New approaches to measure poverty

I have always thought that the Human Development Report doesn't measure poverty fairy. Yes, because it masks the plight of the most vulnerable and gloss over economic gains and indices. How about a tool that gives communities a tool to self-identify on the poverty scale - using day-to-day benchmarks such as happiness, how they cook their food etc

Check out this article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/poverty-matters/2011/may/24/talkpoint-measuring-development-progress

Telling a students’ story, raising writers in Sierra Leone

Students in 10 schools in Sierra Leone are taking writing to a new level. With support from Sentinel English Language Institute based in Freetown, students have organized clubs in which they write stories, receive peer review and teachers’ support to improve their work. Sentinel has published the first collection of students’ essays.

I met with the Director of Sentinel Institute, Jacqueline Leigh, to discuss her experiences with this initiative. Jackie told how students have been excited by the challenge of writing and peer reviewing their pieces. Through the editing process, students took turns reading their pieces aloud to the club members. “Students are very excited to see their essays published, this will also likely motivate them to continue on the path of reading and writing” observed Jackie.

Sentinel’s initiative has encountered a couple of challenges. Teachers’ skills in the teaching of reading in writing are generally weak in most Sierra Leone schools and students do not have access to books. For the most part, reading skills are very limited – a deficiency manifested by the limited vocabulary expressed in the essays the students write –copies of which I received during our discussion. “If students had access to a variety of reading materials it would have improved the project’s work” Jackie observed.

Sentinel is a member of the newly created steering committee for Le Wi Ol Lan (a Krio name for Opportunity Schools Project) and Books Sierra Leone. The goal of the two projects is to improve reading and writing skills among primary students in Kenema district – Eastern Sierra Leone. The projects will therefore train teachers in reading and writing instruction. Schools will also receive books that support classroom instructions and stimulate students’ interest to read. A number of books will be imported by November 2011 and at least eight titles will be written by local writers and illustrators. With Sentinel’s experience, students’ stories may also be published. This would really help the students’ effort to learn reading and writing.

The missing piece in Reading and Writing puzzle - Sierra Leone

“…While the country has officially committed to increasing literacy, primary school teachers are unable to teach pupils to read and write. The teachers themselves are generally untrained and don’t have the books they need to help pupils.” - A Sierra Leonean educator

This comment was made at the opening of the training workshop of enumerators for the Le Wi Ol lan project - which means “let us learn” in Krio. Formerly called Opportunity Schools Program, the Le Wi Ol lan project includes CODE’s new Reading Sierra Leone initiative designed to improve students’ learning achievements in Kenema district in Sierra Leone. It will train teachers in reading and writing instruction and supply books to support teachers in the classrooms and stimulate student’s reading habits.

The baseline survey will guide teacher training and books acquisition and development and will assess 353 students in grades 1-3 between May 9th and 13th. The survey is coordinated by IRC field office in Kenema and CODE.

This project could not have been launched at a better time. There is clearly a lot of enthusiasm in Sierra Leone to increase reading and writing performance. During the training, I sensed that a number of educators on the team had been engaged in discussions about the sorry state of languages and literacy. I learned that they have been investigating ways to support classroom teachers at lower primary levels – the foundation of literacy acquisition. Literacy champions face limited resources and very little awareness about what work remains to be done.

The fact that local champions exist is special. It presents a unique opportunity for CODE to carry out teacher development and book development support. Indeed at the end of the training, I promised the enumerators that project schools will demonstrate a change in reading and writing abilities within 5 years.

This project was launched in Febrary 2011 and has initial funding from an anonomious foundation with strong interests in education and human rights in Sierra Leone. Together, CODE and IRC look forward to making a lasting change in the literacy and education of children in Sierra Leone.

Show and Tell – Building Telecentres That Matter

Recent turmoil in the global economy has brought with it aftershocks to several development activities. Resources for health, education and poverty eradication are constantly being re-assessed. ICT for development is back on the chopping board. Once again, questions are asked of telecentres: do they contribute to development and how? Should scarce resources be allocated?

