Brownfield Network

Education for Rural People, a = Crucial=20 Step Towards the Millennium Goals

           Identifying the =
Needs of Rural Communities is Essential

    WASHINGTON and ROME, June 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Education programs that
address the specific needs of rural communities are essential if =
eradicating
extreme poverty and hunger is to be achieved by 2015, according to FAO.
    At a recent meeting to explore how education for rural people can
contribute toward achieving the Millennium Development Goals, FAO expert
Lavinia Gasperini urged policy-makers to give top priority to =
identifying the
basic educational needs of rural communities in order to help them =
improve
their livelihoods.
    Case studies presented at the meeting showed that living conditions =
of
rural communities in different countries from Africa to Latin America =
can be
improved when the basic educational needs of the rural people are taken =
into
account.
    For example, in Chad "community schools" teach rural people how to =
manage
natural resources in a sustainable way. These schools were created by =
rural
communities, or by village chiefs, to respond to local needs and are =
managed
by the communities themselves. The main difference from public schools =
lies in
the fact that teaching is provided in local dialects while the country's
official languages are Arabic and French.
    In Senegal, where 75 per cent of the population lives in rural =
areas, the
development strategy includes priorities such as improving teaching =
skills and
adapting school curricula to the needs of rural people.

    Surviving by the sea
    In Chile, coastal fishing communities are among the most deprived =
social
groups in the country, depending for their survival almost exclusively =
on
artisanal fishing.
    Artisanal fishing training courses adapted to local needs are =
helping the
fishers to improve their occupational skills, acquire a better =
understanding
of the marine ecosystem, achieve fairer access to available fish stocks =
and
obtain recognition of their rights and identity as traditional fishery =
users.
    Many of the fishers attending the courses declare that this scheme =
is
helping to raise their self esteem and enhance their personal =
development,
while equipping them to back up their children's education
    Artisanal fishing has a lesser impact on marine resources and =
ecosystems
compared to commercial fishing. In addition to being a direct and =
indirect
source of employment for the people, it provides a substantial =
proportion of
their protein intake, thereby playing a key role in food security.
    At the Rome meeting on the contribution of education for rural =
people to
the Millennium Development Goals, results from case studies in Bolivia, =
Chad,
Chile, Senegal and Tanzania were presented by representatives from the =
Italian
NGO ACRA (Associazione di Cooperazione Rurale in Africae America Latina.


    Related link:
    Education for rural people
    http://www.fao.org/sd/erp/index_en.htm
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