UGANDA: EDUCATION PROGRAM BRINGS PEACE TO SCHOOLSIN WAR-TORN NORTHERN UGANDA

With an estimated 25,000 childrenand youths caught up in a conflictbetween government forces and

rebel group the Lord’s Resistance Army(LRA), northern Ugandan children haveendured what has been called the mostneglected humanitarian crisis in the world.

Recruited unwillingly as soldiers by the LRA,many have been traumatized and wereforced to commit atrocities. Now the burdenof reintegrating children and youths whomake it back into civic life has largely fallenon an overburdened education sector.

But with funding from the U.S. Agency forInternational Development, the REPLICA pro-gram has helped restore normalcy to thelives of students and teachers alike. REPLI-CA – Revitalization of EducationParticipation and Learning in Conflict Areas– is managed and implemented by CreativeAssociates International, Inc. through theBasic Education Policy Support (BEPS) activ-ity.

“Normal life has been disrupted, socialstructures and systems have been weak-ened or broken down,” said George WirefredOpiro, the Principal Education, Guidanceand Counseling Focal Point Officer of REPLI-CA. “The war has inbuilt in people the char-acter of violence. This is likely to propagateviolent tendencies in them even in theabsence of war.”

Against this backdrop, the Ministry ofEducation and Sports, with help from theBEPS project, came up with the program,Opiro said.

CREATIVETIMESSUMMER 2006A QUARTERLY PUBLICATION

Teachers trained in peace education methodology. PHOTO: REPLICA, CREATIVE ASSOCIATES INTERNATIONAL, INC.

M. Charito Kruvant, Presidentand CEO of CreativeAssociates International, Inc.

has been honored again as one ofWashingtonian magazine’s “100 MostPowerful Women.”

The “100 Most Powerful Women” fea-ture has appeared every three or fouryears since the 1970s. And over theyears, Mrs. Kruvant’s leadership ofdevelopment efforts to help improvelives around the world has repeatedlyled editors to include her among thiselite group. “We look at women whocan influence the agenda, can makethings happen,” said Leslie Milk, theWashingtonian’s lifestyle editor whocompiles the list.

“One example I like to use about thewomen we choose is, we’re looking forsomebody who decides what you see

on the news and not the woman thatis on the news.”

This year’s list of the Washingtonian'stop women leaders includes, SupremeCourt Associate Justice Ruth BaderGinsberg, Secretary of StateCondoleezza Rice, former Secretary ofState Madeleine Albright, New YorkTimes columnist Maureen Dowd,Senator Hillary Clinton, delegate toCongress for the District of Columbia,Eleanor Holmes Norton, among oth-ers. Women were chosen from cate-gories that included national powers,local leaders, legal authorities, busi-ness, labor, lobbying, educators andexperts, advocates, non-profits, healthand medicine, media, arts, and lettersand sports.

— Alexandra Pratt

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CREATIVE’S PRESIDENTAND CEO, M. CHARITOKRUVANT, AMONGWASHINGTON’S “100MOST POWERFULWOMEN”

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ALBANIA: CREATIVE PROGRAM FUNDS YWCA’S ROMAWOMEN AND CHILDREN’S ANTI-TRAFFICKINGEFFORTS

At the Young Women’s ChristianAssociation in one of Tirana’ssuburban communities where

Roma are heavily concentrated, aseries of workshops raise awarenessamong women and children about thedangers of trafficking.

These workshops provide detailedinformation about trafficking, anti-traf-ficking laws and human rights. Sincethe series began in May 2005, fourwomen have been trained as peer-edu-cators to then train others to dissemi-nate information and establish a non-formal structure against trafficking ofwomen and children, to take over afterthe YWCA project ends in July 2006.

Efforts are also being made to raisethe women’s self-esteem by organizingsocial events after the workshopswhere the women celebrate Roma cul-ture, its food, traditional clothes andjewelry as well as songs and dances.Indeed, the rousing rhythms of gypsymusic have greatly influencedEuropean musical traditions. Butdespite this contribution and centuriesliving among Europeans, the Romacontinue to face poverty and discrimi-nation more than most other minoritycommunities on the continent.

Albania’s Roma population which isestimated at 120,000 overwhelminglylacks access to basic healthcare, ade-quate housing, employment and edu-cation. Because Albania’s Romawomen and children are also moreoften trafficked than the general popu-lation, there is an urgent need to raisethe group’s awareness about the dan-gers of trafficking.

The YWCA Roma project receives cru-cial financial support from TheAlbanian Initiative: Coordinated ActionAgainst Human Trafficking (CAAHT)project, funded by the U.S. Agency forInternational Development.

Implemented by Creative AssociatesInternational, Inc., CAAHT’s mission isto strengthen the ability and coordinatethe efforts of Albanian communityleaders, NGOs and government entitiesto improve programs that decreasetrafficking in human beings, improveand expand services which assist andreintegrate the victims and reduce re-trafficking. To date, CAAHT has dis-bursed 22 grants totaling more than$2 million to local NGOs addressingtrafficking issues. The CAAHT programfocuses on Albania because it is acountry of origin for trafficking. In thepast ten months, CAAHT grants havereached 31,820 people through pre-vention programs. They have also pro-vided 207 women and children protec-tion and reintegration assistance.Another 4,410 women and childrenhave received assistance from a com-bination of stakeholders.

