Community mobilization for education

IDAY

Newsletter Spring 2015

Š IDAY-International aisbl

Community mobilization for education

Raising voices for education in Africa

Features

News from IDAY network Community mobilization for Education Interview with David Amouzou Against Ebola at schools in GuineaConakry

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Index 2 - The Chariman’s view 3 - News from IDAY network 4-5 - Regional project in Togo 6 -7 - Interview with David Amouzou (IDAY-Togo) 8 - No Ebola at school in Guinea-Conakry

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About IDAY IDAY-International is an advocacy network of African civil associations working in the education field.

IDAY-International fights for the rights of every young African to get full access to quality education by encouraging a positive and sustainable dialogue between African civil society and their governments.

IDAY-International 19, rue des Jambes - 1420 Braine-l’Alleud - Belgium Responsible Publisher : J-J. Schul Editor in chief / Graphic designer : L. Fourmentin Phone: +32 (0)2 385 44 12 - lfourmentin@iday.org Bank account: IBAN - BE 93 5230 8026 6767 BIC - TRIOBEBB (TRIODOS).

IDAY p. 2 / Spring 2015

© Joseph Matheka / IDAY-Kenya

The Chairman’s view In his last book Political Order and Political Decay (2014), Francis Fukuyama reveals that the only peaceful way to avoid clientelism in governments and improve their accountability - is through social mobilisation.

Action taken by civil society has succeeded to a large degree in making democratic governments more accountable across the developed world.

This is why the IDAY network is seeking to build independent representations of the African civil society.

In this perspective of fostering citizen engagement, the network lends support to worthwhile community initiatives created in a bid to compensate for the inadequacies of local governments in providing universal education.

IDAY supports their efforts to obtain backing from governments. In particular, the approach developed in Togo featured p. 7 should be replicated on a broader scale.

Jean-Jacques Schul Président-fondateur d’IDAY-International

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News / IDAY-International

Kigali Regional Conference At the Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Ministerial Conference on Education Post-2015 which was held in Kigali from 9 to 12 February, a Member of the Board of Management of IDAY-International, insisted on the importance of a constructive dialogue between the authorities and local civil society in an effort to identify customised solutions to the problems relating to education across the African continent.

IDAY is delighted to announce that in their final declaration, the Ministries of Education recognised equity and quality of education as priorities while also acknowledging the needs of the most vulnerable groups which are cut off from the school system.

© Gorbal Sy

GCE World Assembly IDAY took part in the 5th World Assembly of the Global Campaign for Education (GCE) which brought together representatives from more than 80 countries from 23 to 26 February in Johannesburg, South Africa. Carrying out an assessment of the progress of the Education For All goals for 2015, they observed the number of challenges that remain to be overcome - in particular on the African continent - especially in terms of the quality of education and the inclusion of vulnerable and marginalised groups.

© Noëlle Garcin / IDAY-International / CME

The participants have reflected on the strategic priorities of the Campaign for the years to come, while highlighting the question of quality and of a necessary holistic approach to education, and remembering that education is both a right and a public good that must be guaranteed by States in an equitable manner. These aspects are at the heart of the advocacy conducted by members of the GCE within the framework of defining the sustainable development goals to be adopted by the United Nations in September 2015.

Representing IDAY, the Secretary General introduced motions calling for a better understanding of the direct link between health and education, and emphasising the essential role that local civil society has in both the political dialogue and the governance of the educational sector.

IDAY-Tanzania Advocacy for Artemisia Annua In Zanzibar during the month of January, IDAY-Tanzania organised a round table to discuss tackling the problem of malaria in schools with Artemisia Annua. The aim was to bring together the Minister for Health and the Minister for Education to examine the possibilities of planting Artemisia Annua in school gardens in an effort to tackle the malaria problem and improve learning conditions.

An expert from the Zanzibar Malaria Elimination Programme and a representative from the Medicine Board welcomed this particular initiative to strengthen malaria prevention, especially by using the plant as a deterrent. They asked that the medical properties of the plant and its applications be better documented. The Director of the Zanzibar Ministry for Education has shown herself to be very favourable to this idea, encouraging the spread of this initiative among school clubs while involving communities in a bid to widen its impact.

