CODE

In August 2011, CODE expert volunteers Dr. Pamela Winsor, Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Lethbridge, and Dr. Alan Crawford, Professor Emeritus at California State University, travelled to Ghana to hold two week-long workshops for college tutors who prepare preservice teachers to teach English.

In 2005, I travelled to Tanzania, a country where CODE works, to visit schools and meet with educators. I saw the classrooms through the eyes of a teacher. I remember wonderful, welcoming classrooms full of many visual aids, caring professionals and highly motivated learners. I also noticed the large class sizes, which could rise to 80-100 students for one teacher.

A Message from CODE Executive Director Scott Walter
On International Literacy Day, 2011

Blog entry from Meddie Mayanja, CODE Program Manager

May 9, 2011

“...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 February 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.

Interview with Meddie Mayanja, CODE’s Program Manager for Sierra Leone

Q: What impact do you hope Reading S.L will have on the literacy landscape in S.L in next 5 years?

A: This project will create a core team of master trainers to train at least 160 teachers in 24 schools on Kenema district. Schools Teacher will receive high quality books that stimulate reading and writing. With trained writers and illustrators, the project will provide a sustainable channel for the production of locally relevant books.

Q: What is the biggest challenge facing teachers in S.L

A: The Executive Director of The Association of Language and Literacy Educator (TALLE) Pastor Aske Gbla told me that the biggest challenge to reading and writing is the teachers who don’t know how to read. These teachers can't teach the pupils to read and write. A lack of books in the classrooms also compounds the situation. Apparently most of the teachers in lower primary are untrained. TALLE is a member of the project steering committee. Pastor Aske is one of the most experienced educators in Sierra Leone.

By Lynn Beauregard –in Senegal

Where to start on attempting to relate on this journey so far?

I’m still wrapping my head around the fact that I had finally returned after so many years, to Senegal: the country where I spent my childhood until the age of 13. After a handful of days here, it has finally hit me that I’m back and though it is still so familiar to me, I also feel somewhat disoriented; after 30 years, I guess any place would look different. It is sad to see so very little of the points of orientation that I would have easily recognized…had nothing changed. Where there was landscape, fields and views of the ocean, it is so built up that one can barely see from one row of cement through to another, much less to the coast, which lines the whole perimeter of Dakar and its region. At the same time, it is familiar…the same noise, smells, humidity, heat, huge smiles all around…even from those just emerging from vociferous verbal exchanges…and there are many potential provocations…traffic being the most likely one: no lights, no lanes…just a rampant ‘I have no breaks’ attitude which makes it a miracle that we haven’t run over a single of the hundreds of pedestrians crossing this circus or cattle for that matter. The rainy season has just ended, and it is hot, muggy and the vegetation is lush from the rainfall while the roads are a muddy mess.

Accompanied by Willy Rangira (CODE’s representative for French speaking programs), Jeff Gilmour (a fellow CODE Board member based in Calgary and Mali’s Consul to Alberta) and Antoinette Correa (CODE’s partner in Senegal, BLD’s Executive Director) we made arrangements to rent a villa rather than stay at some of the downtown hotels we could have chosen. The villa was a more economical choice, and the fortunate location near the airport allowed us to avoid up to 45 minutes of traffic in and out of the overpopulated downtown core. The house is an oasis in and among the mayhem of the muddy “river runs through it” roads.

We arrive at the house where NDeye (the housekeeper who comes with the rental) and Modu (the night watchman) are there to welcome us. I get a hug from NDeye right away and immediately feel at home again. The one thing that strikes you (outside of the stern looking security at the airport and ‘gendarmes’ around the Dakar periphery) is the incredible gentleness and friendliness of the Senegalese people. They are approachable, respectful (for the most part), they respond to your awkward efforts to discourse even gauchely in their native Wolof (the main dialect of this country…one of 60 or so) before taking you off the hook and speaking French to you, which is the national language of Senegal as the country was colonized by the French.