“I didn’t know much about trafficking. Ihad heard only some stories about chil-dren and girls who were trafficked. Iunderstand during the trainings whocan be a trafficker and who can be avictim,” said Laureta Latifaj, one of thepeer-educators and a mother of two,who works selling used clothes in thestreets.

Low levels of education among work-shop participants and a scarcity ofinformation contribute to misconcep-tions about trafficking. “At the begin-ning it was not very clear to them whywere we talking to them about traffick-ing, as they thought trafficking is equal

to prostitution. At times they laughed atthe information thinking trafficked girlsare earning a lot of money. So we hadto work hard to explain to them the dif-ference between prostitution and traf-ficking,” said Donika Godaj, the YWCA’scoordinator for the Roma project.

The distinction is significant becausethe perception that trafficked victimsare the same as prostitutes earnsthem little empathy from the communi-ty, since it is believed that they arefreely engaging in a business transac-tion. Through discussions with thewomen and the viewing of videotapedtestimonies from girls who have beentrafficked, the YWCA is having animpact.

At one of the workshops, MeleqeRrenja, also a peer-educator and moth-er of five, shared the story of a girlfrom her community who had beentrafficked. “This girl came from Italydrugged, with her arms burned andlost her voice. She was forced to prosti-tute. When she came to Tirana, Ihelped her because I have been work-ing with Roma women and girls whoare included in the YWCA project. Usingmy relations with YWCA and otherorganizations I helped her. Now, shehas a life and is married,” said Rrenja.

The YWCA’s Roma children’s compo-nent, so far, has worked with 300 chil-dren ages 3 to 14. Through story tellingmethods, games, painting and singing,children learn about the dangers oftrafficking. Because schools are situat-

easterneurope

Roma children at a YWCA childactivity in Tirana, funded by CAAHT.

PHOTO:CAAHT, CREATIVE ASSOCIATES INTERNATIONAL, INC.

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latin america

PANAMA: BASKET SALES A PATH TOKEEPING CHILDREN IN SCHOOL

In indigenous regions of Panama,where children toil in the fields withtheir families for economic survival,

alternative sources of income, helpedalong by internet marketing of localcrafts, are an avenue toward keepingchildren in school.

“We hope that the mothers will gener-ate sufficient funds so that the chil-dren don’t have to abandon school towork in the family fields,” says Sarade la Guardia, president of FundaciónTierra Nueva, one of CreativeAssociates International, Inc.’s part-ners in the DESTINO project, fundedby the U.S. Department of Labor.

DESTINO combats child labor, espe-cially in indigenous regions ofPanama, where child participation inharvesting is the only means of eco-nomic survival for families living inextreme poverty. While DESTINO’sfarm schools provide access to edu-cation for child laborers during theharvest season, the program’sincome generation component, imple-mented by Fundación Tierra Nueva,aims to abate child labor throughlong-term prevention. The organiza-tion identifies vulnerable indigenouscommunities and through the genera-tion of economic activity, such as bas-ket-weaving, hopes to reduce poverty,and thus, eradicate the necessity forchildren to drop out of school andcontribute to family revenue.

With the launch of the basket-weavingquality improvement and marketingworkshops, DESTINO is reaching themost remote towns of the Embera,settled mostly on river banks, whosepeople survive on subsistence farm-ing and a traditional lifestyle. It takesabout 8 hours by piragua, a dug-outcanoe, from Panama City, whereTierra Nueva is based, to Corozal, thefurthest community participating inthe workshops. The rest of the townsare 1 to 3 hours away.

“I was fascinated by the Emberáwomen’s baskets and the uniqueness

of their art,” recalls Sara de laGuardia, an avid collector of nativecrafts, on her second trip to theDarien province of Panama. “I wastaken aback by the amount of work itinvolved,” she continues, “from thecollection of reeds, seeds, and barksof trees that are used to make thenatural dyes, to the weaving of thedyed reeds that compose thedesigns.”

Sara is more than a native craftsenthusiast. For 15 years, she hasbeen involved in a volunteer capacitywith the indigenous people of theDarien.

Traveling the distance has paid off.Tierra Nueva has succeeded inenrolling 80 indigenous women in theworkshops. The organization discov-ered that most of the women havemade baskets before, but the quality,variety of designs and colors, and theintricacy of the stitching left room forimprovement when compared to thework of other artisan women. “Weanticipate that they will improve theirquality to be able to compete in thelocal and international market,” saidde la Guardia.

“Our project will not only help themimprove the quality of the baskets,the project will also help them dealwith tourism, establish fair prices, andlearn to market their products.”

