Statistics
Stories
Health and hygiene
We hear from all our partners that, thanks to the group discussions, more participants vaccinate their children , sleep under mosquito nets to prevent malaria, wash their hands after using the toilet, and boil their drinking water. 80% of participants at the end of level 3 report that all children in the household sleep under mosquito nets compared to 55% at the beginning of the ALEF course. Participants in Kawoko in Uganda came together to buy and distribute mosquito nets to everyone in the group.
ACDC in Congo reports that many participants changed their eating habits after discussions about the importance of serving food hot and freshly cooked to avoid bacterial infections. They also mention that many participants who were previously influenced by superstitions and conspiracy theories about medicines and vaccinates have now realized the importance of vaccinating their children and attending check-ups during pregnancy. Thanks to literacy and numeracy skills, participants are better able to keep track of correct dosage and expiry dates for drugs.
Breaking Taboos
The safety and camaraderie of the study group makes it possible to address taboo issues such as STIs. In Uganda, short plays and skits are also sometimes used to make sensitive subjects more accessible. Acatbli in Togo reports that participants have started talking about menstruation with their daughters. Traditionally, it has been a taboo subject linked to shame and "uncleanness".
ACDC in Congo tell us that discussions about the negative consequences of alcohol abuse led to many groups acting against this problem in their local communities and that participants began to confront their spouses who drink and helped them escape the addiction that had long affected the whole family.
Water and Environment
Acatbli in Togo reports that after the sustainable agriculture course, participants have started to reduce their use of environmentally harmful pesticides and fertilizers. They use chicken manure from the hen houses and compost from household waste. The groups in Togo have learned to build chicken coops and vaccinate their hens, which improves their health and contributes to higher family incomes.
Participants often take inspiration from study group discussions and start taking action to improve infrastructure and protect the local environment. The Muso group in Madaka in DRC has been working to repair a well. The group in Mbogwe has built a new road to improve accessibility to the village. After lessons on waterborne infections, the Level 1 group in Kibiri, Uganda, realized that the latrine recently built just a few meters from the well was a health hazard that needed to be moved.