The workshop/seminar on the "Integration of Population Education into Programmes for Rural Youth in Sierra Leone" is part of the second phase of activity of FAO project INT/86/PO8 "Integration of Population Education into Programmes for Rural Youth in Low-Income Countries". This project is operated by the Agricultural Education and Extension Service (ESHE) of FAO using funds made available by the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) through the office of the FAO Population Programme Coordinator.
Over the past several years, many countries have begun to introduce population education into elementary and secondary school programmes. Unfortunately, in many developing countries, the majority of rural youth may have dropped out of the educational system, or never have attended school at all. Therefore, there is a need to develop a methodology for reaching out-of-school rural youth with a population education message.
The project was approved by UNFPA in December 1986 and became operational in early 1987. The long-range objective of the project, as specified in the project document is:
To reach rural youth with population education information which will draw attention to the effects of rapid population growth and the need for responsible parenthood.
The immediate objectives of the project are:
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To collect and review existing population education materials which may be useful in the development of instructional materials for leaders and members of village-level rural youth groups; |
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To develop and field test populaltion education materials for use with rural youth groups at the village level; |
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To develop and field test population education materials for in clusion in the pre-service and in-service curriculum of agricultural and home economics extension agents and other individuals who organize and lead groups of rural youth people; |
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Based on field-test results, to develop a prototype set of population education materials for use in the educational institutions- where the leaders and organizers of youth groups are being trained; |
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Through a series of regional and national workshops, to introduce the population education materials to national leaders, the staff at selected training institutions and youth leaders; |
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To review government rural youth policy and programming efforts and to assist in the planning and implementation of rural youth programmes which include population education as an integral part of regular activities. |
During the first phase of project activity, existing population education materials were collected and reviewed and contact was established with the major organizations active in the field, including Unesco, WHO, ILO, Population Communication Services and Population Information Programme of the Johns Hopkins University, the Population Reference Bureau, and the International Planned Parenthood Federation. An annotated bibliography of the collected materials was prepared and a report of the first phase of the project was written.
Based on an analysis of the collected materials and discussion with appropriate persons in the organizations cited above, FAO made a preliminary selection of core contents for use in population education programmes for out-of-school youth. The appropriateness of these topics and the way in which they might be most effectively introduced into ongoing programmes for out-of-school rural youth will be discussed in seminar/workshops scheduled to be held in three pilot countries (Swaziland, Sierra Leone and Zimbabwe).
After the conclusion of the seminar/workshops, a prototype leader's manual will be prepared, incorporating the approved topics as fully-developed core content modules, In each case, suggestions will be provided for integrating the population education concepts into ongoing activities for rural youth. The leader's guide will also suggest audio-visual aids which may be helpful in presenting the core content modules, and provide detailed instructions for the production of these materials.
The prototype population education materials will then be field tested in the pilot countries and .revised as necessary before being introduced on a national level. After the population education programme has been established on a national level in the pilot countries, a regional workshop will be held to facilitate the adoption of the programme by other countries in the region.
The process will be repeated in the other regions of the developing world over the lifetime of the project, now scheduled to continue through 1991.
The overall purpose of the workshop/seminar was to discuss the appropriate focus and presentation of population education materials for use by youth groups at the village level in Sierra Leone. As such, the primary objective of the workshop/seminar was to listen to and learn from local youth groups, their leaders, members of government and non-governmental organizations involved with rural youth.
More specifically, the workshop's objectives were:
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to clearly define the subject matter content to be included in the population education programme for rural youth and to rank the subject matter topics in order of. importance; |
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to describe the appropriate style and format for population education materials which would be useful in rural youth groups; |
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to outline appropriate strategies for the introduction of population education into programmes for rural youth; |
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to motivate rural youth leaders and to raise their level of enthusiasm about rural youth work and the integration of population education into rural youth activities. |
The workshop, held at the National Training Centre for Rural Development in Bo, Sierra Leone, from 10-12 November, 1987, brought together rural youth, youth group leaders, government officials, representatives of non-governmental organizations and national experts on topics related to youth and population. The workshop was chaired by Mr. M. E. Kaikai, Social Development Officer, Ministry of Rural Development, Social Services and Youth. (The list of participants is attached as Annex 1.)
The workshop was introduced by Mr. M. E. Kaikai, Social Development Officer in the Ministry of Rural Development, Social Services and Youth. Mr. Kaikai stressed the importance of population education in Sierra Leone, particularly for youth in rural areas. Although Sierra Leone is currently not in a population explosion situation, he said, it is necessary to plan now to ensure that such a situation is avoided in the future. Mr. Kaikai noted that a decision had been taken to hold the workshop in an informal manner, in order to leave as much time as possible for actual discussion.
The workshop was officially opened by Ms. Zainab R. Janneh, Director of the National Training Centre for Rural Development (NTC). Ms. Janneh noted that the choice of the NTC as the site of the workshop was appropriate as the centre was Sierra Leone's principal training facility for those who are involved in rural development activity, at both government and non-government levels. She noted that the NTC was already including selected information on family life education, including nutrition and health concepts, in its regular 18-month training courses.
Ms. Janneh reviewed the workshop objectives with the participants, and introduced Mr. W. I. Lindley, FAO Rural Youth Officer.
Mr. Lindley related the current project to activities initiated in Rome in 1985 as part of International Youth Year. He specifically referred to the 1985 Expert Consultation on Rural Youth and Young Frmers in Developing Countries which asked participants to consider four basic questions:
- What did they identify as the basic needs of rural young people?
- What did rural youth leaders need in order to work more effectively?
- What support was needed at government level?
- What role could FAO play?
In 1986, a national workshop was held in Freetown, Sierra Leone to consider similar topics. Workshop participants recommended, among other things, that a national youth policy be developed, that population education be included in all aspects of education for rural young people and that support in the form of production inputs be provided to groups of rural young people. (See Annex 2 for a summary of workshop recommendations.)
Mr. Lindley explained that, in a follow-up effort, FAO undertook the development of the current project and agreed to include Sierra Leone as part of the pilot activities.
Participants were urged to participate actively in the workshop in order to ensure that FAO had adequate input to prepare relevant prototype materials in the next phase of project activity.
