Humana

People to People

Training Rural Primary School Teachersand Fostering Community Development

Improving Educational Achievements for Children in Africa

A Public-Private Partnership The Humana People to People teacher-training program represents an innovative public-private partnership model. The ministries of education in the country’s where the program is being implemented provide between 40-70% of the operational costs of the colleges. In addition, government cooperation and coordination has been substantial, which has been vital to the sustainability and success of the project. Local and national education authorities are involved in the monitoring of the training and in supervising exams. Sharing of experiences and best practices in educational development takes place via joint meetings, workshops, and pedagogical days.

Support for the remaining costs are provided from a number of partners, including but not limited to: UNDP, UNICEF, UNESCO, the European Union, the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, USDA, USAID, the Spanish State Agency for International Cooperation. and member organizations of the Humana People to People Federation. Additionally, a number of private foundations and companies contribute to the training of teachers.

Development of any kind is ultimately

tied to education, which gives people

the basic means to change the condition of

their lives. Humana People to People (HPP)

has been sowing the seeds of development

across southern Africa. Together with its

local implementing partners and the close

cooperation of each country’s ministry of

education, HPP is establishing teacher-

training colleges across sub-Saharan Africa.

The reputation of HPP’s teacher training

program has grown remarkably since the first

college was opened in Maputo, Mozambique

in 1993. Today, there are 26 colleges in three

countries. The program is based on a holistic

model that provides students with the

pedagogical qualifications and practical skills

needed to live and work in rural areas.

Graduates contribute to making a difference

in the lives of children by improving academic

achievements and increasing attendance and

pass rates, while also engaging the community

around the school to be active in improving

basic living conditions.

The progressive educatonal model called “DNS” is the basis for Humana People to People’s teacher-training program.

DNS teachers help to make learning a prioirity in the villages where they teach, inspiring students and encouraging family members to support their children’s education.

An Adaptable Curriculum

The curriculum is easily adapted to meet

a country’s educational requirements. The

approach embraces a respect for a nation’s

national standards of teacher training, while

integrating modern educational concepts

that span a broad range of subjects.

The curriculum is presented through

readings, lectures and from online lessons.

Hands-on training is a core tenet of the

program, and student teachers obtain weekly

teaching experience. Each of the colleges

make arrangements with between five to

nine nearby primary schools to provide

training classrooms for the student teachers.

Fostering Responsibility and Initiative

The program at the HPP colleges help

students take responsibility for their

education and supports them in exploring

and learning all that they can. The colleges

utilize a system known as the Determination

of Modern Methods (DMM) to help fulfill

these objectives.

The basic idea behind DMM is to create the

conditions that allows student teachers to

take control of their own learning and become

proactive in their professional development.

This approach challenges traditional ideas

and lines of authority that exist with respect

to the relationship between an instructor and

a student.

With DMM, students can break out of

conventional classroom roles and become

active partners in determining the direction

of their education. While instructors have

ultimate authority, students are given a

choice and control over how they will learn.

To help facilitate this process, the DMM

system makes the entire curriculum, from

lecture notes to lesson activities, available

to each student from the very start. When

the colleges were first being established,

the curriculum was available to students

by way of a central file. With the advent of

modern computer technology, the entire

curriculum has been digitized and is accessed

through the college database. Students can

now obtain the contents of the curriculum

through on-campus computers.

Community Development

Student teachers are immersed in academic

subjects, but they also learn much more.

Whether it is building a new well or helping

raise village awareness about HIV prevention,

they learn first-hand that teachers have a key

role to play. The schools where graduates

teach often evolve into community centers,

where meetings are held to discuss local

concerns and projects initiated to improve

the community’s quality of life.

Education to reduce malnutrition is one

example of the outreach performed by

student teachers to local communities.

The students combine lessons in nutrition

with the hands-on development of village

vegetable gardens, which often serve as

an important supplemental source of key

nutrients for the population.

In fair weather, Cidalia teaches fifth grade in

a sandy corner of the schoolyard of public school “Escola Primaria 5 de Fevereiro” on the outskirts of the borough of Machava, Mozambique.

Her pupils sit on the ground beneath a tattered green tarp, their bodies barely shielded from the hot Mozambiquean sun. A teacher’s desk is positioned at the front of the “classroom” and a small chalkboard hangs alongside from the branch of a eucalyptus tree. In other corners of the schoolyard similar makeshift classes have been devised. The scene is a testament to the educational situation in Mozambique, where children are hungry to learn but where there is only the barest of means.

“When it rains, I share a classroom in the school,” says Cidalia, referring to the cement-brick building at the center of the yard. “It is of course very crowded and more difficult to have lessons inside,” she explains.