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Future events World Forum on Education for All - Incheon, South Korea - 19-22 May 2015 International Day of the African Child (16 June) - 24 June 2015 - European Parliament (Brussels) under the auspices of Linda McAvan. Activities of IDAY coalitions are under development; for any info, please feel free contact them directly. (for more information click on www.iday.org)

IDAY p. 3 / Spring 2015

Community mobilization for education In several African countries, many young people are not enrolled in national education systems nor have a family to look after them. To adress these problems, communities organize and provide appropriate local solutions. Here are some examples from IDAY coalitions of Cameroon, Niger and Togo (Interview with David Amouzou on page 6) about the different forms that can take community mobilization for education.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) proclaims the right of the child to a relevant and quality education. It confirms that the State has a moral and social duty to guarantee the equity and wellbeing of all its citizens. However, in a number of African countries, the national educational programmes are falling short for several reasons (insufficient financial resources allocated to education, problems with governance or budgetary allocations, insufficient education for some marginalised groups, poor teaching quality, etc.).

© ONG Le Ronier / IDAY-Togo

The direct consequence is that today some 80 million children and young Africans do not have access to education.

Poverty and some socio-cultural barriers are the major causes of non-enrolment and school drop-out. In some rural parts of Cameroon for example, only 58% of pupils finish primary school because many parents cannot afford to pay their school fees. Other children and young people without parental or guardian supervision - orphans, children of poor families, etc. - are restricted to surviving by “getting by” and underpaid work, without having the chance to go to school.

To help young people who are not enrolled in the national education system or who do not have families to look after them, a number of communities have decided to organise themselves to identify targeted local solutions. This community-based mobilisation for education translates into a diverse range of strategies and initiatives, each one adapted to the specific context and the challenges to be overcome. This ranges from the active involvement of parents of pupils in managing schools to building schools, through advocating for the allocation of teaching staff by the State or developing collective income generating activities (IGA) to finance the schooling of the most vulnerable children (see the example of Togo, below). © IDAY-Cameroon

IDAY p. 4 / Spring 2015

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Community mobilisation for education Within the IDAY network, many local NGOs are supporting community approaches to promote education.

In Cameroon, people from the rural village of Etam Kouma

in the Forest Region have put in place a Family Farm School scheme in response to the spiralling school drop-out rate among young people. This agro-pastoral professional training centre identifies young school drop outs to train them in skills (farming, breeding, social and home economics, sewing) enabling them to become self-sufficient. There are some fifty similar structures in Cameroon, grouped within the National Association of Family Work-based Training Centres (ACEFFA), a member of IDAY-Cameroon. The centres all operate through work-based education programmes. They rely on parents taking an active role and are managed by communities. An assessment carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development highlighted the importance of these structures in reducing illiteracy among young people, combating the rural exodus and promoting self-employment. Although some centres are subsidised by the State, the majority have limited resources to operate with and help the apprentices as they set themselves up.

In Niger, the association ODI-Niger, a member of IDAY-Niger,

promotes a community-based rehabilitation (CBR) approach to looking after disabled people by and within the community the community. As regards education, the strategy consists of making the community responsible for creating favourable conditions for the schooling and training of disabled children.

This initiative combines the mobilisation of different communitybased stakeholders who have an advocacy role in defending disabled people as well as the implementation of IGA support and development groups for families of disabled children, etc.

Community-based mobilisation focuses on the importance of involving people themselves in setting and accomplishing their own goals. This dynamic reflects a view of education as a human right and a public good. It makes everyone accountable including the community which must then facilitate collective responses to the problems of some of its members. Local initiatives carried out by the communities are in essence adopted by local stakeholders who are proud to take an active role. Furthermore, they guarantee a certain level of alignment with the local needs and the local social, economic and cultural context. Often relatively inexpensive because they are based on local resources, local initiatives generally stand the test of time and have a remarkable knock-on effect, inviting the enthusiasm and admiration of other communities.

