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Fe y Alegría Radio Institutes IRFAS
The Fe y Alegría Radio Institutes, known as IRFA, offer a dual education model for youth and adults, men and women, using the teaching methodology—learning ECCA, which adapts to the situation and reality of each country and is based on three elements: module or print, radio classes and tutorials.
They also offer radio services through educational radio stations, which contribute to the overall education of the beneficiaries and to social promotion. This program is present in Bolivia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela.
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The goal, as already suggested, is to promote a popular and inclusive quality education which embraces diversity, contributes to the integral development of individuals and community social promotion to finally promote the formation of free subjects and active citizens with critical awareness, knowledge, skills and values that can influence the improvement of their quality of life and the transformation of their environment.
Projects: Currently the program runs the project
“Distance learning, partially in-person and via the radio, for youth and adults in contexts of deprivation of liberty.”
The project is designed to strengthen, develop and implement education programs for adolescents, young adults, men and women, in the contexts of prisons and rehabilitation centers for adolescents. The project currently takes place in Bolivia, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela. Thus, the beneficiaries have adequate educational opportunity for their needs and preferences. It is expected that the project will enroll 148 people in Bolivia, 62 people in Peru, 153 people in Venezuela and 60 people in Paraguay.
Ivan Gabrieli, I am a high school graduate thanks to IRFA, Peru
Ivan Gabrieli Gamarra was born in Lima, is 34-yearsold, is the eldest son of a family of five children and is currently detained at the ANCON II LIMA Prison. He has been in IRFA Peru’s Learning at Home project for three years.
What is Fe y Alegría to you, Ivan?
“Fe y Alegría to me, like many of my fellow inmates in this prison, is an opportunity to be able to finish our primary and secondary educations; in my case, thanks to Fe y Alegría I was able to finish my secondary education. Fe y Alegría has also made it possible to do other things within jail: to interact with other people, to meet the teachers and to take advantage of what they teach us. I value very much what our teachers do. They make a big effort and sacrifice to move this program forward. Thanks to their teaching, we have all realized that despite our mistakes we can change and we can be different: we no longer have to be a bad element of society, thanks to studying we are able to do positive things.
What elements do you think a Fe y Alegría education has that makes it different from other models?
“I think that there are two things that Fe y Alegría does differently. First, the quality of the education; we here in jail have received a very good education; it shows in the teachers, the materials they give us, in the life values they teach us. I am sure that when we leave this place we will not be the same people who entered. With what we have been taught by Fe y Alegría, we will be different people, people who want to contribute to making a better society, people who are concerned about our families and our communities.
Secondly, I think Fe y Alegría is an institution with national prestige, for us it’s important for us to get this degree because it’s recognized, not only here but in other countries, and that opens doors for further study, I mean, getting our degree from this institution is very good for our future. “
What do you think you’ll do once you get out of prison? What does your family think of this process?
“Well my family, especially my mother and my siblings, have congratulated me, they’re very proud of what I have been able to achieve. My mother tells me that if I had never been incarcerated I surely would have never finished my studies. The truth is that here, while in prison, I’ve realized many things, but especially how important it is to have an education. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I want to continue studying to be able to have a better future.”
New Frontiers Commission
With the work of the Commissions are looking to implement joint actions to effectively materialize the objectives and challenges in the Strategic Plan III:
Make Fe y Alegría present in new emerging realties of social and educational injustice emerging to maintain fidelity to the mission, promoting the dissemination of the learning achieved from experience and best practices, collaboration and shared efforts, especially to African countries.
From Madagascar to the country of Tumai (the first human)
Views of Emile Ranaivoarisoa J.S. and Andry S.J. of Foi et Joie Tchad
Father Emile was born in Ihazolava / Ambatolampy Antananarivo (Madagascar), is 47 years old, and has been a Jesuit priest since 1997. He is the Head of the Ikala-mavony and Solila districts, with a population of 64,167 in the first district and 45.941 in the second.
With our goal of starting Fe y Alegría in Madagascar, we have visited Foi et Joie Tchad to discover and observe what makes this institution work. The entire Chadian team has shown great joy in sharing their experiences with us.
There were about four difficult moments in the two weeks we spent with them: personal encounters with the National Director, Father Etienne Mborong, visits to different places, and meetings with the teaching staff and the team of the “School and Community Relationship.”
The action of the latter team is to consolidate what different members of every people can do for school: mostly parents of students, the various town officials and the general population.
The teaching team focuses its efforts on improving the quality of education. We accompany one of its initiatives: the ‘reading field’, which together with students who are struggling in a nearby training for a week to receive a crash course in reading and writing. The results are amazing. For their part, teachers participate in a program of ongoing training and monitoring of their work in the classroom.
The educational team focuses its efforts on improving the quality of education. We accompany one of its initiatives: the ‘reading field’, which puts them together with students who are struggling in a nearby training for a week to receive a crash course in reading and writing. The results are amazing. For their part, teachers participate in a program of ongoing training and monitoring of their work in the classroom.
The most important visits were conducted at the inauguration of the new Djéguéré school built by Foi et Joie, the parent committee meeting, a gathering of
mothers of students, an Eref educational day and the construction of two new schools, Tchélati and Bouko.
We have been impressed by the collaboration that exists among the different groups and the creativity that has manifested to address the problems that arise; pay teachers who are in charge of local communities and recover children who leave school, among others.
Working with the community, from the base, working with parents, motivating people and train stakeholders in education are the keys to success at Fe y Alegría in Mongo.