So far, Tierra Nueva has conductedworkshops in the regions of Corozaland Naranjal on the Chico River, LajasBlancas on the Chucunaque River,Nuevo Vigia on the Tupisa River, andPena Bijagual, Mogotes and El Saltoon the Chucunaque River and hasintroduced improved techniques inthe creation of new designs, distin-guishing different types of naturalfibres, preparation of natural dyes,uniformity of stitches, and leveling ofbaskets. Based on a survey conduct-ed by Tierra Nueva, the feedbackreceived from the Emberá women hasbeen overwhelmingly positive with

requests toextend theworkshops. “Ireally liked the work-shops,” states one participant on herwritten evaluation. “I learned four newdesigns and our handicrafts teachertaught us a lot. She was so patientwith us. Thank you for teaching us,thank you for everything.”

While workshops are still under way,Tierra Nueva is already testing strate-gies for marketing the baskets. Thosewill include traditional approachessuch as contacting store owners, sell-ing to tourists and collectors, andorganizing artisan fairs, or more inno-vative methods such as advertisingover the internet. The internet hasalso helped the marketing of basketsby the Wounaan, another indigenousgroup in the Darien, whose web-based popularity grew tremendouslyover the past decade. “The Wounaanwomen are selling baskets faster thanthey can make them,” said de laGuardia. “I’m sure that there’s a mar-ket for the Emberá baskets as well.”

A few Emberá baskets have alreadysold on Ebay, directly to buyers inmuseum gift shops. The project hasalso secured its own online presencethrough the creation of a blog, whichdocuments the progress of the work-shops and displays photos of the bas-kets. The organization envisions thatthe blog will become another way forthe women to market their crafts.With 100% of the proceeds givendirectly to the artisans, the women ofthe Emberá comarcas can hope tocreate new opportunities for them-selves and their children.

To purchase the baskets, visitwww.artesanas-embera.blogspot.com

—Lazarina Todorova and FundaciónTierra Nueva

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LIBERIA: BUILDING BRIDGES TO REINTEGRATECOMMUNITIES

When Liberia’s 14-year civil warended in 2003, a 15,0000-strong UN peacekeeping force

disarmed thousands of fighters andrestored security to the country.

As Liberia began its slow transitiontoward democracy, it became clearthat the key to the nation’s future rest-ed with its majority population, thoseages 18 to 32 and younger.

In an effort to engage Liberian youthsto help their communities, CreativeAssociates International, Inc. has pro-vided grants to several communities tobuild eleven bridges and employyouths as laborers through the LiberiaTransition Initiative (LTI). LTI is fundedby the U.S. Agency for InternationalDevelopment's Office of TransitionInitiatives.

During the current rainy season, espe-cially with the heavy downpours thatare expected from July to October,roads and bridges in Liberia becomeimpassable. In Monrovia, the NewportAlley Street Bridge connecting to theMamba Point community, is particular-ly affected by flooding during the rainyseason.

Built with one log, or at times a brokenboard, less than twelve inches wide,the original bridge was dangerous tocross even in the dry season, let alonein downpours. To get to the marketarea, people had to take a longer, cir-cuitous route.

In talks with community residents andleaders, participants of the CommunityYouth Peace Education Program(CYPEP), said a new bridge was a toppriority. Over the course of threemonths, 60 unskilled youths workedwith skilled laborers to construct thebridge.

Approximately, 3,000 people will bethe direct beneficiaries of the newbridge.

“The community is fully benefiting fromthis project and I can say that it is avery successful project,” said RichardWatkins, community leader andChairman of the Project ManagementCommittee.

CYPEP is an outgrowth of LTI’s YouthEducation and Life Skills (YES) pro-gram, implemented in 735 rural com-munities throughout Liberia over thepast two years. CYPEP works withurban youths while YES works withrural youths. Both programs work withwar-affected youths ages 18 to 30 andseek to constructively engage youthsto positively impact their communities.

To date, LTI has supported 333 grantstargeting small communities whereYES activities are being conductedwith the support of four partners,Mercy Corps, Action Aid, World Visionand Talking Drum Studio. The smallgrants were designed to provide con-structive activities for both the youthand elder populations to reform andrally around communities. Activitiesundertaken include skills training andconstruction of guest houses, commu-nity halls, market halls, latrines, sportsprograms, and bridges.

In the north-eastern part of Liberia,bordering Cote d'Ivoire and Guinea,YES participants and residents rehabil-itated deteriorating log bridges linkingsix communities in Nimba County. Theproject covered an estimated 19 miles

of roads and benefits an estimated15,000 rural dwellers.

Constructed over a period of 2.5months, the project enjoyed the fullcooperation of locals from Tappita Cityto Grenpea town who also provided thematerials and labor to rehabilitate thebridges. The enthusiasm from thesecommunities for this project is reflect-ed in its completion in less than theallotted five months. The improvedbridges will enable farmers to trans-port their produce to market and spurtrade among communities.

The small grants were dispersed overeight of Liberia’s 15 counties, many ofwhich are inaccessible during the rainyseason.

Each project costs an average of$6,500 with communities required tocontribute such items as sand, gravel,crushed rocks, and labor; those contri-butions alone provided between fiveand 30 percent of the value of theproject.

The projects not only improved deterio-rated infrastructure but also broughtdisparate groups together. Among thegroups were Muslim and Christianyouths, who had fought each other inthe October 2004 riots, but joined towork toward the goal of improving thecommunity.

