DOCUMENT RESUME

ED 425 045 RC 021 744

AUTHOR Robinson, BernadetteTITLE In the Green Desert: Non-formal Distance Education Project

for Nomadic Women of the Gobi Desert, Mongolia. Educationfor All: Making It Work. Innovations Series, 12.

INSTITUTION United Nations Educational, Scientific, and CulturalOrganization, Paris (France) . Education for All ForumSecretariat.; United Nations Children's Fund, New York, NY.

ISSN ISSN-1020-0800PUB DATE 1997-00-00NOTE 41p.; Photographs and text with underlying graphics may not

reproduce adequately.AVAILABLE FROM UNESCO, Education for All, 7 Place de Fontenoy, 75352 Paris

07 SP, France; Fax: (33-1) 45 68 56 29; Web site:http://unesco.uneb.edu/unesco/efa/03sep1997/03sep1997.htm.

PUB TYPE Reports Descriptive (141)EDRS PRICE MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage.DESCRIPTORS Adult Education; *Distance Education; Economic Change;

Educational Innovation; Empowerment; Entrepreneurship;Foreign Countries; Itinerant Teachers; Migrant Education;*Nomads; *Nontraditional Education; Program Development;*Relevance (Education); *Rural Women; *Womens Education

IDENTIFIERS Gobi Desert; *Mongolia

ABSTRACTWith the disintegration of the former Soviet Union, Mongolia

was severed from its exterior financial and technical support. The dramaticshift in socioeconomic conditions created a need for new forms of adulteducation. The nomadic women of the Gobi Desert were targeted as most atrisk, and the Gobi Women's Project conducted a needs assessment in three ofthe six Gobi provinces. Women defined their own most urgent learning needs inthe areas of livestock rearing, family care and health, literacy, incomegeneration using locally available materials, and basic business skills. By1996, 15,000 nomadic women were taking part in education activities offeredthrough radio, printed materials, and visiting teachers. This bookletdescribes Mongolia's educational conditions and the Gobi Women's Project,with sections covering the history and culture of Mongolia; the abrupteconomic change from Communism to an independent market economy; women'sstatus, education, and literacy; low-cost forms of distance education;initial planning and development of the project; enthusiastic grassrootsresponse; development and dissemination of instructional materials;organizational structure of the project; educational delivery through readingmaterials, radio programs, visiting teachers, information centers, andlearning groups; experiences of five students and teachers; projectachievements (empowering rural women and breaking new ground); financing;sustainability; and future directions. Includes facts about Mongolia, aglossary, a list of project innovations, photographs, and a bibliography.(SV)

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\ "U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Office of Educational Research and improvementEDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION r:t?

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Points of view or opinions stated in thisdocument do not necessarily representofficial OERI position or policy 1

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Education for Alk- Making if

About the prohe World Conference on Education for All,held in Jomtien, Thailand, in 1990, recognizedthat a policy of «more of the same» would not

be sufficient to achieve the goal of education for all.Educational systems in most countries clearly needan injection of fresh ideas, a broader vision of howthe basic learning needs of all might be met, and the

courage to turn this vision into practice.

It was the quest for an expanded and renovated vision

of basic education which prompted UNESCO and

UNICEF to launch their joint project «EDUCATION

FOR ALL: MAKING IT WORK» right after Jomtien.

The two Organizations decided to disseminate andpromote examples of educational change both inthe realm of formal and non- formal educationthrough which the principles of Jomtien would cometo life: programmes which provide learningopportunities for children, youth, and adults,including underserved groups and those with specialneeds; programmes which focus on actual learningacquisition, rather than on mere participation orcertification requirements; programmes which aimto provide a solid foundation for life-long learning,which are responsive to the learning needs andconditions of the socio-cultural environment, andwhich build effective partnerships with local com-munities and parents.

UNESCO and UNICEF believe that effective and

sustainable change in education arises from the

inventiveness, experience and dedication of

educators, parents and community leaders at the

grassroots. The (( ED U C ATI 0 N FOR ALL: MAKING

IT WORK» project shows that educational innovation

and change are already underway in all developing

countries and that even the poorest countries are able

to take up the challenge of devising educational

programmes.to fit their means, needs, and aspirations.

The project strategy emphasizes educationalinnovation in practice rather than discourse. TheINNOV database presents many little-knownexperiences, some of them with considerablepotential. The most promising and significant onesare showcased in the present series of booklets, orthrough films contained in the EDUCATION FOR

ALL VIDEOBANK. Others are grouped togetherand compared in a new series of THEMATIC

PORTFOLIOS, devoted to critical issues in basiceducation.

All these resource materials are used in trainingworkshops, inter-project visits and similar activitiesmeant to support specialists and planners fromdeveloping countries in their struggle to turneducation for all into reality.