The first day was a day of ‘rest’ so we spent it by going to the market, making the traditional meal (poulet Yassa), and we later had to return to the airport to get Jeff. He thought the Yassa was ‘verrry niiice’ and didn’t stop raving, so we made sure that he had at least one or two more of those over the course of the next week… The next day a visit had been organized for us by BLD (Bibliotèque Lecture Developpment) to go to Gorée island. Gorée carries an incredible history, mostly a sad one as it was the main port of embarkation for West African slaves to the Americas for over 300 years. It was first occupied by the Portugese around the 15^th century, then the Dutch, then the British for a very brief time and finally, the French around the late 1700s, who abolished the trade around the time of Napoleon’s death in 1848. Gorée then became the seat of the Governor of the French colonies. The whole of Senegal then became independent in 1960 from the French and Senghor was sworn in as its first President.

The Island is just as it was when I was there. It is small and cannot be touched as it is a historical site protected by UNESCO, so whatever building has taken place since has mostly been for refurbishing its existing colonial houses and residences. The House of Slaves is the most heart wrenching place and one cannot leave there without feeling that they have been carried back in time and witnessed things that one can hardly bear to think of. It isn’t hard, as the place has been maintained almost to its original state, to imagine the cells filled with humanity and feel the despair that permeated the walls. The two circular staircases that flank the front of the house lead to the upstairs officers’ quarters and the lower portion of the ‘house’ housed its cells. There were cells for men, for women and for children. There were also cells for the recalcitrant…without light, air or space. Nelson Mandela once visited Gorée and spent 2 minutes in one of these cells.  Right through the middle of the passage to the cells at the very back, is a door that opens up to the sea which is known as the ‘door of no return’. It was through this door that each slave would be taken to either be thrown in the ocean if he/she was sick or wasn’t fit for the journey ahead, or through which they were forced to walk up the plank to embark on the voyage to the Americas where over 20% of them would have perished.

The island today is not just a sad reminder. It is a beautifully maintained oasis across from the mayhem of Dakar that can be reached by a 30-minute boat ride from the port of Dakar and is a great excursion for a walk through 700 years of history of the colonies. The island is lush with manicured vegetation and flowers, vividly coloured houses, port side cafes and restaurants and boutiques and the blue-green ocean water all around gives it a sense of serenity.

On Monday we head out to the BLD offices in Sikam Mbao, a suburb of Dakar, meet the BLD staff and talk with Antoinette through the morning about our CODE/BLD program. I relate much of that in my first blog. We are once again struck that morning by the traffic, pollution and madness on the roads as we make our way there in yet another non air-conditioned cab with only one functional back door and no seat belts...There is a general sense of purpose and a buzz about the office as they are preparing for our visits as well as for their book launch on that coming Friday with the Ministry of Culture. We are excited as we are going to see three more schools that day. We have already been to the school in Sokone in the first part of the week…an incredible feeling to see these children and their school, so far out from the busy capital, to experience firsthand what you know you are working toward in a boardroom somewhere back in Canada and seeing really IS believing…

In Dakar, we have been in some of its worst slums (and Dakar is not a picnic to begin with) then our stunning drive to the Sine Saloum river 4 hour drive south Tuesday and Wednesday overnight. Visiting the schools (a total of four) that first week, was by far our most emotional moments of this trip. In Sokone, we handed out the Project Love kits which were assembled and sent from a school in Ontario.  We visited other schools and libraries who are part of the network of CODE and its partner BLD in Dakar. We also met with the Ministry of Education and were guests of honour at BLD’s book launch of nine new children's books by BLD with the Ministry of Culture on Friday night. Finally on Saturday we met with the BLD board and spent a 1/2 day working with them on strategy, looking at their challenges and their strategic plan, their governance concerns and their evolution (volunteers are very difficult to find in developing countries…most people already try to carry more than one occupation to make ends meet…). It was a very rewarding and enlightening discussion. What one inevitably walks away with is the feeling that as much as we are working together and collaborating well, we are such a small drop of water in an ocean of need. So few children can read by the time they ‘reach’ grade 6, whether or not they can go to school…and if they do, they may have little choice/option but to drop out and stay close to home where they are needed to do jobs and help care for the young. Books are hard to come by, not solely in the region of Dakar and are a rare appearance anywhere else. Most of the children speak their native dialect first, Wolof second and French next if they can go to school that is. The biblio-bus concept will not leave my head. I love the idea of a library on wheels that can reach out to those communities that just do not have a chance at seeing any real and significant aid come their way for a long time…if ever.