“During the alley bridge construction atNewport Street, I interacted with differ-ent groups that enabled me to developan idea of working with a community. Ithank the YES program for this initia-tive on the part of the youth. With thisprogram the youth will be looking atpositive things and turning their backson negative things,” said CharlesAddo, a member of the technical staffwho worked on the bridge.

—Alexandra Pratt and LTI staff: JamesYarsiah, Mike Sarco, Mardia Warnerand Francis Carter.

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A bridge to community reintegration.

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UNICEF estimates that 4.8 mil-lion children are enrolled inAfghanistan’s primary and sec-

ondary schools. While the Ministry ofEducation’s capacity to deliver qualityeducation for all has made greatstrides in the last few years, muchremains to be done. Current estimates of the teacher pop-ulation indicate the country has144,000 teachers, but of these only300 hold master’s degrees and6,000 bachelor’s degrees—theremainder have varying degrees ofprofessional teaching qualifications.

The launching in Kabul this spring ofthe Building Education SupportSystems for Teachers (BESST) aims toimprove teaching and support forteacher education programs.Designed to work with the central andprovincial ministries, BESST will workto formalize the Afghan educationsystem so that by the project’s fifthand final year the Ministry ofEducation will be further empoweredto carry out teacher training, with thesame level of quality throughout thecountry.

“Right now in Afghanistan there’s nota very clear formula for what it takesto become a teacher, BESST is collab-orating with the Ministry of Educationto standardize teacher qualifications,”said Thea Anderson, project managerfor BESST at Creative Associates International, Inc. which is implement-ing the project.

BESST is a follow-on to theAfghanistan Primary EducationProject (APEP) which CreativeAssociates implemented successfullyfrom 2003 to 2006. Under APEP,more than 170,000 overage stu-dents, many of which were girls, wereeducated in accelerated learningclasses, and thousands of teacherswere trained in non-formal education

methodologies. “Currently many ofthe teachers in the APEP acceleratedlearning classes as well as other NGOadministered classes are not formallycertified by the Ministry of Education.BESST will work to link many of theseteachers into the formal ministry sys-tem,” said Anderson.

The BESST launch was conductedover a two-day workshop. Attendeesincluded Ministry of Education repre-sentatives from 13 provinces, includ-ing the Minister of Education, repre-sentatives from the ministry’s teachereducation and planning departments,President Hamid Karzai’s special rep-resentative for education, CreativeAssociates’ staff and implementingpartners.

BESST’s emphasis on strengtheningthe system for training primary teach-ers reflects a shared understandingbetween donors and the MOE thatteachers require support from all fac-tions of the national education organ-ism. It recognizes that teachers needto receive encouragement fromschool administrators and supervi-sors as well as opportunities for addi-tional skills upgrading.

Considered a timely project forreforming the education system andits development, BESST also standsout because it aims to have the maxi-mum amount of involvement from theMinistry of Education in designing

and implementing programs. Work inthe provinces will begin at the end of2006, when Creative’s implementingpartners will provide trainings forMinistry of Education senior person-nel, head masters and head teach-ers.

Instructional support staff fromprovincial and district offices need tolearn student-centered instructionaltechniques so they can provide soundcoaching and recommendations toteachers. At present, the project isworking at the central ministry levelplanning activities for the next fiveyears. Other components of the proj-ect will include working with the min-istry’s finance office, developing in-service and pre-service curriculum forprimary level teachers, building thecapacity of two-year teacher trainingcolleges, and teacher accreditationsystems.

APEP was designed as an emergencyresponse to Afghanistan’s dilapidatededucation system after decades ofwar and has worked in 17 ofAfghanistan’s 34 provinces. BESSTwill have a wider reach although it willhave its own challenges. “BESSTwill be working throughoutAfghanistan through aphased roll out over twoyears. Reconstruction andeconomic developmentrequire a work-force with a solidfoundation in both lit-eracy and numeracy, aswell as a range of special-ized skills. A functionaldemocracy requires a pop-ulation able to beinformed and makeinformed judgmentsabout government andthe issues it shouldaddress,” Anderson said.

—Alexandra Pratt

asiaAFGHANISTAN: BESST & MINISTRY OF EDUCATIONWORK TO BUILD EDUCATION INFRASTRUCTURE

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TThheeaa AAnnddeerrssoonnPPrroojjeecctt MMaannaaggeerr

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africa

NIGERIA: PTAS AND TEACHER TRAINING BOOSTIMPACT OF PRIMARY EDUCATION

About 7 million Nigerian primaryschool age children do notattend school, and of these,

about 62 percent are girls.

Despite Nigeria’s vast oil wealth, two-thirds of its 132 million people, whocomprise the largest population inAfrica, live on less than $1 a day.Moreover, the country’s maternal andchild survival death rates remain dis-couragingly high. According to the U.S.Agency for International Development,improving the quality and delivery ofhealth and education stands to have asignificant impact not only on Nigeria,but on the region as well.