The project team will be pleased to receive newinformation, comments and suggestions from allthose interested in promoting change and innovationin basic education. We particularly appeal toUNICEF and UNESCO colleagues in the field toco-operate actively with the project.

For more information about the project,

please contact:

Global Action Programme

on Education for All

UNESCO

7, Place de Fontenoy

75352 Paris 07 SP

FRANCE

Tel: (33-1)45 68 10 00

Fax: (33-1)45 68 56 29

4

Education Cluster

Programme Division

UNICEF

3, United Nations PlazaNew York, NY 10017

U.SA.

Tel: (212) 326 7000

Fax: (212) 824 6481

If you wish additional copies of the «Innovations

series», please contact UNESCO.

-serve the basic learning needs of all requires more ho

iharr a recommitment to basic education as it now exists.'

:What is needed is an 'expanded vision' that surpasses [ .

conventional delivery systems while building on the best in

curt ent practices." 4. "

WORLD DECLARATION ON EDUCATION FOR ALL

(Arucle 2)

,

.24

19

Introduction 8

Mongolia: history and culture 10

Life in the Gobi Desert 12

13

15

An innovative response to change 16

17

The Gobi Women's Project 18'

Changing times, new needs

Women's status and education

About distance learning

The learning system

Learners and teachers

Few examples of subjects and skills

Achievements

22

24.

6

Financing and sustainability 28

Conclusion 32

Features

Map of Mongolia

Mongolia in facts and figures

Glossary 36

Principal innovations

Bibliography and Aknowledgments

BO COPY MIAMI,

bundant rains, this year, have covered thesteppes of the Gobi in a carpet of chives,

_ .turning it into a green desert. Javzandulamlives in a ger, or tent, in the South part of the Gobidesert with her husband and three children, a boyand two girls all under the age of 13. They own amixed herd of 120 animals and are trying to increaseit. Javzandulam, who is 37, completed seven yearsof schooling in a boarding school in a district centre100 kilometres away. In the past she used to readmore than she does now. She has little free time and,until she joined the Gobi Women's project in 1996,she couldn't get much to read anyway. Today, theproject booklets and local newsletters are her onlyreading materials, apart from an occasionalnewspaper passed on by a friend. She also readsstories from one of the project booklets, "MongolianFairy Tales", to her youngest daughter.

Javzandulam has a long working day. She gets upbefore her husband; at 5 a.m. in the summer, later inthe winter. First she milks the animals, then makestea and breakfast for her family. She usually spendspart of the morning boiling and preparing the milk,to make it into yoghurt and cheese products, some ofwhich are dried in the sun for winter use. Before pre-paring a midday meal of boiled mutton soup withnoodles, steamed bread and cheese, she collects andstacks animal dung for fuel.

In the afternoon, Javzandulam might plait har-nesses for animals out of camel wool, make felt forboots (a new skill she learnt this year), mend clothes,sew household articles such as cushions, look after

the children and the younger animals, or water andsometimes move the herds (though her son mostlydoes that job). The herds need milking again duringthe day, usually at different intervals depending onthe type of animal. The animals' milk is left forchurning the following day. Javzandulam usuallyprepares the evening meal quite late, by candlelight,when everyone is back.

Life was not always like this. Until 1991,Javzandulam bought ready-made foods and fuel sup-plies in the store at the district centre but, like manyothers, she had more cash then, and the districtcentre was a hub of activity, providing such servicesas education, health, veterinary assistance, and facili-ties for culture and sport. All this has changed nowand Javzandulam, like many others, has had to fallback on her own resources. Thanks to the GobiWomen's Project she has mastered new skills andrelearnt old ones, from making bread and cheeses toprocessing animal dung for longer burning. Togetherwith her husband, she prepares animal hides or meatfor drying or sausages. Javzandulam has learnt these

9

skills from the project booklets,radio programmes, and meetingswith neighbouring women or hervisiting teacher. Her husband alsobenefits from the project; he istrying out a new technique forpreparing animal hides that hefound in one of her books.

Javzandulam has little free timeduring the day, usually less thanher husband. Despite this, she stillmakes time to listen to the GobiWomen's radio broadcasts. Shefound the first aid programmesvery useful and has put together asmall first aid kit as a result. Onceevery two weeks she rides herhorse 12 kilometres to a neigh-bour's ger, where she and eightother women meet with the visi-ting teacher for an afternoon. Sheenjoys the exchange of news and

9

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jokes, and seeing what the other womenare making. One has made a camel saddlefor the first time and exchanged it for acamel. Javzandulam thinks she might trythat too.

