. provided the schools with basic furniture, such as: benches, blackboards and chairs. Teachers on the other hand, provided the didactic material, collected and printed several local stories, myths, and tales, wrote them in the local dialect and translated them into French.
In order to connect literacy to agriculture, the students spend three hours in the afternoon on practical lessons in the school's orchard and vegetable garden. They learn and put into practice improved horticulture and agriculture methods. Parents are also involved in showing students practical agricultural techniques and an expert teacher supervises all the agricultural activities.
A.C.R.A., which has been involved in the educational sector in Guera' since 1985, believes that education is the key to improving economic and social development, reducing poverty and creating a better life for the rural population.
TITLE "Primary School in Tchrimina, Benin"
FOCUS: Literacy and Numeracy
COUNTRY: Benin, (Africa)
NGO: MANI TESE '76
P.le Gambara, 7/9 - 20146 MILANO - Tel. 02/4075165 (02/4046890 fax)
E-mail: manitese@manitese.it Home page: www.manitese.it/
LOCAL PARTNER: Atacora Public Education Department and the Tchirimina Parents Association
Tchirimina Village, in the Atacora' region in Benin, is classified as a district of the urban area of Natitingou. The Tchirimina area was originally a forest situated at the base of a mountain, but the population has increased so quickly in recent years, that many ethnic groups such as the Wama, Otamari, Dindi, Bariba, Yoruba, Natimba, Fon e Peul now live there. The 6000 inhabitants in the village base their subsistence on handicrafts and small businesses, but the main activity is still agriculture.
Tchirimina Elementary School was built in 1982. In 1997, school attendance increased to 544 students and with US funding, the village was able to build three more classrooms. The school also uses three rented classrooms, but these are completely unsuitable for teaching.
Mani Tese's project is aimed at enlarging the school to provide education for 120 children, and to create new job opportunities for teachers. The project works in cooperation with Atacora Public Education Department and the Tchirimina Parents' Association. With the assistance of parents, it aims to build three more classrooms (using materials able to withstand heavy rains and termite attacks), provide an office for the school's Director, a storeroom and all related furniture.
TITLE: "Support to the Mapuche school of Molko ñi Meli Rewe. Temuco"
COUNTRY: Chile, (South America)
FOCUS: Literacy and Numeracy (with the intercultural and bilingual approach)
NGO: Nexus CGIL Emilia Romagna
Via Marconi, 69 40122 BOLOGNA Tel. 051/294775 www.nexuscgil.org
LOCAL PARTNER: Gestion y Desarollo Ltda - Centro de Servicios Comunitario Molko ni Meli Rewe
The projects aims were the following: to make qualitative improvements to elementary and secondary school education, and to make structural improvements to the Molko ñi Meli Rewel School, located in Maquehue (the home of an indigenous Mapuche community).
In general terms, the quality of school education is low in the indigenous rural areas of Chile. Schools are beset with a number of serious problems, for example: the few existing classrooms are crumbling, there are few pedagogical and didactic tools available, there is often no heating or electricity, and school lunches are frequently prepared in unhygienic conditions.
The school also faces the problem of coping with the lack of a suitable bilingual teaching (Mapudungun - Spanish). The majority of the children go to school speaking their maternal language (Mapudungun), whilst their teachers only speak Spanish. From the language, to the contents of teaching, everything is based on the negation of Mapuche identity and culture. This creates a divide in the mind of the child who starts refusing his own language and culture.
In this situation, it is not unusual to see a decrease in the number of pupils attending school in the Maquehue territory. Pupils, who are expected to take an active part in agricultural and domestic tasks at home, cannot always attend school. Scarcer still is the percentage of young people who decide to continue their studies.
To cope with this situation, the project has worked with teachers to develop a study on the linguistic characteristics of the pupils. There is a strong reluctance however, to recognize the bilingual situation, and to adjust school programs to encompass Mapuche identity and culture -essential factors that must be recognized in order to improve the children's learning skills.
On January 15 1993 the Molko ñi Meli Rewe School was inaugurated. Since then, it has been managed directly by the communities and has been included as part of the Community Services Center of Molko ñi Meli Rewe.
TITLE: "Basic Health assistance and integral development of Mapuche communities in the area of Maquehue"
COUNTRY: Chile, (South America)
FOCUS: Literacy and Numeracy (with the intercultural and bilingual approach), Agriculture, Health
NGO: PROSVIL - Progetto Sviluppo CGIL - Via di S. Teresa, 23 00198 ROMA Tel. 06/8411741 www.cgil.it/prosvil/default.html
LOCAL PARTNER: PAESMI - Public Health Department Universidad de la Frontera
Maquehue means "the place where the maqui grows" (a local Chilean bush). Maquehue, an entire Mapuche community, has accepted to sustain a project with the objectiveof developing an integral and sustainable community - from the social, cultural and environmental point of view. The project includes involvement in decision-making, health, education, and the agricultural-commercial sectors.
This project takes the lead in native and directly managed community services (education, health assistance, marketing, and handicraft activities), and is most probably the first in Chile. The training process is based on the methodology of "learning by doing", which contains a great deal of fieldwork, and little classroom training. The target group is low-educated adults, with the cultural characteristics of oral transmission in their own language (Mapudungun).