But improvement is underway thanksto COMPASS, which stands forCommunity Participation for Action inthe Social Sector, a USAID-fundedintegrated health and education proj-ect led by Pathfinder International.COMPASS is working in partnershipwith the Government of Nigeria toimprove the quality of health and edu-cation services at community level infive target states across the country. \

Launched in 2004, the project gath-ers five American and four Nigerianpartners including Civil Society ActionCoalition on Education for All (CSACE-FA), one of the largest education“umbrella” organizations in Nigeria.Creative Associates International, Inc.based in Washington, D.C., managesits basic education component.

Creative Associates is a 27-year-olddevelopment services firm that cur-rently implements education and civilsociety programs in 15 countries,including Nigeria.

Creative’s basic education componentis increasing the enrollment rates ofgirls, strengthening Parent-TeacherAssociations (PTAs), and providingteacher training support in 1,400 pub-lic primary and Islamic schools inKano and Lagos states as well as alocal government area in Kano,Nasarawa,. Creative also conductspre-service training activities in con-junction with colleges of education inthese states. Through these activities,COMPASS seeks to establish sustain-able educational reforms in the com-munities where it is working.

Because many teachers at the pri-mary school level are under-qualified,COMPASS teacher training activitieshave had a profound effect. Whilemany public school teachers attendedsecondary school, they frequently didnot receive teacher training. In theIslamic schools, teachers oftenreceive only religious training and soare unable to instruct their students inmath, science, social studies, andhealth subjects.

COMPASS targets Islamic as well aspublic primary schools in its traininginterventions. In the north, Islamicschools reach a larger number of stu-

dents, especially girls, than their pub-lic counterparts. In Kano and Lagosstates, COMPASS has helped manyIslamic school teachers integrate coresubjects from the national curriculuminto their courses of study.

Over the course of the project,Creative will train about 20,000 publicand Islamic primary school teachersin literacy, numeracy, and child-cen-tered learning. “Over 4,000 teachershave been trained [in Kano] sinceCOMPASS began its intervention,”said Aminu Tafida, director of schoolservices with the State UniversalEducation Board in the northern andpredominantly Muslim state of Kano.

In order to upgrade the quality ofclassroom instruction, COMPASStrains public and Islamic primaryschool teachers in student-centeredlearning, the development of teachingaids, and techniques for increasingstudent participation in the class-room.

“The COMPASS in-service trainingpackage is helping a lot in injectingnew skills and orientation for ourteachers,” Tafida said. “Changes areevident in the way teachers interactwith pupils and the way the teachersappreciate and show enthusiasm inworking together. We are optimisticthat the desired attitudinal and pro-fessional change will be achieved.”

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Students from Kano participate in COMPASS achievement testing.

The COMPASS project has beenvery helpful to the school with theacquisition of knowledge, skillsand the change in attitudes toeducation, particularly for girls.

Abu Mohammed Gawuna, PTA chairman ofGawuna Special Primary School in centralNasarawa state.

“”

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“”

In many public and Islamic schools,teachers and pupils must work underleaking roofs, and without latrines,blackboards, and other basics.Because the government cannot meetthe vast infrastructure needs of theseschools, the schools rely on PTAs toprovide resources and assistance.COMPASS therefore provides PTAswith sub-grants to finance theimprovement of school infrastructure.PTA members have identified the lackof latrines at their schools as a pri-mary factor in low attendance, espe-cially among girls. The construction oflatrines, along with project efforts tochange attitudes towards girls’ educa-tion, has been a significant factor inincreasing girls’ enrollment.

COMPASS conducts training programsfor PTA members to encourageparental involvement in school man-agement and rehabilitation. In trainingsessions, PTA members learn how toconduct needs assessments, set pri-orities, increase organizational skills,and campaign for girls’ education.

“The series of trainings organized andconducted by COMPASS, in which weactively participated, have greatlyenhanced our knowledge, skills andattitudes in the educational affairs ofthe school. This is evident from ourability to mobilize the community andleverage resources for the construc-tion of a four-seat toilet block,” saidAbu Mohammed Gawuna, PTA chair-man of Gawuna Special PrimarySchool in central Nasarawa.

“The COMPASS project has been veryhelpful to the school with the acquisi-tion of knowledge, skills and thechange in attitudes to education, par-ticularly for girls,” said Gawuna.

By 2009, the COMPASS project isexpected to better the lives of 23 mil-lion Nigerians. Because of the crucialroles girls play as mothers and familycustodians, the project’s achieve-ments in increasing girls’ enrolment,in both public and Islamic schools, willbe especially critical to the develop-ment of their communities.

— Alexandra Pratt with reporting byAdamu Khalid, COMPASS SeniorCommunity Mobilization/PTA TrainingCoordinator in Abuja, Nigeria

NIGERIA: PTAS AND TEACHER TRAINING BOOST IMPACT OF PRIMARY EDUCATIONafrica

Creative Associates International,Inc. is implementing an innova-tive multimedia public awareness

campaign to Get Out the Vote (GOTV)called “You Have a Voice: Make itHeard” to engage Nicaraguan votersand encourage strong turnouts inNicaragua’s presidential election onNov. 5th.