If asked, I would say – as sure as sunset. Telecentres are a major engine for development. Sad part, many will not take my word for it. And yes, many to think telecentres are a luxury. I can understand that too. In their defense, the connection between telecentres and development is not obvious. Read, has not been made that natural. Telecentre proponents have yet to make a solid case in plain language that those who matter understand. In several countries, rural communities, private sector, government and others have not placed telecentres (and ICT for community development initiatives) as response to key questions of our time.

I believe this must change or telecentres will struggle bit time. I talk to old friends across Africa, Asia and MENA and the common theme is the challenges of putting telecentres on the development agenda today. The situation will not get better until telecentre practitioners approach their trade differently.

To start with, I submit that telecentres need to be built around a community’s needs. It is back to the basics – getting early planning right. Literally starting from a needs assessment where community’s development activities, challenges and opportunities are identified. This has to be matched with understanding of ways skills are developed and information is accessed as well as associated challenges. “Cooker-cutter” type telecentre services have had their day in the sun. We all know that such services have led to telecentres that attract very little interest because – simply they often do not meet the needs of the community.

Let’s try this out in plain English. For a farming community – we would need to identify the crops, farming practices, pests and disease, harvest seasons, post harvest issues and marketing. The telecentre would then seek to position itself to finding solutions to issues around the farming community.

There would be several ways too. Say, working with local farmers (there is always the best of them all), extension support services, civil society organizations and unions. The telecentre would help farmers to access information they need and develop skills. If the telecentre provides answers to issues of the time, there will be loyalty from the community. Money will come to the community and directly to the telecentre. Development partners will notice because the telecentre will document and share stories of concrete changes in the farmers’ output. Remember that the telecentre provides information on pests and diseases, post harvest management, improving farming practices (controlling erosion and loss of soil fertility).

The story of impact will show and be told. It will include things such as …the telecentre doesn’t have to pay for all this information or expertise because it can connect with various experts whose job is indeed to impact on farming practices in the community. That the experts are always lurking in the community – looking for opportunities for outreach and impact. It would add that the local government provided additional resources to help the telecentre deliver services because the connection to community’s development objectives was crystal clear. In fact, the local government found out that supporting the telecentre was good for the next elections since the farmers frequently use the services.

Telecentres will find it more profitable to work with others – a.k.a. telecentre networks. Needs surveys, identifying community partners and building value-added partnerships are better done with peers. I believe that consolidating the community of practice, pooling resources and working together will make Show and Tell bigger and louder.

An interesting read about connection to community needs: http://www.pdf-finder.com/Sustainable-Telecentres?-Two-Cases-from-India-by.html

Open telecentres - better view

This is even a better angle to understand the "open telecentres" in Monrovia. I am sure it responds well to the reader who asked me how popular this model is around Monrovia. The photo also shows the variety of technologies and possible services - helps us to appreciate the location and organization of these telecentres.

open telecentres in Liberia

A few weeks ago, I retold the story of an open, mobile telecentre in Monrovia. Yes, the one which moved when it rained heavily. I have since found several other locations with this brand. Makes me think: "telecentres Liberian style". Frankly, if you were to remove the cost of infrastructure (walls, roof, doors etc) telecentre services for all by year -- (fill in your choice) should be achievable a few years early. With internet access via GSM, clients should be able to surf too! Food for thought within the telecentre.org community.

Localizing Global Anti-Poverty Initiatives

Poverty is the most important challenge of this century and hits Africa the hardest. Through the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the international community committed to reduce the proportion of people worldwide between 1990 and 2015, who live on less than a $1 per day by one-half. While progress has been made in several countries, it is slow and appears largely reversible. For example, there are general fears that due to the recent global food crisis, increased cost of energy, severe drought and floods, at least 100 million more people will soon fall into the poverty bracket. Another challenge is the high disease burden which is leading to increased productivity loses and labor diversion in Africa. These will combine to eat away gains made in the past several decades. To this end, Africa needs to renew approaches to poverty eradication and particularly prioritize issues that increase the continent’s vulnerability such as relevant education and improving health outcomes.

Education for what..?

