Mother Tongue-based Literacy Programmes: Case Studies of Good ...

The Key Word Approach was used while teaching the Shosanse Shikshyaor to literacy classes. It hadtwo objectives: human quality development (i.e., ability to see, listen, think, work, and be aware) andtechnical skill development (i.e., literary skill [reading, writing and arithmetic] and functional knowledge[childcare, literacy, forest conservation etc.). In a nutshell, the following pedagogical approaches wereapplied by Shosanse Shikshyaor to achieve its objectives:Analytical (problem posing/thematic) approach – An example was the use of an open-ended poster thatled to discussions based on daily life and brainstorming. This process helped in developing decisionmakingand leadership ability, and also in increasing creativity, self-expression, knowledge and selfesteem.Motivational approach – The main aim of this approach is to motivate the reader by the use of differenttypes of stories. In this approach, mini-case stories were given to the learners, who were asked to comeup with viable solutions to the problem raised in the story. Creative approach – This approach was usedas play construction and enactment, which helped in developing creativity and leadership ability.Networking with Other OrganizationsNetworking with other organizations, both government and non-government, is an important factor forsuccessful implementation of any community project. There was a considerable amount of networkingand coordination in the process of material development and implementation of the mother tongueliteracy project in Dang. Key personnel such as the President of the Tharu Welfare Society and membersof Tharu Intellectual Council, MS-Nepal, SCF/US and Banyan Tree Foundation as well as the officialsfrom the Dang District Development Council, Chief District Officer and District Education Office wereconsulted and informed of the process. Information about the classes were also disseminated throughboth the local FM radio stations of Dang, a national daily called Naya Yugboda and Sanghari, a BASEpublication.Additionally, there was coordination between the literacy/NFE management committees and the localpeople. This helped in mobilizing community support for the selection of facilitators, recruiting learnersand selecting class sites. This also resulted in getting contributions from the community, includingclassroom space and electricity expenses. Class Management Committees were formed in each location,and they were involved in solving minor problems related to the smooth running of classes.Cost of the ProjectEffective financial management is another major important part of the NFE literacy programme.Mobilization of resources locally is necessary to make the community feel a sense of ownership in theprogramme. At the same time, it is also important to make it transparent. There was a good balanceof provision of resources from outside (World Education) and mobilization of local resources in thisproject. However, the total responsibility of managing the finance was given to the local implementingpartner and the class management committee. This resulted in making the project both cost effectiveand transparent.[ 138 ]