Javzandulam is like many women takingpart in the Gobi Women's Project. She'sbetter off than some and not as well off asothers (a few now have solar panels andportable windmills to provide more elec-tricity). What they all share, however, isnew access to learning opportunitiesduring very difficult times. What theylearn through the Gobi Women's projectdirectly affects their lives as nomads andis helping them cope with the effects ofthe drastic economic and social changesthat occurred in Mongolia in the 1990s.

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rom 1000 BC. nomadic warriors fromMongolia were famed for their riding and

frequently invaded thearchery. Theyagricultural states ontheir borders. TheHan Dynasty (206BC -AD 220) builtThe Great Wall ofChina as a defensivemeasure against them.

Genghis Khan(1206-27) founded theMOrigolian nation: bythe liMe. of his death',

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late 1980s, a series Of.:political reforms resul-..ted in democraticgovernment..

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Akileiit2thiles;:. they:.-,,haye../ged a nomadic.'way of 1.ife, usingtiOrseS: and carnets for,it4r4ort. Their,settle:,

.:rnents :moved' Con,:....Staritly: even Mangolia'S

...Capital, 'thaapbaatar,'..fiad 21 different loca-tions before becoming

.established cin its present site in the 18th century.Nomadic life produced the rOtind, dome-shaped tentor ger: a mobile.structure that iS light and easy to dis-'mantle. This traditional dwelling has changed littleover centuries. Made of white felt, supported by a

China Two hundred years later the centres of power:

m1.4 -.1tad.tricived elsewhere.and Mongolia bad reverted toliasibralnomadisM. In the.170.1 cent:66;the Manchuemperors biChina divided the State int() Outer andInner Mongolia, a divisiOri WhiCh persists to this day.

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wooden latticed frame, with a outer skin. the ger hasa circular hole in the roof, for ventilation and for thechimney-pipe of the stove. A ger can be erected veryquickly, in about an hour. Herders live in encamp-ments of three or four families, scattered over largeareas. Despite the hardships involved, nomadic lifeis an important source of historical identity andpride.

Mongolia presents a homogeneous Culture', withlittle cultural variation betWeen the"differerit ethnicgrauo.:The MOhgol langudge.isatibtis: Of literatnre 'and tektbOOksfrtihiothet:thri;;:l

MongOl Were. encouraged under tiOinmiiniSt regime. AlthOugh Cynllic was the Off

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uddhism was the'offiCial religion of Mongolia :om the 16th century until the 1930s; but only.th

;major monasteries have survived:the Soviet era .sBuddhisM remains in.the prayerS.Of the elderl.);:in

. ,theSpeech of the people, which is rich in expressiOnsand proverbs, and in the traditional Statues or imauesof the Buddha which are kept with family photo-, ..,graphs on a special shelf. Buddhism has lately beenundergoing a revival_

The -use of crafted leather objects is:among theoldest Mongol traditions. Felt made of sheep's woolis another basic material; it is strengthened by. deco-

. . .

rative quilling for rues. floor felts and.the.door flapof the uer. Cloth' weaving. iS not widely. practised.::.The basic Monuolian gament has probably changedlittle since the 13th century: a wide, calf-length tunic .

(deel) with long sleeves and a sash, Which is.wornoVer loose trousers and boots.

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Life in the Gobi Desert

"In winter we struggle to survive and the rest of the year we struggle to prepare for winter."This is how Mongolian nomads ruefully describe their lifestyle. The Gobi desert occupies thesouthern third of the country. About half a million people (30 per cent of the Mongolian population)live a nomadic or semi-nomadic life scattered across its vast plateau. They move their herds three orfour times a year. Life is hard with extremes of climate ranging from 40°C in summer to -40°C inwinter. With less than one person per square kilometre, the Gobi is the least populated area ofMongolia. There are few roads and only one major railway line. The electricity supply is limited andsubject to frequent power cuts. Candles are used for light. There are few telephones (about 3 for 100people) and uncertain postal services. Television is restricted to urban centres but almost all familiesown a radio.

According to a local saying,"a Mongolian without a horse is like a bird without wings."Horses, sheep, goats, cattle (including yaks) and camels are often referred to as Mongolia's five trea-sures because of their importance in nomads' lives and survival. The nomadic economy is based onabout 25 million animals. Sheep and, increasingly, goats are used for wool and cashmere, reputed tobe the best in the world. Raw cashmere and live animals provide cash income as well as barterexchange. Horses provide transport and airag (fermented mare's milk, considered important forhealth). Camels are used for their fleece and to transport people and goods. All animals providemilk, meat and hides and their dung is used for fuel.

Ch

66

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he most serious peacetime economiccollapse of any nation this century," is howone economist described the recent

dramatic changes in Mongolian society. In 1990, thecountry changed from a centrally-planned to amarket-driven economy, and from a one-partycommunist state to a democratic one. Althoughmany of the hardships resulting from this transitionwere shared by former communist countries inEastern Europe, Mongolia faced additional problemsof geography, harsh climate, lack of infrastructureand economic dependency.