For the first time in recent history, vot-ers will have their pick from a pluralityof political parties spanning the spec-trum from left to right.

Funded by the U.S. Department ofState, the GOTV campaign involvesworking in close collaboration withlocal partners to create a blend of tele-vision, radio, print and electronicmedia products to boost voter aware-ness of the importance of democracyand civic participation.

The Creative Associates-managed cam-paign will primarily target disenfran-chised citizens, such as youths, women

and rural dwellers, who need bothinformation and encouragement tobecome active in Nicaragua’s politicaldiscourse.

Creative and its local partners will pro-duce and air up to 16 television andradio announcements over the nextfour months. In addition, the programwill work with a local playwright todevelop, produce and air a radio soapopera series. The series will frameNicaragua’s current situation in thecontext of a multi-generational family’sdreams, aspirations and fears andstress the need for citizen participationto ensure a brighter future. The shows

will be tailored to regional interests,concerns, perspectives and languages.

With local partners as resources,Creative will conduct focus group dis-cussions nationwide, continuouslymonitoring and evaluating the effec-tiveness and impact of the program,using this information to re-calibratethe messages as necessary. Theepisodes will also be recorded to CDand cassettes for wide distribution toschools, churches, NGOs and othercivic groups.

The campaign also includes a humanrights component. Through sub grantsto the Permanent Human RightsCommittee, assistance will be providedin documenting past human rightsabuses and providing technical supportfor bringing selected cases to court,and counseling for victim’s relatives.

— CIT and Creative Times staff.

NICARAGUA: CREATIVE, PARTNERS HELP‘GET OUT THE VOTE’latin america

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asia

PHILIPPINES: MATH TRAINING ADDS UP TONEW SKILLS

For 33-year old Melanie Olis ofUlotanga Central School inMindanao, teaching mathematics

has always posed a challenge. Olis,who teaches third grade, welcomessuggestions to spice up the repetitivedrills for her students.

“Pupils may learn to add numbers upto three digits in a month or two, butgive them a problem close to real-lifesituations, and they will find it difficultto apply what they studied in class,”said Olis who, along with 135 teachersfrom the Autonomous Region inMuslim Mindanao and surroundingconflict-affected areas, underwent a10-day training last summer inZamboanga City.

The training was designed in responseto the alarming result of the Trends inInternational Mathematics andScience Study, which rates students’mathematics and science achieve-ment. Previous test results ranked thePhilippines second from the bottomnext to Bangladesh in the whole ofAsia. To improve students’ proficiencyin these subjects, the USAID-fundedEducation Quality and Access forLearning and Livelihood Skills(EQuALLS) project, in partnership withthe Department of Education, is imple-menting in-service trainings on math,science, as well as English, for teach-ers of grades one to three inMindanao.

During the training, Olis realized whatshe had been missing all these years.Her pupils found it difficult to applymath outside the classroom eventhough they understood the subject.

“I once had three students, siblingsfrom a family of fisherfolk. They couldnot attend school regularly becausethey had to help sell fish in the market.The older two brothers attended gradethree when they were already 12 and14 years old. Alas, only the youngestpassed my grade level,” said Olis.

The brothers soon dropped out ofschool. But when Olis chanced uponthem at their stall in the market, whatshe found caught her by surprise, andconfirmed that students learn bestwhen provided with real life problems.“I saw that they could give the exactchange to their buyers without battingan eyelash,” said Olis.

The math training incorporates con-cepts such as whole numbers, frac-tions, measurement, money, picto-graph and geometry. Applying thePractical Work Approach, it uses real-life situations and indigenous materi-als, such as agricultural and fishingitems in teaching.

The teachers were shown how toencourage pupils to explore theories,solve practical problems, and defendtheir answers using their own formula.

“One common misconception aboutteaching math among teachers is thatpupils are not allowed to explore differ-ent ways of solving problems. They aretaught to follow formulas prescribed inthe textbook, forcing them to memo-rize just to pass exams. When a prob-lem that needs plain logic is present-ed, they get lost,” explained NormaCajilig, a University of the Philippines’math and science education teacher.

The most common misconceptionsoccur in the most basic lessons likeaddition. For instance, experiencedteachers were said to have objected tothe statement that when teachingaddition, teachers should not use

objects such as chairs and balls orpencils and flowers to avoid discon-necting mathematics from the realworld.

“A few ridiculed us for questioning oldpractices. But when we said, well if youreally think about it, who adds chairsand balls in real life anyway? And theyjust laughed,” said Juvelyn Reyes, agrade one teacher from Siocon,Zamboanga del Norte. Ultimately, mathematics loses itsmeaning in the real world becauseteachers and textbooks use far-fetchedobjects and sometimes even unusualreferences.

“When the transition from concrete tosemi-abstract to abstract drifts into aworld full of objects so unlike the reali-ties of the community, children resortto looking at mathematics as just amere subject in class. When the classis over, mathematics is also over,”explained Professor Bennie Maratasfrom the Mindanao State University inTawi-Tawi.

