Two activities were carried out in the month of May in the ECHOES project. The objectives of the project still remain as:
To strengthen community participation in education
To establish community wide reading and literacy initiatives
To improve reading outcomes for children
ACTIVITIES
SMC/PTA Step-down training
Monitoring SMC/PTA TRAINING
A step-down training in capacity building was organized for the SMC/PTA members of the five respective project community schools of Nkorang, Kobeng, Seidi, Asakraka and Hiawu Besease.
The objective of the training was to build the capacities of the two groups so as to be able to assist and best manage their various schools to ensure quality education for pupils in these schools.
The training which was held at the OAU Hotel at Abuakwa was from the 6th of May to 9th of May 2013. It was facilitated by the project staff of Light for Children as well as Bernice Nyantakyi, field officer of Winrock international. Mac George Baidoo of World Education also attended.
In all 26 members of both the SMC/PTA of the five communities participated. it included three females and twenty three males. During the training, a discussion was held on the impending school management meetings.
MONITORING
It was carried out in all the communities namely Nkorang, Kobeng, Seidi, Asakraka and Hiawu Besease.
The focus this month was on the OST learners and their sporting activities which were to encourage them to actively participate in the classes. This has however rekindled the enthusiasm of the learners especially in Nkorang, Kobeng and Asakraka.
NKORANG
The sporting activities have encouraged the children very much. it has brought in three school pupils to add up to the OST core number of eight to eleven learners. The adult learners have had some inconsistencies in their attendance. This was expressed to the Project Coordinator by the facilitators during his monthly visit. According to them this sometimes affects the smooth running of the classes.
KOBENG
The OST classes at Kobeng are also doing well with the sporting activities which are boosting their morale to participate in the classes. This has helped them maintain their number and during our last visit they were fifteen (15) in number.
The adult literacy learners still maintain their number of twenty seven (27) members.
ASAKRAKA
The OST classes at Asakraka have maintained their consistency in class attendance with their core attendance of fifteen (15) children. The sporting activities have also encouraged them to attend the classes. The adult learners are fairly doing well with an average attendance of ten to fifteen learners. During the visit, the monitoring team witnessed a football match between the OST learners’ team and the local primary school team.
SEIDI
The OST learners in Seidi are still not doing very well. Facilitators are still trying their best to use the sporting activities to encourage more children to join the orogrammefihe adult learners there however are doing quite well. They have still maintained their number of fifteen (15).
HIAWU BESEASE
The OST learners in this community have also maintained their number of four (4) learners. The facilitators have decided to step up their sporting activities in order to encourage more learners to join the program. The adult learners however have an encouraging attendance.
SUCCESS STORIES
The sporting activities of football and badminton have boosted the morale of the OST learners and have also encouraged others to join. In Nltorang, one of the OST learners has decided to enroll in the mainstream school system starting next year.
CHALLENGES
The major challenge faced by the communities is the lack of electricity to carry out their leaning activities in the evening which is the best time especially for the adult learners.