The Organisation for Participatory Learning and Action (OPLA), has recently began a three-week training on literacy providers, for 10 literacy facilitators from the regional education directorate, in the North Bank Region (NBR).

The Organisation for Participatory Learning and Action (OPLA), has benefitted from a four-year World Bank Third Education sector project at the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education for the promotion of literacy programmes using the Reflect approach in 10 communities of Lower and Central Baddibu Districts of North Bank Region.

OPLA is among the organisations identified by the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education as literacy providers to support the third education sector in making literacy services available to people. The objective of the project among other things is to reach 50% improvement in adult literacy by 2015, to reduce the disparities between region and urban rural migration, promote functional literacy and non formal basic education through the medium of national languages and use the decentralized programme structures and partnership approach.

 Speaking at the occasion, Landing Jabang, the coordinator of OPLA and an affiliated member to Network of Participatory Methodologies and Practitioner (NPMP) noted that the use and promotion of Regenerate Freirean Literacy (REFLECT) approach can help people to learn languages within the  shortest possible period. He noted  that the REFLECT approach is not only to read and write but also to interpret the environment and develop action plans that will help to address the development aspiration at grassroots level.

He thanked the officials of World Bank and the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education for the trust and confidence bestowed on his organisation in providing literacy programme to the people of Lower and Central Baddibu Districts.  According to him, the approach will empower the communities to have ownership of their literacy process and linking adult literacy to wider development,  improve the income earning capacity of women, to diversify agriculture.

The project will be implemented in 6 communities of Lower Baddibu Districts namely: Njie Kundaring, Toroba, Pallen Fula, Foday Biran, Tallen Fula and Ndey Kumba Ya and whilst the remaining four villages are from Kerr Ngata wollof, Chamen, Nduren and Jammeh Kunda of Central Baddibu District. He further said that the facilitators will be trained on basic techniques in adult education and will be able to visualize their own environment and also reading and writing on the lives of adult.  For his part,  Musa NK. Suso, of Regional Education Directorate for region 3, commended OPLA for complementing government’s efforts in making literacy accessible to the people with the objective of making the attainment of literacy for all by 2015.  He thanked OPLA for fulfiling the requirement of World Bank and the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education in accelerating the promotion of literacy programme in the North Bank using the REFLECT approach to enlighten beneficiary communities and contributing to poverty reduction.

Suso urged literacy facilitators to continue to search for more knowledge and be ready to transfer the skills and knowledge gain to bring about social transformation at grassroots level. He  stressed the need for attitudinal change among the facilitators and assured the of his fullest support to the project.

Tamba S. Kinteh, chairman of OPLA board of directors and also deputizing for the governor, expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education for providing much needed resources to OPLA at grassroots level, to bring about positive change and to enable them contribute to the attainment of education for all by 2015. According to him, literacy in all forms helps to empower people and enhance their participation in national development. The chairman of OPLA board of directors recognized numerous interventions by development partners in providing literacy and by extension contribute to eradication of illiteracy and to bring about sustainable development.

Mariama Bah of Dobo, a supervisor and Edrisa Trawally of Pallen Amdalaye of Central Baddibu, all thanked the project for contributing to the eradication of illiteracy especially among women and girls at grassroots level, noting that such intervention will always empower people to know basic rights and to know how to take care of their families. “Literacy enables people to adopt positive behavior on environment protection and personal hygiene of individuals and their families,” Bah concluded.