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LITERACY PROGRAM
WATCH
has developed its own introductory awareness
raising and training packages to be used
in Non-Formal Education (NFE) and literacy
classes. Along with acquiring literacy
and numeric skills, facilitators also
help the participants to plan and carry
out activities related to the topics they
study. During the literacy courses participants
are also exposed to issues such as Exploitation,
Unity, Human Rights, Women's Rights, Wages
(Labor), STDs/HIV/AIDS and Trafficking
through activities that take place both
inside and outside the classroom. WATCH
has trained all of its own NFE and literacy
facilitators, as well as those of other
projects on how to use the packages effectively.
WATCH
uses the literacy program as a platform
for the participants to organize themselves.
The facilitators adopt a problem-solving
approach with dialogue/discussion, reflection
and action as the key processes. The goal
of the literacy groups is to have the
participants run the classes themselves.
The classes are structured to be action
oriented so that the women are not just
learning to read but learning about vegetable
gardens, green manure and other income
generating and skill developing programs.
Problems
with Most Literacy Approaches:
The
most commonly used literacy materials
and methods were developed under a non-democratic
government regime. The old approach and
materials were not oriented towards addressing
problems based on people's needs, nor
were they intended to encourage people
to take action. Often these literacy projects
were imposed. Many of the projects ended
up blaming the participants for their
lack of literacy and shattered their self-esteem.
This happened in several ways:
Participants
and their spouses often have high expectations
as to what a literacy class can do and
how quickly improvements can come. Many
women suffer a loss of dignity and self-esteem
because their families expect dramatic
improvement in a short time. When this
improvement doesn't come, the women are
often hassled and made to feel they are
wasting time.
Similarly,
there are no changes noted in the household.
For example, although the participants
may learn how to spell 'tarkari baarie'
(vegetable garden), they don't actually
plant a vegetable garden or improve their
own. In most programs in Nepal becoming
literate produces no overt changes in
participants' day-to-day lives.
At
the end of most classes, many participants
still cannot read or write, or only do
so very poorly. Although they get a certificate,
they cannot perform tasks requiring literacy
or perform them inadequately and again
receive rebuke from family members. Moreover,
those women who have managed to acquire
the skills quickly lose them since they
have few reasons or opportunities to practice
them. Reading material is scarce in the
rural areas, and few projects offer post-literacy
classes. More important though is that
many of the topics covered in literacy
classes are irrelevant to their lives.
Participants are not taught how they can
make use of their literacy skills to improve
their lives.
WATCH's
Approach to Literacy:
Literacy
education should not impose knowledge
and ideas on people, but empower people
to acquire information about their problems
and solutions so that they can bring about
change. WATCH's approach combines the
acquisition of a new skill and the use
of the knowledge which can now be accessed.
It is a process that includes the whole
community.
To
keep everyone's expectations clear, as
the classes are forming the facilitators
visit the participants' families and explain
what the participant will be doing and
how quickly to expect results. In class,
discussions draw attention common issues
facing all the participants in their lives.
Further analysis of these issues leads
to the enunciation of a set of key words
integral to understanding or explaining
the issue or problem. These key words
then form the basis for the actual lesson.
During these lessons the participants
learn literacy skills by making plans
for how they can take action to deal with
specific problems or issues. The literacy
facilitator follows up by visiting the
participants' homes to further motivate
and support them and by engaging their
family as well.
As
class proceeds, the participants become
literate, receive support from their families
(or at least don't suffer rebuke), and
learn how to use their literacy skills
to make practical changes. Participants
of literacy classes have gone on to write
forest operation plans, proposals, rules
and regulations for organizations, plans
for workshops and development activities,
etc.
WATCH
provides each group with RS. 2000 to run
the class, but these funds may be used
in whatever manner the groups see appropriate.
Some groups have used these funds to 'buy
time,' in other worlds, to replace lost
labor time, or make an income replacement
on a loan, so participants like bonded
laborers could attend classes. Most groups
have put that money aside to start a credit
scheme and use their own resources to
run the literacy classes. The skills learned
in the classes helped the participants
to set up and operate these credit schemes.
Many
post-literacy activities can be carried
out by the participants themselves, for
they now have knowledge and experience
at writing, planning, etc. They can apply
their new skills to make a practical difference
to their lives. However, WATCH supports
post-literacy classes as well. Participants
write stories about their lives and hopes.
They discuss these stories and come up
with topics they wish to learn more about.
They then write letters or proposals to
WATCH asking for support. WATCH staff
put together a resource package on the
chosen topic and send it back to the group.
The group then reads, discusses, and evaluates
the package and returns their written
comments to WATCH.
The
Literacy Program has been very successful
with the number of literate women numbering
almost 2000. These women have kept up
their skills and continue to use them
to better their lives in their communities.
WATCH has also developed interactive post-literacy
materials to retain literacy and numeric
skills, and to encourage a process of
ongoing reflection and dialogue regarding
their rights.
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