The impact on people's lives, whether in cities orin the countryside, was huge. Almost overnight,Mongolia slipped from being a lower-middle-incomecountry to a poor country, according to someinternational indicators. Until 1991, the USSR pro-vided 30 per cent of Mongolia's income and mosttrade was done with the Soviet-led Council forMutual Economic Assistance (CMEA). Thesesources of income dried up in 1991, with devastatingresults for Mongolia. In three years, crop productionhalved and industrial output dropped by a third asenergy supplies failed. Inflation shot up to 2,000 percent and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) plummetedto one third of its former level per capita. Social ser-vices collapsed and the population's high level ofeducation and rate of participation were placed injeopardy.

For Mongolian nomads, the change from the statemanagement of herds to private ownership was,therefore, a major upheaval. Privatisation brought newhardships as well as new opportunities. In the Sovietera, the herders' standard of living was secure: herds

A13

es new needs

were organised according to species, regular wageswere paid irrespective of productivity, manufacturedgoods and services were plentiful and disasters tolivestock were cushioned by the state. By 1995, 95per cent of all livestock was in private hands andherders' work took on a different pattern. Familiesacquired their own mixed herds, needing more com-plex management and more labour, and began kee-ping children, especially boys, out of school to helpthem cope. Households became responsible for pro-ducing their own goods, obtaining services and mar-keting their products. At the same time, there was anincrease in the number of herding households asurban people, never very far from their rural roots,moved to the countryside, to escape the problems ofcity life (high unemployment, high costs, scarcity of

14

food and lack of heating) and try and build capitalthrough livestock ownership. It is estimated that150,000 households are now nomadic or semi-nomadic. A minority of these is new to herding andrural life.

"Shortage of money is a new thing," remarksNasandulam, one of the many women affected bythe transition. "Before, the state sent money to allGobi countryside people and we could buy fuel orready-made clothes in the store. Now we need tomake them both from scratch."

The decrease in free and local services created anurgent necessity for self-reliance. Much of what waspreviously bought had now to be made or barteredfor. To complicate matters, in rural areas, less than30 per cent of income is in cash form. As Losolmaa,

another Gobi woman, explains: We needed to findnew ways of surviving without money. We have rawmaterials which can be turned into useful things ifwe learn how.

A severe paper shortage added to the problems.Information became harder to get in the countrysideas newspapers and other reading materials becamescarce. A largely literate population was thus depri-ved of an essential resource. There was also a reduc-tion in transport, many boarding schools closed andfamilies were unable to find the food and clothingneeded to subsidise children's attendance at theremaining schools. In short, the safety net of socialservices fell away.

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, he women of Mongolia have been thesustaining force of the Mongol nation

J. throughout centuries of statehood, living andraising livestock in the mountain, desert and stepperegions of the country. While they share many of theopportunities and constraints faced by womeneverywhere, they also experience advantages anddisadvantages based on the particular traditions ofMongolia's way of life.

(The National Programme of Action for theAdvancement of Women. Government of Mongolia,Ulaanbaatar, June 1996.)

Mongolian women have traditionally enjoyedgreater status and independence than many of theirAsian sisters. They routinely manage the householdif widowed or if their husbands are absent. Withinthe household, the division of labour by genderreflects traditional attitudes: women care for sheep,the source of sustenance; men care for horses, thesource of speed and prestige. Although responsiblefor domestic duties inside the ger, women also partici-pate in male-associated tasks, for example, milkingmares or riding in horse races. Archery contests, oneof the "three manly sports," historically included afemale round.

Traditionally, a couple gets its own ger uponmarriage, the bride brings a dowry and the son gets ashare of the family herd. The emphasis on popula-tion growth under the Soviet system meant that, forwomen, bearing large numbers of children wasconsidered a civic duty. The same regime providedpaid maternity leave and child care. With women inthe paid workforce and children at school for mostof the year, parents and children were separated on alarge scale for generations.

as and educatio

The nomadic population is an educated one.Mongolia's socialist past promoted the education ofgirls and women in urban and rural areas alike. By1994, the vast majority of second-and third-level stu-dents were female. Levels of literacy are high. By1976, 76 per cent of women were literate; by 1989, 86per cent. Overall literacy rates in 1996 were said to be96 per cent. However, the level of functional literacyof some rural women may be lower than expected andis at risk in present circumstances.

Today, women have equal rights to employmentand education under Mongolian law. About 45 percent of Mongolian women live a nomadic or semi-nomadic life. But transition in Mongolia, while ope-ning up new opportunities for animal and propertyownership, has had negative effects on the status ofrural women. It has increased their workload, limitedtheir opportunities for leisure and reduced theiraccess to education, health care and information.

