In August, our President, Hélène Boëthius, and Education Coordinator Adam Bott travelled to Bishoftu, Ethiopia, to conduct a week-long training on the ALEF method for officials of the Oromia Education Bureau, the education authority of the Oromia region. The aim was to improve staff's understanding of the method's principles and prepare them to train and support the tens of thousands of new facilitators soon to be recruited across the province.
Over the course of five intensive days we discussed what makes literacy learning relevant and engaging for adults living in poverty, and we practised effective strategies for learning to read, leading discussions and creating texts in groups. Everyone got their hand at being a facilitator and delivering an ALEF lesson.
The method has been enthusiastically received by both facilitators and participants.
Oromia is Ethiopia's largest regional state, with almost 40 million inhabitants, and more than half of the adult population is unable to read or write. The Ministry of Education is determined to tackle the problem, but feels that their previous literacy programme has not lived up to expectations. In 2019 they asked ALEF to lead the development of a modern curriculum with interactive lessons based on the daily life and real needs of the participants. Since 2020, 2.8 million people in the Oromia region have participated in courses based on the ALEF method. OEB's director, Dr Tolla Berisso Geda, said: "The ALEF approach has been well received by both facilitators and participants. We hope to expand the programme and reach millions more people in the future."