Africa’s educational system is at cross-roads. There is debate whether the current structure of education can produce cadres that the continent needs to adapt and become more competitive. While literature points to tremendous gains in enrolment through national and international efforts, the general gross enrolment ratio (GER) across Africa remains the lowest in the world. In many countries, the education system struggles with irrelevant curriculum, access equity, poor learning outcomes, weak link with world of work and inadequate financing . Relevance of education is viewed as one of the key factors behind high dropout rates at all levels in Africa.

Alongside fundamental reforms of formal educational systems, Africa needs to popularize functional adult literacy and technical vocational training. Models such as community colleges in Canada and Barefoot College in India might provide a new channel to engage rural women and men to learn practical skills that reduce their vulnerability to poverty. Essentially, it will produce a pool of expertly trained middle-level specialists that are equipped to support smallholder farmers in coping with increasing drought, loss of soil fertility and managing huge on-farm post harvest loses.

One centre, in Africa shows that indeed vocational education can be transformative in the battle against poverty. For more than 20 years, Centre Songhai in Benin has demonstrated how learner-centred vocational training can transform communities from threshold of food crisis to self sustenance. Songhai is a lot similar to Uganda’s Namutamba experimental project on education for rural development that was established in the 70s. Unfortunately, Namutamba never survived its pilot phase despite numerous positive reviews. The Songhai Centre has combined applied research and bio technology, efficient use of local resource with training to create probably the most exciting ecologically balanced and resourceful farm in Africa. The prospects for poverty eradication would be a lot better if Africa could replicate similar vocational education programs that empower vulnerable communities.

Poor health, low productivity

Poor health constrains productivity, undermines food security and poverty eradication initiatives. And because smallholder farmers produce the bulk of agricultural output in Africa, poor health to family members is a major diversion of labor and productivity whose shock is quickly felt across communities. African’s women are the most vulnerable to poor health impacts yet they contribute most of the labor used to produce food both for household consumption and for sale. The scale of Africa’s health challenges can be summarized as follows: with only 11% of the world’s population, the continent has the highest burden of disease, seven times higher than high income countries. South-East Asia and Africa bore 54% of the global burden of disease in 2004 . HIV/AIDS, diarrhea, malaria, neonatal infection are the core causes of the burden of disease. Even worse, climate change is now complicating efforts to control known diseases while aiding emergence of new vectors, some which had been controlled in the past.

Poverty eradication has got a lot to do with improving health outcomes in Africa. If unleashing the full potential of women is critical anti-poverty programming, health conditions that affect women need to be prioritized. It is possible to leverage new technologies in a wide range of eHealth applications that increase efficiency and effectiveness of the health services. Additionally, the continent needs to strengthen climate change adaptation capacities at community and national levels.

Africa can pull itself out of poverty. It is a statement millions of people in rural communities across the continent would like to hear more often. And the development community can provide credible hope by re-aligning approaches in a way that prioritize the most vulnerable people. This is possible by helping communities to adapt, cope and become more resilient to new global challenges faster and efficiently.

Telecentres – pushing the boundaries

You have already seen ice cream corns under an umbrella. I now present to you telecentre services under an umbrella. Yes, we have wheels too for mobile.

I found this innovative model in the suburbs of Monrovia, Liberia. The owner, Robert explained to me how it works. He provides a wide range of secretarial services - typesetting, scanning, ID cards, lamination etc. I asked Robert what happens on rainy afternoon - which is often, by Monrovia weather. You see the little kiosk on the right on the photo? Well, he runs in with the telecentre. Good that it’s also fitted with wheels for maximum mobility. Check out the power generator in the background. It is turned on demand only.

When it rained the next day, I went back to see Robert - in the middle of the heavy pour. The second photo is what I found. The Umbrella is covering the power generator the rest is sheltered somewhere else.