The Government ofMongolia is aware of theproblems faced bywomen, and has takensteps to addressthem. The GobiWomen's Project -launched in 1992

was the startingpoint for intro-ducing non-for-mal education toMongolia andwomen weretthe main tar-

get group.

0

innovative response

'n educated person is like a day with bright sunand an uneducated person is like a night withno stars (Mongolian proverb).

With the collapse of the former Soviet system,rural women had to cope overnight with newdemands. Their traditional roles and tasks inside theencampment widened to include animals and theirmanagement. For single women herders with chil-dren, these demands were varied and heavy. Someskills of self-reliance had been lost during the Sovietyears, some needed improving, and some were unfa-miliar still, such as marketing goods and engaging inprivate enterprise. It became clear that learning to donew things, or new ways of doing familiar things,would be important for coping with the changingsituation. Gobi women, especially those who wereheads of households, were identified as a particularlyvulnerable group in the transition period.

The Government of Mongolia approachedUNESCO for assistance in finding a solution to theirproblems. The result was the Gobi Women's Project.It began in 1992 as a three-way partnership betweenDANIDA (Danish International DevelopmentAssistance), who funded the project with a grant ofUS$ 1.4 million; UNESCO, who provided technicalassistance for its implementation; and the MongolianGovernment, who granted the infrastructure, someresources and the people to make it work. The targetgroup was made up of 15,000 nomadic women inthe six Gobi provinces.

16

The project presented several challenges:

- How to meet the wornen's new needs for infor-mation and education.

- How to reach large numbers of learners scatteredover vast distances with minimal resources oftransport, communications and funds.

- How to create a decentralised framework ofadult education for people used to centralisedplanning and control.How to develop a learning system and materialsappropriate for nomadic women's lives, customsand culture.

To meet these challenges, non-formal educationwas introduced as the approach and distance educa-tion as the means. Both were new to Mongolia, andmet with mixed reactions, from suspicion that it was"poor education for the poor" to the attitude thatnon-formal education was better than no educationat all.

The Gobi Women's Project had two main objec-fives: to create learning materials to meet the Gobiwomen's new needs and to develop Mongolia'scapacity to provide appropriate, adapted non-formaleducation for its people. Its aim was to help nomadicwomen survive the many rapid chafiges affectingtheir lives, through new access to learning opportu-nities which were "close to life, close to truth, closeto needs" (Marc Gilmer, UNESCO, Paris).

17

About Distance Learning...

The Mongolians designed their distance education to support the values of learning withoutfrontiers : theremoval of barriers to educational opportunity (such as restrictions of time, place, choice and pace ofstudy), open access, creation of learning communities, lifelong learning and democratisation. The aimwas to take opportunities for education and training to learners, wherever they might be. Adults could,fiirthermore, learn while earning and remain with their families. At all times, learning was placed at theheart of everyday life, context and needs. The target group, the Gobi women, determined the coursecontent in advance. They were then provided with learning materials, based on sound instructional prin-ciples and clear communication. Learners monitored their progress through self-testing and courseworkassessment. Face-to-face contact with tutors or other learners remained important for motivating studentsand for demonstrating practical skills. Distance education is sometimes thought to require new technology,but this was not the case in the Gobi Women's Project, which used the combined media of print, radio,audiocassettes, tutor support and occasional face-to-face meetings.

Debate around costs was lengthy in the Mongolia project. As the cost of preparing materials is the samefor 10 or 10,000 students, initial investment was high but was made with the notion of extension in mind.Once materials are prepared, the unit cost drigis in Proportion to the number of learners enrolled. Largenumbers of students guarantee economies of scale, but savings also depend on the choice of media and theamount of face-to-face teaching involved. The Gobi Women's Project was Mongolia's first distance educa-tion project and has laid the ground for new initiatives.

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As previously mentioned, the Gobi Women's' Project took place in a context of acute

economic crisis and anxiety about the future.The quality of life if not the survival of the ruralpopulation, especially nomadic women, was at stake.The project's goal was to help empower women tomake decisions and take actions which wouldenhance the quality of their lives in a changingpolitical, social and economic structure. The firststep was a needs analysis.

A careful needs analysis was carried out in threeof the six Gobi provinces in 1992. Over 140 familieswere consulted, along with provincial and districtofficials and community leaders. The purpose of this

.4.was to pinpoint basic learning needs Ian tolearn

Proj

more about the lives of the women. The notions ofnon-formal and distance education were unfamiliarand not everyone was convinced it would work.However, people at every level were willing to "giveit a try."

Little by little, the nomadic women, who had lostthe habit of expressing themselves, became morearticulate in defining their own needs and learningagenda. Their requests, like themselves, were direct,practical and down-to-earth:

"We need a booklet about the processing of cash-mere wool, and how to do it in our present condi-tions."

