Contributing to Formal and Non Formal Education

Non Formal Education

Friendship Agreements also provide resources and personnel for adult educators to teach vocational and trade skills. For example the Baucau Buka Hatene runs classes in Sewing, English lessons, Computer Skills and Drama for woman and youth. The Suai Community Centre provides classes in computers, language training and other skills development.

Literacy Training

The illiteracy rate among adults is very high at over 51% and rising to 90% for women in some remote regions. Poverty and illiteracy are hard to reduce because of very high population growth rates (over 3.2% per annum) and extremely high fertility rates (7.8%). With illiteracy running at 50 – 90% in the districts and women being those most illiterate, one of the most productive educational benefits that Friendship Agreements could support is literacy and numeracy training. There are many popular educators working in Timor, training in a variety of fields. Friendship Agreements could link up with these educators to co-fund various educational programs. For example, Dai Popular, a network of all Timorese popular educators, has links throughout the country and has applied trainings throughout Timor. Popular education philosophy and methodology has been applied across a wide range of programs, including:

• training of trainers, for community organising and adult literacy
• women's economic and social empowerment programs
• constitutional development
• sustainable agricultural practices
• livelihood programs
• human rights training
• civic education
• literacy development
• community education
• health promotion and primary health development, including use of traditional healing techniques.
• international exchanges, with Brasil, Cuba and Indonesia.

Dai Popular are an informal network but their skills and resources extend right across the country and so are well linked into the districts. To find out more contact the Sahe Institute for Liberation, East Timorese popular education and advocacy group.

Contact person:

Nuno Rodriguez : naralikare@hotmail.com

Mateus Goncalves: m.goncalves@eudoramail.com

see Formal Education...