What strikes me the most about this country…all over again is the people. Those whom we have met en route and on a day to day basis have all been incredibly welcoming. Everywhere we go, we are met with huge smiles, even from the women sweating in the fields in the mid-day sun stop and wave. The heat has been oppressive. Senegal is just out of the rainy season and it is 33 in the shade but feels closer to 40 without the breeze. We sweat even just sitting down...but we have gotten used to it somewhat by now. It has been an incredible week...very tiring but so worthwhile. Yesterday was our first day of rest and today we head South to Saly for the rest of the trip where we get to do more of that, combined with some sightseeing, day safari, fishing, village markets...it will be a welcome change to the pace that we have been keeping, and we’re looking forward to getting a bit of fresher air away from the urban pollution, crowds, dust and cattle…

By Meddie Mayanja

I am right now full of optimism and indescribable expectation. It’s my maiden flight to Liberia and a return to Ghana. I have done my best to prepare  for this trip - like connecting  with our local partners in both countries and reviewing their current affairs.

By Meddie Mayanja

I am right now full of optimism and indescribable expectation. It’s my maiden flight to Liberia and a return to Ghana. I have done my best to prepare  for this trip - like connecting  with our local partners in both countries and reviewing their current affairs.

First part of the trip is to Liberia. After reading various articles about them, I am already inspired by the Liberians and their love for education. Take for instance David Klooster, who, in one of his dispatches writes: …”visitors are struck by the numerous signs [on billboards] around the capital city [Monrovia] urging progress i.e:  “Our youth need good education and jobs, not weapons,”

I will be working with CODE’s local partner WE-CARE Foundation, a respected NGO. The foundation is to reading promotion what pandas are to bamboo.

In Ghana, I will work with our partner Ghana Book Trust, will visit schools and meet the best of Ghanaian writers. I will also represent CODE at the first Burt Award ceremony. The award recognizes excellence in young adult fiction by Africa for Africans. We hope the Burt Award can grow into a Pan-African initiative. And how befitting that the second of such ceremonies is in Ghana?

You see, Ghana has been at the centre of key Pan African initiatives going back several decades. In the same breath, one could mention the key role Ghanians played in creating the wave of African Independence that swept across the continent,  the tremendous influence of Kwame Nkuruma as one of the fathers of Africa’s self determination, and Ghana’s recent leadership in drafting the Accra Declaration.

Do you see grounds for my optimism? And the best part is that  I will share  my thoughts and reflections with you along the way.

Indeed on day three, Charlie worked with teachers to analyze the data and revise tools. The teachers should be ready to use the tools in the coming weeks.

Charlie and Mike Weah (Executive Director of We-CARE Foundation) also met with education teams from USAID and EDC to share experiences.

By Garth Brook

I’ve just returned from a tour of schools and presentations in Calgary. As a retired teacher who has now been “out of the classroom” for over 10 years, it’s such a thrill to be in front of a class again to talk about Project Love and Project CODE, our two Canadian engagement programs.

What I did learn in Calgary was that technology has moved ahead – way ahead! When I started teaching, the mimeograph was popular even if you might get covered in its tell-tale purple ink! Thank goodness I just missed the jelly-pads which I hear were even more challenging and more purple!