Community Service Agents
This is a program of methodological support and production of teaching materials for adult education courses (women, young people). Students are chosen by their communities and are coordinated by the executives of their respective community organizations, who also assume an active and dynamic role in finding work for them. Community Service Agents are also able to respond to specific needs, such as: assistance with health emergencies, repairing equipment, checking the quality of seeds, administering funds, managing contacts with institutions, etc. This activity has resulted in the creation of new jobs.
Rural Sanitary Agents (RSAs)
The program foresees the development of continuous education programmes for social-health operators (physicians, professional nurses, midwives, social assistants, nutritionists and rural nurses) working in the institutions operating in Maquehue. The contents are built through contacts with the local reality and the development of the practical activities of the RSAs.
Education (Literacy and Numeracy)
This activity involves intercultural and bilingual education in pilot schools in Maquehue. The first part of the program is based on the preparation of teachers, which trains them to exchange ideas with the Mapuche families, and to study the educational conditions and the level of existing bilingualism. The second part of the program foresees the development of the school curriculum, teaching tools and teaching in the classroom directly. The methodology was based on Mapuche culture, on the present socio-economic conditions and on the perspectives of integration in the school and local working.
TITLE: "Project for the development of the education and cultural conditions of the Tibetan village of Dongche."
COUNTRY: China, (Asia)
FOCUS: Literacy and Numeracy
NGO: A.S.I.A. - Associazione per la solidarietà internazionale in Asia
Via S.Martino della Battaglia, 31- int.15- sc.B - 00185 Roma - Tel. 06/44340034 - Fax 06/44702620 (Sede operativa)Merigar Podere Nuovo-58031 Arcidosso (GR) (Sede Legale)
E-mail: mc8125@mclink.it Home page: www.melong.com/asia
The village of Dongche lies in Guide County, a rural area of Qinghai Province, Hainan Prefecture. The Administration (in Chinese Shan) covers an area of 60 sqKm. and is composed of eight so-called natural villages. Dongche is 20 Km. from Guide. ASIA has been working in this area since 1993 to improve the educational and cultural conditions of the local population.
Dongche Tibetan Primary School
In September 1997, a classes started up at a newly established Tibetan boarding school for 500 children. A cultural center with a library of over 4000 volumes in Tibetan, Chinese and English was also created.
The school has 12 classrooms, dormitories for 120 nomad children, 22 lodgings for teachers, kitchens, bathrooms and storerooms. It was created with the objective of guaranteeing basic quality education to all the Tibetan village children, thus supplying them with the necessary instruments with which to uphold and spread the Tibetan language and culture. The children of the Dongche Tibetan Primary School benefit from project activities together with the children of the surrounding nomadic families who find accommodation and living facilities at the school building. However the poorest families of this area, especially those who live too far away and would have to pay the expenses of board and lodging, are still unable to send their children to school. For this reason, ASIA's Adoption at Distance Project selected these children to be adopted at distance, enabling them to attend school. The school is also used as a cultural, educational, and adult training centre to develop English and computer skills.
Petrol pump for Dongche School
A petrol pump for Dongche Tibetan Primary school was and is now operational. Income from the pump will be given to the school to help the poorest families send their children to school, to improve the school conditions, and to organize teacher-training courses in school during holiday periods. These courses will include English, computer skills and pedagogic subjects. Funds for the building of the petrol pump were advanced by the local bank, hence ASIA is looking for a sponsor to bear the expenses of this initiative.
English and computer training program
In 1998, a training program in English, computer science and the Tibetan language was set up. The training program was financed by IFAD from 1998 to 2000, and by ASIA for the year 2001. From 1998 to 2001, the project provided training for more than 200 teachers, and 250 children and adults. The necessary equipment for an information technology classroom and an English language laboratory (computers, scanners, photocopy machines, fax machines, tape recorders) was also provided. This project has enabled Tibetan teachers to become trainers for other teachers, and has provided them with skills and knowledge to pass on to their students. As well as supporting the economic and social development of the Tibetan minority in the Hainan Prefecture, the courses have proven to be effective tools for empowerment. Consequently, the Department of Education and local communities of the Hainan Prefecture have requested ASIA to expand these training programs, and a project proposal is already being prepared by ASIA for a five-year plan for English and computer teacher training in Dongche (for which ASIA is looking for sponsors).
TITLE "Integrated program of rural development and prevention of child labor"
COUNTRY: India (Asia)
FOCUS: Integrated
NGO: MANI TESE '76
P.le Gambara, 7/9 - 20146 MILANO - Tel. 02/4075165 (02/4046890 fax)
E-mail: manitese@manitese.it Home page: www.manitese.it/
LOCAL PARTNER: MGRES (Maria Grace Rural Education Society)
Tamil Nadu, the state in which the Venkatayapuram region is found, is situated in the south of India. It contains 55 million inhabitants - 20% are out-casts and 60% are under-privileged. Despite the fact that Tamil Nadu is one of the most industrialized states in India, it contends with a number of serious problems, such as: the scourge of child labor, the exploitation of women, and cultural factors such as the dowry, and the continuing existence of a rigid caste system.