Next time you think of a telecentre - you can think outside the box

Oasis of knowledge in the in-city Monrovia

I spent the day at the WE-CARE Foundation and met the staff and teacher trainers. WE-CARE’s Mike Weah walked me through the history of the foundation, its priorities and linkages across the education sub-sector. From a small community based effort, the foundation has positioned itself as key player in educational instructional reforms in Liberia. With the Liberia Teacher Training Program (LTTP) taking the lead on much of the core teacher training activities albeit with support from USAID, Mike understands that the country is in urgent need of local capacity to innovate and drive educational reforms; strengthen instructional training and support.

Reading Liberia trainers have already delivered a training workshop at the invitation of LTTP. Another similar workshop is scheduled in which ten lead teacher trainers will be involved in two workshops over the next five days. Sixty teachers in all will be trained on how to use new instructional approaches for reading and writing in Liberian classrooms.

At the library, I noticed the majority of users are young people – in high schools or colleges. I sought to know why from a few users. One young man told me the library has the books he needs and the location [on the main street of in-city Monrovia] is convenient. WE-CARE confirms that most schools don’t have a library nor is there a national public library. Although the space is perfect the library doesn’t have near to core stock. That goes to illustrate the scope of the challenge students’ face in Monrovia. The library can do with more – a lot more books on topical issues. I understood that a couple of titles have been donated by visitors. I am next on the roster. It’s a noble cause that requires support.

In the audio visual section, I met with Russell a writer who was using one of the two computers – typing away his manuscript that lay in several pages of a school exercise book. He caught my attention because he sat alone typing one letter at time. I reached out to ask what he was doing. You see, helping Liberian writers to develop quality manuscripts is part of the Reading Liberia project. Mike explained that often time, writers use the good-old pen and paper combination then come to the library to digitize their works. It means the writing process is slow and tedious. When they can find a computer at the library, electricity may be off and if WE-CARE doesn’t switch on the power generator for any reason they won’t work.

Oasis of knowledge in the in-city Monrovia

I spent the day at the WE-CARE Foundation and met the staff and teacher trainers. WE-CARE’s Mike Weah walked me through the history of the foundation, its priorities and linkages across the education sub-sector. From a small community based effort, the foundation has positioned itself as key player in educational instructional reforms in Liberia. With the Liberia Teacher Training Program (LTTP) taking the lead on much of the core teacher training activities albeit with support from USAID, Mike understands that the country is in urgent need of local capacity to innovate and drive educational reforms; strengthen instructional training and support.

Reading Liberia trainers have already delivered a training workshop at the invitation of LTTP. Another similar workshop is scheduled in which ten lead teacher trainers will be involved in two workshops over the next five days. Sixty teachers in all will be trained on how to use new instructional approaches for reading and writing in Liberian classrooms.

At the library, I noticed the majority of users are young people – in high schools or colleges. I sought to know why from a few users. One young man told me the library has the books he needs and the location [on the main street of in-city Monrovia] is convenient. WE-CARE confirms that most schools don’t have a library nor is there a national public library. Although the space is perfect the library doesn’t have near to core stock. That goes to illustrate the scope of the challenge students’ face in Monrovia. The library can do with more – a lot more books on topical issues. I understood that a couple of titles have been donated by visitors. I am next on the roster. It’s a noble cause that requires support.

In the audio visual section, I met with Russell a writer who was using one of the two computers – typing away his manuscript that lay in several pages of a school exercise book. He caught my attention because he sat alone typing one letter at time. I reached out to ask what he was doing. You see, helping Liberian writers to develop quality manuscripts is part of the Reading Liberia project. Mike explained that often time, writers use the good-old pen and paper combination then come to the library to digitize their works. It means the writing process is slow and tedious. When they can find a computer at the library, electricity may be off and if WE-CARE doesn’t switch on the power generator for any reason they won’t work.

addressing global poverty

what is the relationship between population growth and global poverty? ... a colleague urges that high population is an engine for poverty eradication. And he points to Chine, Brazil and India as proof to the power of big numbers.

I say, population is not a problem. Quality of the population is the concern. Yes, if Africa and Asia continue the path of high population growth - one that commands a high demand for goods and services - that should be a engine for innovation and productivity. The practical matter though is that its a far cry from reality. I believe that reproductive rights and population management ought to be central to any poverty eradication planning. This will ensure that numbers really do count.