Community mobilisation is therefore essential to successfully providing quality education for all, especially when the public teaching system is insufficient or inadequate. This is even more important within the framework of the movement to decentralise educational services occurring throughout the majority of African countries which increasingly brings the responsibility for providing education to the local level.

www.iday.org

Š IDAY-Cameroon

The role of communities in providing quality education for everyone is not without its limits and challenges nevertheless, starting with the problem of unequal mobilisation among communities. It relies on a combination of factors which vary from one community to another: the existence of a sense of belonging, having common interests, a favourable collaborative climate, etc. The process of decentralising education should therefore include supporting community mobilisation efforts.

Moreover, in the case of community-based schools, the question of teaching quality is often raised. The alignment of these schools’ programmes with the official curriculum, their recognition by the national education system, the posting and training of teachers by the Ministry of Education as well as guaranteeing operating and infrastructure resources are also elements which are the subject of advocacy efforts initiated by certain IDAY coalitions so that they are recognised and backed by the States.

IDAY p. 5 / Spring 2015

Interview with David Amouzou (IDAY-Togo) ONG Le Ronier / IDAY-Togo / Project FES © David Amouzou / IDAY-Togo

The importance of the local level is becoming Could you explain to us by which process more assertive in the development sector. communities can become agents of change?

Which role could communities play in this The process by which a community can become an actor of process?

First of all, local development is a process through which community participates to change and shape their own environment in order to improve the quality of life of its residents.

In this process, the community is a key dynamic system in development because of its participation and real involvement which are essential for the implementation of the development process. Regarding the creation program of Fonds Enfants Soleil (FES) for community support for vulnerable children in rural Togo, the community is the primary basis on which the program activities are based.

change depends on the origin of change: if it is internal or external to the community. But in general, we must ensure that all community needs are properly addressed and prioritized.

Then it is required to have a sense of ownership, research and skills to implement change. Above all, it is necessary that the community participates actively and comprehensively to develop its own plan and its own management. This process has to be voluntary and should consider empowerment and enhancement of endogenous forces. In addition, we need a climate and an environment conducive to the organization in order to establish a good collaboration between all community members.

Which are the factors promoting community mobilization at a given time on a specific Can this approach of Community competence provide relevant answers to issue? the challenges of education in Africa?

There are plenty of factors; but first, I would say that it is “the interest that impulses the action.” And before the interest of each member of the community about this issue, a better knowledge and understanding of it as a whole and the priority nature of its appreciation in the community are the prime factors for mobilization.

To these factors are added: - Membership of community individuals willing to interact - A sense of solidarity and altruism - The existence in the community of good communication actor.

In the case of FES program, the issue is the education of vulnerable children in rural areas. Community mobilization around this program was facilitated by the way the community was organized which led to a better understanding of the ins and outs of the problems of rural education and available opportunities for actions. This quickly paves the way to look for endogenous solutions as the establishment of local committees which have undertaken community mobilization approaches to formalize the program, followed by income-generating activities and feasibility study to create the FES funds. Thereafter, the making available arable lands has been tremendsly spontaneous in several villages.

IDAY p. 6 / Spring 2015

Yes, this competency approach is already helping to provide relevant answers to the challenge of education in Africa in general and Togo in particular. Communities had, by their sense of organization, the opportunity to create schools called “Local Initiatives Schools” (EDIL) before the state has got interested in it a few years later by sending teachers in, providing them with educational materials and replacing « appâtâmes » by permanent classrooms. It is therefore clear that local participation is not negligible. Do not forget that today, communities are at the forefront in schools management through the Parents’ Committees (COGEP) and are running the school’s action plan.

Which are the advocacy actions of IDAYTogo coalition on these issues?

In Togo, a better knowledge of communities’ responsabilities in terms of participation in education processes is a top priority of IDAY-Togo coalition. The recognition of all EDIL, the promotion of early education (especially in rural areas), ensuring a real free education and improved conditions of life and work for the teachers as well as quality education are, among many other issues, the pilgrim’ staff of IDAY-Togo coalition with support from the Togolese National Coalition for Education for All.

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Interview / IDAY-Togo Fonds Enfant Soleil - Community mobilization for education of orphans and vulnerable children in rural areas in Togo In order to achieve an effective education for all in poor rural communities in Togo, civil society organized itself to ensure universal primary education for all children orphaned and destituted.