Fortunately, opportunities to correctthese misconceptions abound. Withassistance from EQuALLS, the 211teachers, who attended the summerworkshop, trained a total of 4,246 fel-low teachers in mathematics, most ofwhom have also undergone anenhancement training to polish theirpedagogical skills.

“It is a critical and urgent situation. Wewant our pupils to perform better inmath so we have to train our teachershow to do it. These teachers areexpected to handle nearly 100,000grade one to grade three pupils in ayear in Mindanao!,” said Ina Aquino,EQuALLS In-School Manager. EQuALLSsupplements these training workshopsby supplying books, reference materi-als, teaching aids, and desks to recipi-ent schools to help provide a betterlearning environment for pupils.

—Janice Sevilla of the EQuALLS Project.

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A participant in the EQuALLS-led10-day teacher training.

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UGANDA: EDUCATION PROGRAM BRINGS PEACE TO SCHOOLS INWAR-TORN NORTHERN UGANDAafrica

REPLICA uses an integrated approachthat includes peace education, psy-chosocial support, and performing artsas tools to educate and promotebehavioral change in students.Comprehensive in scope, the projectalso works with teachers, many ofwhom are as traumatized as their stu-dents, to improve their teaching andclassroom management skills and toboost their morale. So that its effectswill be sustained, REPLICA hassecured the participation of parents,religious and cultural leaders, civil ser-vants and other members of the com-munity in an effort to improve schoolsas well as promote girls’ enrollment.

Thirty model schools located through-out 10 northern Ugandan districts arethe beneficiaries of the REPLICA pro-gram. Before the program began, drop-out rates among students, especiallygirls, were significantly higher.

Schools not only lacked separate girlsand boys’ latrines, they had none atall, making it especially difficult foradolescent girls to attend. But withREPLICA’s intervention, parents andcommunity members mobilized tobuild latrines and generally improvetheir school’s infrastructure. Other fac-tors also contributed to high drop outrates. Demoralized and unskilled indiscipline techniques, teachers oftenbeat their students further encourag-ing them to leave school.

“It’s surprising that for once in a longtime, children now approach teachersby themselves,” said Ulama Simon,head teacher at Abera P7 PrimarySchool. “Yet, in the past even when ateacher calls a child, she or he wouldjust run away. With the presence ofthe REPLICA program, we rarely getany drop out cases now and the enroll-ment rates in the school are increas-ing tremendously.”

Since it began, REPLICA has trained521 teachers in its sensitization andeducation methodologies. A total of38,666 students are benefiting fromthe program. Performing Arts inLearning is one of REPLICA’s most suc-cessful education components,because it incorporates psychosocialtherapy for the children and includessuch activities as dance and drama.To increase the impact of thePerforming Arts component, schoolswill stage performances in communi-

ties so that they can pass on the mes-sages of peace and encourage par-ents to take responsibility for their chil-dren’s education.

“Some children in the school used toinsult those children who were onceabducted by the LRA rebels and inresponse they [the abducted children]would just beat them. However, thereturnees now feel very comfortable inschool, just like us,” said 14-year oldOlar Richard Apena, a pupil at AberaP7 Primary School. “As the head ofthe guidance and counseling club inour school, I feel very proud because Ihelp my fellow pupils when they have amisunderstanding. I talk to them andadvise them never to use violence tosolve disputes. The REPLICA programwas a blessing to us because it hasbrought about peace in our school andhelps children to stay in school.”

There are 30 districts in northernUganda affected by the war and USAIDhopes that REPLICA can eventually beexpanded so that all of those affectedby the war may benefit from the pro-gram. “I am convinced that the longsought solution has been found.”REPLICA is “real hope for the northand other people in conflict and postconflict situations,” said Opiro.

—Alexandra Pratt with reporting byFlorence Sebutinde, BEPS REPLICAConsultant in Uganda.

ed far from the community and mis-treatment by teachers and non-Romachildren, among other reasons, manyRoma children do not attend school. Asa result, many leave school to spendtheir days begging in the streets wherethey are vulnerable to the ploys of traf-fickers. So, the YWCA also teaches

them that their risk of being exploitedincreases greatly when they opt to begon the streets rather than attendschool. “We also invited a Romateacher to tell them the beautiful thingschildren do and learn at school. Sheinvited them to visit the school any timethey wanted to. Their mothers were

also present and some of the childrenasked them if they could take them tothe school,” said Godaj.

—Alexandra Pratt with reporting byDonika Godaj, YWCA Roma ProjectCoordinator in Tirana, Albania

ALBANIA: CREATIVE PROGRAM FUNDS YWCA’S ROMA WOMEN AND CHILDREN’SANTI-TRAFFICKING EFFORTSeastern

europe

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Female students in a REPLICA-supported school in northernUganda.

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NEW FACES IN WASHINGTON, D.C. AND FIELD

HHaarrlleeyy BBllaacckk joins the Administrative Services Unit as Creative’s new Procurement andLogistics Manager.

Harley has 12 years of experience in the procurement of products for government con-tracts. Before joining Creative, he was a Procurement Manager for BearingPoint, Inc.Harley is experienced in preparing RFPs and RFQs in accordance with USAID regulationsand ensuring all required approvals are met prior to purchase of any items to be reim-bursed by USAID.