MGRES (Maria Grace Rural Education Society), a local NGO, and Mani Tese set-up a project to address the needs of the Dalit - the outcast rural population. The Dalit, agricultural workers with no land, are dependent on superior castes, who take advantage of their poverty and ignorance.
Dry weather in the area limits agricultural activity to only three months of the year, leaving families with insufficient means to support themselves for the remainder of the year. Consequently, people migrate to cities in the hope of finding better work opportunities.
However, this is often a bad choice, asthey run into debt in order to survive, and are forced to become slaves to moneylenders. Their perceived "impurity" prevents them from leading a normal social life, and their inferiority is confirmed at every moment of their lives.
Poor living condition, malnutrition and meager immune defenses make them victims of contagious illnesses, and sick people are abandoned to the mercy of fate and to superstitious practices. Even nowadays, 60% of births take place at home, with a high risk of infections. The condition of women is desperate: society considers them inferior beings, and condemns them to a sub-human existence. Driven by these difficult living conditions, families are forced to send their children out to work in order to earn extra income. Many children work as farm-laborers for tobacco companies and in cattle breeding. This results in both the exploitation of children, and an increase in the illiteracy rate.
MGRES and Mani Tese launched a project aimed at informing the Dalit about their rights and improving their economic conditions. The project was set up in 22 villages and involved 1150 adults, 1089 children and 18 trainers. It has provided 50 training courses, 6 legal assistance campaigns and 6 health campaigns. The training courses include health education, legal education, activities related to managing savings and to producing income, cultural activities and women's groups.
SCHOOL: The school offers two different courses: a pre-school 'first step towards education' course for children from ages 3 to 5 during the morning, , and a course for school-age children with the aim of providing remedial lessons and study groups during the afternoon.
The project includes guided tours for children to local firms. It has awarded 140 scholarships to the poorest and most deserving students. Its aim is to provide education and to reduce child exploitation.
LEGAL CAMPAIGN: The project provides three legal campaigns every year with the aim of providing legal assistance to the victims of rights violations. A group of lawyers, experts on out-cast issues, give legal assistance during judicial proceedings. The campaign aims to sensitize people about agrarian reform, their right to own land, and the rights of women and children.
HEALTH CAMPAIGN: The project organizes three health campaigns every year with the aim of preventing and treating the most common illnesses, such as: malaria, tuberculosis, tetanus and meningitis. They provide neonatal assistance to new mothers, as well as give health check-ups and medicine to village people several times a year.
TITLE: Greenhouses for cultivation of the land of Dzamthog school and clinic.
Jomda County,Chamdo Prefecture, T.A.R., P.R.C.
COUNTRY: China, Asia
FOCUS: Integrated
NGO: A.S.I.A. - Associazione per la solidarietà internazionale in Asia
Via S.Martino della Battaglia, 31- int.15- sc.B - 00185 Roma - Tel. 06/44340034 - Fax 06/44702620 (Sede operativa) Merigar Podere Nuovo-58031 Arcidosso (GR) (Sede Legale)
E-mail: mc8125@mclink.it Home page: www.melong.com/asia
Dzamthog village, located on the right bank of the Yangtse River, has traditionally been an agricultural area. Wheat, barley and potatoes are the main agricultural products grown by the local people, as the area has a good growing climate. The domestic economy of the villagers is completed by animal husbandry and forestry activities. Women dedicate their duties to agriculture. Dzamthog village is the center of an integrated development project implemented by ASIA, and financed by the Italian Government, with additional contributions from the Embassies of The Netherlands, Finland and France located in Beijing. The project has constructed and developed a district hospital (1.500 sqm, 20 beds), which utilizes both allopathic and traditional Tibetan medicine, and a Tibetan Primary School for 400 children. ASIA has also constructed a new building for the school, which provides accommodation for 120 students. In 1996, the Jomda County Government donated 4 hectares of land to the project, which was leveled into different terraces and then prepared for cultivation. An extension of the existing irrigation system was also constructed, making the land more irrigable and the crops (to be sold in the market) more plentiful and profitable. Four greenhouses have also been built, increasing the cultivation of vegetables and making it possible for teachers and doctors to transport vegetables from Dzamthog, without having to go to Derge, which is 25 km away. Part of the irrigable land was used for the creation of an apple tree orchard (Golden Stark apples). Apple trees grow with good results in almost all the gardens in Gamthog village. A small tractor was purchased to facilitate agricultural work, and to transport products to the market in Dege.
Vocational training courses in agriculture for the local people are being carried out on the land, providing agricultural skills for the students from the Dzamthog School. All of the activities were carried out with the co-operation of the people of Dzamthog village. This project has given the school and clinic the opportunity to generate income through land cultivation, with the aim of increasing and sustaining access to primary education for Tibetan children from the area. The use of vegetables and fruit is not included in the traditional daily diet of Tibetans, but this habit is changing. Nowadays fruit is greatly appreciated by Tibetan children.
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