"We'd like to know how to process and dyeskins well."

"We want to know more about the new laws,especially those on herders rights."

"We want to know about how to produce woolfor knitting."

The nomads established their most urgent needswhich ranged from livestock rearing techniques;family care (family planning, health, nutrition, andhygiene); literacy (the maintenance and upgrading ofliteracy skills); income-generation using locallyavailable raw materials and basic business skills forthe new market economy. The needs analysis led toa model of non-formal education which fitted thelife-style and circumstances of nomadic women,using existing resources where possible. It also stimu-lated considerable interest in the project and pavedthe way for action.

Preparing the Project

Distance learning requires a high level of carefuland detailed planning in advance if it is to workeffectively, so the first year of the project was devo-ted to three main tasks: establishing an adminis-trative infrastructure and planning the logistics;developing a learning system and materials; and trai-ning people for different roles. Older people wereparticularly valued, as they were a source of traditio-nal knowledge and skills. Instructors were chosenfrom a wide variety of well-qualified local people

doctors, teachers, vets many of whom werenomads themselves.

An important aspect of the training was findingnew approaches to teaching adults. Formerly, educa-tion was for children only, and limited to institutions.There was no precedent for adult education, whichneeded different teaching and learning styles and theall-important ingredient of motivation. The practical,useful nature of the programme had to be constantlystressed.

Consultative committees were set up at nationaland local levels. Print and radio production groupswere established. A Gobi Women's Project radio stu-dio was set up with the state-owned Mongol Radioin Ulaanbaatar. Three local radio studios (reachingall six provinces) were re-equipped and their produ-cers and technicians got special training.International consultants from UNESCO, Australia,Denmark, Norway, Great Britain and the United

States of America worked with their Mongoliancounterparts in Ulaanbaatar to develop the centrally-produced learning materials: print and radio lessonson health, literacy and income generation. Localprint materials and radio programmes concentrated

at first on specifically local concerns arising fromclimatic or environmental differences.

Training took off with a workshop for the newnon-formal education team. Guidelines for a teacher-training progranmie were developed, using a cascademodel. Ten teacher-trainers, one from each pilot dis-trict, would be trained, then each in turn coached tenteachers in their own districts. The visiting teachershad access to a total of 14 Russian jeeps to travel tolearners in their home gers. Lastly, and most impor-tantly, 1,500 Gobi women were selected toparticipate. As a fifth of them were not equipped,240 locally- produced radios were shared around,along with 25,000 batteries.

The Pilot Phase

The pilot phase took place from January to May1995. It began with a three-day crash course in dis-trict centres for women from 10 districts in the six

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Gobi provinces. At the crash course, the womenreceived the booklets, pens and paper, batteries andradios, and met their visiting teachers. Each teacherwas responsible for 15 learners and was expected tovisit them once or twice a month. Given the dis-tances between nomadic families, women wereencouraged to involve their families in their learningactivities. They didn't need much encouragement:after three years of educational "famine" there wasan enormous hunger for learning. Although the pro-ject targeted women, families participated from thestart. For example, a solitary husband turned up withthe women at one of the crash courses, instnicted byhis wife to participate and take notes. Her advancedstate of pregnancy prevented her from travelling.

An unexpected side effect of the crash course wasthe number of men who participated in the project.Crash courses often became lively social gatheringsas well as achieving their aim of testing the system.

During this pilot phase, feedback was gatheredfrom questionnaires, field-trips and reports for use inimproving the main phase. An evaluation showed thatthe system was feasible and indicated where improve-ments were needed. It also showed that the learningopportunities and materials were valued and founduseful by the women learners and visiting teachers.

The Main Phase

The main phase began in January 1996, fmishingin December 1996. The scale of the operationincreased, more materials were produced and distri-buted, more radio programmes were prepared andtransmitted, and the logistics of co-ordinating andmanaging became more complex. This time, the pro-gramme involved ten times as many women: 15,000of them, aged 15-45 years, in 62 districts, with 620visiting teachers.

The pattern of activity was similar to that of thepilot phase: over 2,000 radios and 40,000 batterieswere distributed. Centrally-produced booklets weresent from Ulaanbaatar to province centres. Weeklyradio programmes were broadcast, from the capital

.;\

and the three local stations. Thirty Russian jeepswere provided for project activities.

Most significantly, the levels of local activityincreased. Small information centres were set up inmany sums. Increased communication and collabo-ration began to develop between neighbouring sumsand provinces. The women organized local markets,with exhibitions of handicrafts and sales of products.Concepts such as learners' needs, feedback, discus-sion and teamwork were more easily grasped on alocal level. When the central authorities saw howactive local groups were in organising their ownlearning, and how satisfied and productive theybecame, they gave the project their full encourage-ment.

