Future in Our Hands (FIOH) a Swedish-funded organisation recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the National Council for Civic Education (NCCE) at the FIOH office in Kololi.

The MOU is meant to help institutionalize democratic principles and increase the capacity of local communities to advocate for their needs.FIOH works with public, private, and civil society partners and with communities themselves, particularly through school management committees (SMCs) and women groups.

Bubacarr Camara, project officer at FIOH, responsible for Organisational Development, said the purpose of the agreement is to develop a framework of cooperation between NCCE and FIOH to develop programmes, projects and public awareness activities.
These programmes, projects and activities, he said, will fall within the mandate of NCCE and under the programmes and policies of FIOH.

According to him, civic awareness meetings have already begun in 8 communities spread over the Central and the Lower River Regions. He disclosed that the eight beneficiary communities include Pallol, Changai and Sare Abdou in LRR; while the beneficiary villages in CRR are Darsilami, Nyawurlung, Misira, Njolfen and Sare Sarjo.

Community advocacy equipment support
In a related development, the Future in Our Hands organisation also supported eight communities with equipment such as solar power equipment, television sets, DVD players, mobile chargers and lighting materials for some classrooms.

The project officer of FIOH, Bubacarr Camara said his organisation will provide documentary cassettes in the local languages on health education, environmental education, agriculture and civic education. He explained that the mobile charging component is meant to help ease the problem of charging mobile phones in the communities as well as generate funds for the sustainability of the project.

"Television being a mass communication tool, both the community and FIOH staff will use it for educational purposes," said Camara.He added that it is hoped the project will improve access to vital information in the beneficiary communities.Commenting on the project, Ebrima Camara, the head teacher of Misira Lower Basic School in Region 4, Lower River Region, said:

 "We find it very effective because it is really helping us in the teaching and learning process in the school.We have cassettes containing educating songs. It also helps the community in terms of charging their mobile batteries and educating them too because they come and watch news and the football matches and other films that are very educative. We are charging each mobile for D3. 00 only and we use the proceeds to buy learning materials. And this is a token that the school uses to generate income for other activities."He added that the first proceeds from the project enabled them to buy an antenna for their television.

Fatou Jawo, deputy headmistress of the school, who is also a native of the village, acknowledged that the project is helping them a lot. "It is very educative and helps the children a lot and even we the teachers are learning from it, before the project I cannot even operate a video, but now I can operate it myself," she said.

According to her, the project also boosted enrolment into the school and widened the knowledge of the pupils in current affairs, such as the ongoing FIFA world cup tournament in South Africa.The project is also supporting Sare Abdou, Bayaba and Wellingara Yareh with solar powered water supply.