Harley attended the Fishburn Military School and Lord Fairfax Community College, bothin Virginia.

EElllleenn GGiioorrddaannoo joins the Business Development unit as a Proposal Coordinator. Ellenhas ten years of international and US-based management experience, including sixyears as a senior field office manager, overseeing USAID-funded humanitarian andtransitional development programs.

Before joining Creative, she was the Director of Development at the Institute forCommunity Economics in Springfield, MA., where she was the lead designer andwriter for grant proposals, including successful federal grant submissions. She alsooversaw fundraising and grant solicitation from institutional and individual donors fornational non-profit housing and community development.

Before that, she served as a Director at the Armenia field office for the Save the Children Federation. There, shemanaged a $17 million USAID-funded program portfolio that included administering humanitarian assistancegrants to international and local non-profits in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.

Ellen received a master’s degree in International Economics, Russian and East European History/Politics at JohnsHopkins University in Washington, D.C., and a bachelor’s degree in International Relations at Mount HolyokeCollege in South Hadley, MA. She is fluent in Russian and French.

LLiissaa HHaarrtteennbbeerrggeerr joins Creative as a Project Manager in Liberia for the Communities inTransition division. Lisa has extensive development experience working for USAID andthe Education Development Center with a focus in media development policy in transi-tional nations, civic education and civil society strengthening, and using radio in devel-opment communications.

Before Creative, she served as a civics education specialist for EDC in Nairobi, Kenya,where she designed radio-based civics education programming for Sudan RadioService, a USAID/Office of Transition Initiatives-funded project to increase the access ofsouthern Sudanese to unbiased news and information.

Before that, she was an education advisor for USAID in Kabul, Afghanistan where she researched and wrote needsassessments for the USAID Mission, focusing on emergency needs in the formal primary school system and strate-gies for increasing girls’ access to education. There, she also prepared the RFP for the Afghanistan PrimaryEducation Project (APEP), and supervised APEP contractors and other USAID-funded education projects.

Lisa received a doctoral degree in International Communications at the University of Texas at Austin, and a bache-lor’s degree in French from the University of California, Los Angeles. In addition to French, she is fluent in Spanish.

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CChhaauu LLiimm joins Creative’s Office of Finance and Contracts as an Accounting Manager withmore than 20 years of accounting experience.

Before Creative, Chau was a Senior Accounting Manager at K. Hovnanian Homes inChantilly, Virginia. Before that, she served as a Financial Reporting Manager for Wiley Rein& Fielding LLP in Washington, D.C.

Chau received a bachelor’s degree in accounting at Strayer University in Washington, D.C.

JJoossee XXeett MMuullll joins the Afghanistan Primary Education Program (APEP)/AcceleratedLearning (AL) Project as a Finance Manager. Jose has been a familiar face at Creative. Formore than eight years he served as financial and administrative coordinator supportingprojects in Guatemala. Before joining Creative, Jose worked for Catholic Relief Services inGuatemala. Jose is also studying for a degree in public accounting at the CentroUniversitario de Occidente in Guatemala.

MMaarriieellaa LLóóppeezz--VVaarrggaass joins Creative as a Chief of Party for the Nicaragua Get Out the Vote(GOTV) project, a U.S. Department of State-funded program. Mariela has internationalexperience of more than 15 years, specializing in the areas of social communication, pro-gram management and monitoring and evaluation of international development initiativesrelated to political processes.

Before Creative, she was Chief of Party for the International Foundation for ElectionSystems, where she was responsible for program planning and project implementation ofthe first USAID-funded initiative to “Support Electoral and Political Processes in Egypt.”

Before that, she served as a Senior Election Advisor to the United Nations Development Programme/United NationsAssistance Mission in Iraq, where she facilitated and participated in the training of members of the IndependentElectoral Commission of Iraq (IECI). Based in Amman, Jordan, she also advised in areas that included civic educationand public outreach and training of senior commission staff, journalists, and IECI monitors along with manual devel-opment and product design.

Mariela received a bachelor's degree in fine arts and graphic design in San José, Costa Rica. She is fluent in Spanishand Portuguese.

PHOTOS BY: LAZARINA TODOROVA

NEWFACES

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PPrroodduucceedd bbyyCommunications and MediaDevelopment Unit

CCoonnttrriibbuuttoorrss

APEPFrancis CarterRachel Fineberg SylvanJeff Ghannam Donika GodajLeonard A. GreeneSara de la GuardiaAdamu KhalidJoanne Murphy

Nicaragua GOTV StaffAlexandra PrattMike SarcoFlorence SebutindeJanice SevillaJon SilverstoneLazarina TodorovaDolor TozajJames YarsiahMardia Warner

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A participant in an organizational workshop in the indigenous Nuevo Vigia townsite, conducted by Fundación Tierra Nueva, one of Creative'sDESTINO implementing partners. Fundación Tierra Nueva is training 80 Embera Women in the improvement and marketing of the worldfamous Darien baskets. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the sales go directly to the women artisans. Read more on page 3.

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SUMMER 2006A QUARTERLY PUBLICATION