Supplementary learning materials were producedand a variety of local initiatives were taken. One ini-tiative was the travelling box in Bayanhongor pro-vince. This contained resource materials whichvisiting teachers could take with them on visits orsend round their group, and was a means for learnersto exchange letters with their visiting teachers. Italso became a parallel postal service. A great desirefor communication and information was evident.The local radio programmes were very popular.

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Many nomads were invited to speak and give inter-views. The result was a closer-knit community withmuch to talk about at each new get-together. Asbefits a hospitable people, the teachers' visits wereoccasions of great celebration with eating .and drin-king. There was a similar joyous atmosphere duringthe crash courses where there was also singing, andsong contests were held.

An evaluation of the project was carried out inNovember 1996 and its findings used to shape thefollow-on project being planned by UNESCO andthe Government of Mongolia, for family-based andyouth education (1997-2000).

Organisational structure

The structure of the Gobi Women's Project reflec-ted the country's administrative structure in general,with national, provincial and district committees.The National Coordinating Committee (NCC) wasbased in the Ministry of Science and Education inUlaanba _Members were from the Ministry, the

Educational Research Institute, Mongol Radio andother educational institutions. The committee's rolewas to coordinate the project, monitor progress,control fmance and carry out evaluations.

A core group within the NCC ran the programmeon a day-to-day basis. This included the leaders ofthe print and radio production groups. The onlyfull-time staff were the National ProjectCoordinator and 30 jeep drivers. All other person-nel- including the National Project Director- werepart-time. As "designated volunteers", they did notreceive a project salary, but combined Gobi WomenProject work with their other tasks.

Each of the six Gobi provinces had a coordinatingcommittee as did each of the 62 districts. Theselocal committees had less than a dozen memberswho came from all walks of life: doctors, veterina-rians, accountants, teachers and members of organi-sations such as the Women's Federation. Districtand province committees reported regularly to thenational committee. Many Gobi people gave freelyof their time and personal resources to make theproject successful.

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he Gobi Women's Project used a combinationof printed materials, radio programmes (and toa lesser extent, audio-cassettes), crash courses

and contact with visiting teachers and other learners,where possible. Learningmaterials were createdboth locally and in thecapital.

Reading matter

Health, income gene-ration and literacy sup-port were the mainthemes of the 23 pro-ject booklets produced

in Ulaanbaatar. Thebooklets covered topicssuch as family plan-ning, making felt,

camel saddles and Mongol deelsor traditional garments, preparing milk and

meat products, working with leather; growing vege-tables, converting animal dung into fuel, as well ascivics and small business skills. The literacy supportbooklets were on Mongolian fairy tales, mathematicsand the environment. The booklets were distributedby jeep from Ulaanbaatar and took between one andseven weeks to reach the learners.

Newsletters, information sheets, teachers' bookletsand demonstration materials were also producedlocally. These supplemented centrally producedbooklets and developed materials in response tolocal needs and circumstances.

Tuning In

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Radio programmes were produced both centrally,in Ulaanbaatar, and locally. Mongol Radio had natio-nal coverage while three local radio stations coveredthe six Gobi provinces between them. Most pro-grammes were related to the booklets and used avariety of formats. Two of them - Sunrise, a half-hour general programme, and Shortcut, in support ofliteracy were broadcast from Ulaanbaatar. Theweekly local radio programmes, however, had astronger grassroots relevance and topicality.Reception was generally good and the programmeswere popular.

Visiting teachers

"We are learning through radio lessons and books,but it is very important that the visiting teacher

22 23

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comes to explain things that we don't understand,"commented one learner, Dashwa. "The books arefull of information, so there are always some pointsthat need further explanation." Visiting teacherswere each responsible for about 15 learners. Theyvisited women in their gers, often travelling longdistances. They helped with any problems found inthe booklets or radio programmes or in carrying outpractical work, checked the learner's learning jour-nal, brought new supplementary materials and occa-sionally met with groups of women in the districtcentres, thus reducing any sense of isolation theyfelt. Visiting teachers were also an important link inthe system, providing feedback to district and pro-vince coordinating committees, and identifying newlearning needs.

Information centres

Small information centres, which also served asmeeting places, were set up in district and provincecentres. These were usually a room in a localgovernment building or school and contained a setof project booklets and other learning materials,information leaflets, posters, and a radio (sometimes

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with an audio-cassette player). The room also housedoccasional exhibitions of women's work and was

23

-

used for group meetings. It could serve as a base forvisiting teachers and teacher-trainers. Maps of thearea on the walls, showed where learners' gers werelocated. Progress charts of learners' achievementsproved very motivating for the women and wereregularly consulted.