Whatever she may lack in classroom resources, Cidalia more than makes up

for with enthusiasm and intelligence. Undaunted by her conditions, Cidalia teaches a typical fifth grade curriculum that includes social science, mathematics, Portuguese, and biology, tailoring her teaching to the needs and abilities of her students. Seeing how much the children benefit from the lessons is what drives her to continually do her best on that dusty lot.

Cidalia had originally wanted to become an economist, as she thought she could thereby contribute to her country’s development. But a friend attending an ADPP teacher-training college convinced her to become a teacher. She completed her teaching qualification at the ADPP Gaza teacher-training college and then continued on to One World University, where she earned a baccalaureate in education. The ADPP programs helped motivate her and provided her with the pedagogical methods that she relies on everyday.

Now a teacher for six years in Machava, Cidalia is pleased when former students pay her a visit. Some are in secondary school and have dreams of being teachers themselves. Cidalia is aware that she is a role model especially for young girls. She hopes to inspire them to do great things.

Teaching with Passion, Pride, and Perseverance

26 colleges establishedOver 3,000 graduates per year1.5 million student beneficiaries

Meeting the Greatest Need

The HPP colleges train teachers for placement

where there is the greatest need: rural schools.

The population of Africa mostly resides in rural

areas, and it is where the ratio of students to

teacher can surpass 70:1. Rural schools also

often find it difficult to recruit teachers,

particularly those with good qualifications.

The other disadvantage facing village schools

is that resources are generally less plentiful,

requiring a rural teacher to demonstrate

innovation in effectively conducting lessons

with only the sparest of materials.

Rooted in Rural Communities

The HPP colleges prepare students to rise

to the demands of a rural teaching career in

several ways. A key factor is that the colleges

themselves are located in rural areas, which

demonstrates to student teachers first hand

that rural life can be challenging as well as

fulfilling. Students train for their future jobs by

working in nearby primary schools. They are

also encouraged to become active participants

in the community in which their school is

located, learning about a community’s needs

and understanding how they can help.

When planning for a year, plant corn. When planning for a decade, plant trees. When planning for life, educate children.

The International Federation Humana People to People currently comprises 32 national associations working in 43 countries. Humana People to People works on the frontline of the struggle for development. The movement is built on the understanding of people as a decisive force in creating lasting development and progress. Through 330 projects, members of the Federation benefit 12 million people and employ more than 9,000 staff on an annual basis. From the Zimbabwe global headquarters, Humana People to People provides technical support, supervision, and a wide range of other services. Sharing experiences and finding new ways to broaden the impact of projects are among the many activities taking center stage at the global headquarters.

A member of Humana People to People, Planet Aid is a 501(c)(3) U.S. non-profit development organization that operates a clothes-recycling program in the United States. With income derived from the sale of used clothing and other sources, Planet Aid has provided tens of millions of dollars for development programs worldwide since 1997. Recipients of this support include the DNS teacher-training colleges operated by ADPP Mozambique, DAPP Malawi, and ADPP Angola.

Development from People to People

Humana People to People c/o Planet Aid, Inc. 6730 Santa Barbara Court, Maryland 21075

In Mozambique, Humana People to People supports its local member, ADPP Mozambique, in operating 11 teacher-training colleges. A total of 9,200 teachers have graduated from the program since 1993. An additional teacher training college will soon be established, thus completing the agreement with the Government of Mozambique to establish 12 colleges — one in each province. ADPP also conducts pedagogical workshops that offer in-service training for teachers currently employed in rural schools to further improve the quality of teaching being offered there.

Humana People to People and ADPP also established One World University with support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture via Planet Aid. This unique institution, which trains instructors for teacher-training colleges, is the first of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa. The university offers a baccalaureate degree in teacher training, qualifying graduates to work as college instructors at teacher training colleges. It also offers a bachelor’s degree in community development called “Fighting with the Poor.”

ADPP Mozambique currently employs more than 2,500 staff nationwide. During the past 30 years, it has worked in cooperation with the Government of Mozambique and with local and international partners to improve living conditions in the country—mainly within the areas of education and health.

Our country urgently needs more educators with the capacity and of the caliber produced by the ADPP Colleges.

— Her Excellency Maria de Luz Guebuza, First Lady of Mozambique

Mozambique

Mozambique

ADPP Teacher

Training College

Locations

Malawi

In Malawi, Humana People to People supports its local member, DAPP Malawi, in operating 3 teacher-training colleges. The colleges have produced a total of 583 new teachers to date.

In 2006, DAPP Malawi signed a memorandum of understanding with the government to establish and operate a total of six teacher-training colleges nationwide, which when completed will graduate 1,000 teachers annually for placement in rural areas. Three of the colleges (Chilangoma, Amalika, and Mtanda) have been completed and are in operation, and an additional college in the Mzimba District is under construction.

