Radio Education Program
The protracted Anglophone conflict, which began in 2016 and is still ongoing has exposed over 1.5 million people of the NW/SW especially children into multiple inequalities, deprivations, and vulnerabilities – with over 700,000 children deprived of the basic right to education, human dignity and in dire need of protection measures. By August 2019 this violence and instability of the Anglophone crisis had left more than 855,000 children out of school and without urgent action, and without a commitment from all parties to the conflict to protect education in all its forms, the future of these children was at risk. With some 90 per cent of primary schools (more than 4,100 schools) and 77 per cent of secondary schools (or 744) remain closed or non-operational in these two regions school children became exposed to the higher risk of recruitment by armed groups, child marriage, early pregnancy and other forms of exploitation and abuse, this was only a part picture that drew the attention of Green Partners Association to start mobilizing its local partners to initiate any form of relevant alternative learning activities to ensure that children did not miss out further on their education.
Radio Education Program (REP) was co-designed in 2021 by GPA and UNICEF, response to the outcome of two separate studies carried out by GPA in December, 2019 and January, 2021 (Radio Listening Survey); to improve on a non-formal learning program run by GPA since 2019 – providing learning to conflict affected out-of-school children following the forced closure of schools in 2017, in the two Anglophone (NW/SW) conflict affected regions of Cameroon. To enhance sustainability, the design of our REP engaged the community for continuity of program when funding comes to end.
The concept of the Temporal Listening Spaces (TLS) was developed by GPA and supported by UNICEF, as a Pilot Project demonstrating need for safe temporal learning environments to accommodate conflict affected out-of-school children’s Radio Education Program. The TLS program has been designed in community owned land (to be sustainable). The communities are actively involved in the management and maintenance of the TLS.
In collaboration with UNICEF, two innovative TLS were constructed in Ntinkag and Nkurah communities in Bamenda II Subdivision to enhance the learning outcomes of children facing adversity. Through tailored programs and supportive environments, we are empowering young minds with Literacy and Numeracy, life skills and sports – fostering resilience, increasing confidence and motivation, reducing dropout rates and enhancing social and emotional development.
One very important outcome of this TLS is the opportunity to experiment our Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) – an innovation that we intend to introduce in schools (formal and non-formal) withing the conflict affected regions of Cameroon. The use of TaRL and educational charts has been essential to the success of the TLS program (TaRL allows teachers/facilitators to adapt their lessons to the individual needs of each child, ensuring that all children are able to learn at their own pace).
The TLS program has been designed in community owned land (to be sustainable). The communities are actively involved in the management and maintenance of the TLS. The program is intended to be expanded to reach more children in remote areas in the following year (with hopes that funds are available).
In Community-led REP, community members are empowered to identify their own educational needs, innovate content; recruit volunteer facilitators and carryout programs that are relevant and responsive to their context. In that case, ‘Increased Relevance and Community Ownership’ is enhanced; ‘Participation and Inclusion’ is ensured; “Increased Accessibility to Learning” is available; ‘Improved Sustainability’ is empowered into REP; and ‘Community Resilience is strengthened’. For instance, our last REP ended in June 2023, yet REP is still continuing in several communities un-interrupted by the absence of consistent funding. GPA plays a great role in training these facilitators so they can provide quality learning for these children.