Le Rônier, a member organization of IDAY-Togo, developed the program “Fond Enfant Soleil” (FES) for enrollment and management by communities themselves of these orphans, abandoned or destituted children. The program is built on the basic social values of the family and on solidarity. It focuses on education which is -for these children- the key for their future and for the development of their community. The program helps local families to gather these children through small grants for breeding, which allows them to generate additional income for the education of their adopted child. After three years, each beneficiary family program gives back the equivalent of what it received to the program to help even more children.

The focus is put on the relational work with the child, mediation with his host family and school. The objective is to ensure a better integration of the child in the school by a structuring approach, achieving individualized plan based on the involvement of the host family in cooperation with the FES group. Thus, the integration of the child in a family group allows him to feel better in his environment and stimulates exchanges of experiences that can boost motivation.

The structure in cooperatives

This support system based on families is managed by FES villages constituted as autonomous cooperatives. They also manage income-generating community activities (mostly agricultural) used to improve access and quality of education for the whole village. Through savings and credit systems set up in each village, the program contributes to empower these communities. All merged cooperatives are the General Meeting of FES led by the Central Executive Committee, the supreme coordinating body which has the task of mobilizing national and international resources to support cooperatives in their initiatives. Le Ronier is the executive secretariat of the Central Director Committee and must therefore seeks to develop a FES capacity building program.

Results

513 children from 5 to 14 years in 14 villages in southern Togo were enrolled and treated through this program since 2013. The number of children in care is rising every year and by 2018 there will be over 1,500 orphans and vulnerable children waiting to be integrated.

IDAY-Togo calls for increased government support for schools in these villages, which depend mainly on the community, and a generalization of this approach.

© ONG Le Ronier

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IDAY p. 7 / Spring 2015

Buffer zones against Ebola in schools of Guinea-Conakry

Context

Expected results

The Ebola epidemic that broke out in Guinea at the end of 2013 has contaminated close to 1.000 people in the country, of which more than half died from the disease. In addition to the health impact, this epidemics has entailed reduced economic activity and growth, potentially reducing the GNP of Guinea by up to 4,5% according to World Bank statistics.

• •

The epidemic has also generated social unrest fueled by rumours (deliberate contaminations, etc.), lack of information as well as frustrations caused by the restrictions imposed on some traditional rituals for the sick and the dead. The school year has also been disturbed by the measures taken by authorities to break the chain of transmission, such as the temporary closing of some schools.

Project description The project proposes to create a buffer between the Ebola virus and 25 schools in infected zones of Conakry so as to help break the chain of transmission. 250 local facilitators from the communities will be trained to raise awareness among pupils, teachers and the surrounding communities (20 000 people) of the Kaloum, Dixinn, Matam, Matoto and Ratoma Municipalities of Conakry on how to prevent virus transmission.

500 prevention kits will be distributed alongside a sensitisation campaign comprising 50 community training sessions and community outreach via radio broadcast, posters and T-shirts.

The project will be managed by a team of 5 specialists and 10 experienced trainers. IDAY-Guinea will advocate the government for duplicating the approach to other municipalities in the country.

Objectives • •

Contribute to preventing the transmission of the Ebola hemorrhagic virus in 25 schools of Conakry and in the surrounding communities.

Preventing interruptions in the school year that affect the academic performance of the pupils.

• • • •

250 facilitators trained for community outreach on Ebola 35 000 people in and around the 25 schools informed on the characteristics of the Ebola virus, how it is transmitted, how to prevent it and what to do in case of suspected infection.

500 prevention kits distributed in schools.

The transmission of the Ebola virus in and around the 25 schools is reduced by 90%.

The community, regional and national authorities are sensitized to scale up the “buffer” approach in other schools.

Contact IDAY-Guinée Elisée Kolie Fassou c/o CAL Maison des Jeunes de Gbessia centre Commune de Matoto BP 5943 Conakry, Guinée T.: + 224 9 655 09 26 45 / 628 02 91 49 guinee@iday.org

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