The Chilangoma campus opened in 2003, followed by the Amalika college campus in 2008. The Mtanda College is the newest, having just admitted its first students in late 2010 and who are scheduled to graduate in 2012. The colleges each cooperate with between 10-15 primary schools and between 35-50 preschools in the neighboring region. They also conduct outreach to neighboring villages and are centers of learning, offering community lessons ranging from adult literacy to farming techniques and health.

DAPP Malawi’s teacher training program has received support from the USDA via Planet Aid through the Food for Progress Program.

DAPP Malawi has more than 16 years of experience implementing development programs in rural areas of Malawi, closely

cooperating with local authorities, the national government, and a range of international partners.

In addition to education, project areas include agriculture, vocational training, care for orphans and vulnerable children, basic health, HIV/AIDS prevention, and community development. DAPP Malawi currently operates 13 programs and employs more than 700 people.

Malawi

DAPP Teacher

Training College

Locations

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Angola

In Angola, Humana People to People supports its local member, ADPP Angola, in operating 12 teacher-training colleges. The first of these colleges was completed in 1995 in Huambo. These institutions have produced approximately 4,100 new teachers to date, with 2,745 additional student teachers currently in training. Many of the colleges also offer in-service training for teachers currently employed in rural schools who have little or no pedagogical training.

ADPP Angola is committed to addressing gender inequalities and has been implementing a program aimed at increasing the number of female graduates from its teacher-training program and improving education for girls in rural areas. The teacher-training colleges have been actively recruiting female applicants and several colleges have already succeeded in increasing female enrollment to 50 percent.

Other ADPP projects include an agreement with the Government, the nonprofit Joint Aid Management, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to implement a school feeding program. ADPP’s contribution to the program includes training 1,500 teachers, establishing 160 school gardens, and providing nutrition education to 850,000 children and community members.

ADPP implements projects and programs in most of the country’s provinces. It currently employs 1,100 staff nationwide, and benefits more than 2 million people annually.

a

ADPP TeacherTraining CollegeLocations

Angola

Democratic Republic of the Congo

In the DRC, Humana People to People is supporting its local member, HPP–Congo, in establishing a new network of teacher-training colleges. The DRC Ministry of Primary, Secondary and Vocational Education has entered into an agreement with HPP–Congo and Humana People to People to establish 54 new teacher training colleges throughout the country. The Ministry has selected 27 rural provinces of the 30 educational provinces nationwide in which to establish the colleges.

The location of the first college has been identified; it will be housed at the Professional and Technical Institute of Agronomy at Mbankana. Mbankana is a rural town 150 kilometers to the east of Kinshasa. Mbankana is within the municipality of Maluku, one of 24 municipalities in the city-province of Kinshasa.

A national nonprofit association formed in September 2006, HPP–Congo began work in the Democratic Republic of Congo with the Child Aid Malueka project in Kinshasa. This project has been vigorously promoting the education of families, especially children, and increasing adult literacy in the interests of strengthening the family economy.

The organization’s other initiatives have included a strong educational component, training local personnel from the DRC to lead and implement its programs. These programs have focused on improving health, hygiene, sanitation, disease prevention, food security, good nutrition, environmental issues, and the training and coordination of small-scale farmers.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

HPP–CongoTeacherTraining CollegeLocation

Zambia and Guinea Bissau

In Zambia and Guinea Bissau, Humana People to People and its local member associations, DAPP Zambia and ADPP Guinea Bissau, are on the forefront of establishing a new network of teacher-training colleges to assist these two countries in overcoming the shortage of primary school teachers.

In Guinea Bissau, Humana People to People and ADPP Guinea Bissau have signed an agreement with the Government to construct and operate seven teacher-training colleges. These colleges are an integral part of the country’s Education Sector Plan. When operational, the colleges will graduate 840 primary school teachers per year.

Similarly, in Zambia Humana People to People and DAPP Zambia have signed an agreement with the Government to construct and operate eight new teacher-training colleges. When fully operational these colleges will graduate nearly 1,000 new teachers per year.

Teachers who graduate from the colleges in either country will be employed as primary school teachers in government and community schools in rural areas.

DAPP Zambia is a non-governmental organization registered under the Societies Act of Zambia since 1990. It has a total of 450 staff who implement a wide variety of projects, benefitting approximately 1 million people annually.

ADPP Guinea Bissau has worked in the country since 1981 and has successfully implemented a range of projects, built and sustained partnerships, and has had a significant impact in improving conditions in impoverished communities of the country.

Zambia and Guinea Bissau