Learning groups

2 4

The programme started with a crashcourse of three days at a districtcentre. At this, women receivedmaterials, met their visiting teachersand had demonstrations and teachingsessions (for example, in bread-making). At other times, women mettogether in small groups with theirvisiting teachers at district centres orone of the gers. This kind of contactprovided much social support and anopportunity for direct teaching, skilldevelopment and exchange of expe-rience and news.

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e s

`Lex ersether as learners, teacher-trainers,

visiting teachers, radio journalists, writersor committee members, Gobi women

played a variety of roles in the project.

Dulanijav and Tsengel

Dulanijav and Tsengel are learners who live inneighbouring gers. Dulanijav is a 29- year-oldmother of two who moved from the city to thecountryside five years ago when she married.She needed survival skills in the countryside and,through the project, has learned to make deels andchildren's clothes. Her friend Tsengel, a country-woman aged 44, has used her new-found knowledgeto produce items of clothing and food. Both can nowmake felt (for boots), crochet cushion covers andrecycle old clothes into new things. Dulanijav andTsengel meet with a group of several other womenonce a week and enjoy the social gathering. What dotheir families think of this work?

Our families have seen what we do and they sup-port it... they try to give us free time and help tomake us tools that we can use... my husband mademe a crochet hook from a sheep's bone.

Darimaa

Darimaa works from 8 a.m. until late at night. Asa teacher-trainer, she is responsible for 10 teachers inthe district of Dundgov. She selects them accordingto their skills and expertise and organises their sche-

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dules. She also has a role as a visiting teacher. Hertravels to the gers of learners take her on journeys of200-300 km. Apart from her project work, Darimaahas a full-time job as a school principal, with respon-sibility for 306 pupils. She is also Chairperson of thedistrict Women's Council. Of her four children, shehas two at university in Ulaanbaatar, one in secondaryschool, and one in kindergarten.

With such a busy life, why did she take on extrawork for the Gobi Women's Project?:

"I know how many problems countrywomenhave, and I wanted to help," she replies. "I can seehow beneficial the project really is. The women canmake deels and other clothes - they can't buy clothesin shops now - and they can sell some of themthrough the Women's Council."

Magvan

Magvan, aged 50, is a visiting teacher. She alsoteaches Arts and Crafts full-time in a secondary

24

school. She spends her weekends and holidaysworking on the project. Her husband sometimeshelps out by taking her on his motorbike to visitgers. Magvan thinks the best thing about the pro-ject was its effect on the women. "They're learningby themselves from the booklets," she says. "Theycooperate, they share knowledge and skills andthey help each other if the book is hard to unders-tand. In my lessons the women have learned howto make shoes and boots out of felt and second-hand materials, so they don't have to buy themany more."

Oyunsuren is a junior doctor in a provincialcentre who combines her full-time job with fourhours a week on the Gobi Women's Project.Oyunsuren prepares radio programmes, writesarticles for the locally-produced newsletter, attendsmeetings of the Province Coordinating Commissionand sometimes visits women and families. Her spe-

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/cial interest iswomen's healthand family plan-ning, for whichthere was no stateprovision until1991. She explai-ned how the localradio programmeson health differedfrom the ones pro-duced in the capital:

Ulaanbaatar programmes are designed for generalinformation. I am very close to our local women andcan give them specific advice. We respond veryquickly to the problems they identify. She is proudof the "How to take care of young girls," which sheconsiders her best programme. "Tlis topic can helpto make the next generation of women healthier,"she explains. "Under socialism we didn't mentionyoung girls' problems because it was somehow aprohibited topic and some mothers and girls weretoo shy to talk to each other."

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Few examples of subjects and kills

HealthFamily planning, lieu/ti,, hygiene. nutrition,flrst aid S.. :

Survival and income-generating skills :.Producing wool, refining camel fleece, making felt, came! saddles, Mongol dee/s or adiflona1gthrmnts...hoots i ec cling old dothzng into new articles crocheting embroidery quilting (felt and leather) bakuzgbread. learning traditional recipes, preparing milk products, preparing meat for drying and sauságês,:gro-wing vegetables. using plants and flowers for medicinal or cosmetic use or for producing dye, converting än.i-ma! (lung into fuel. t'orking t'itIi leather; livestock rearing techniques, processing hides

Business skills

Price uiegotiaring. planning, production, accounting, marketing and selling products

Literacy and nuineracy supportMongolian fair'.' tales, mathematics, civics, the environment, current affairs

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chievements

Empowering the Gobi women

In the words of a district governor in Omnogobi,the project helped Gobi women to understand howto survive. It showed them the importance of notwaiting for someone else to help them, but helpingthemselves. Women developed better survival skillsand income-stretching strategies. Social interactionwith other women was another immeasurableimprovement in the women's often isolated lives."The Gobi Women's Project has given these womena new life," remarked a visiting teacher in DatzinGol. "They've become really good friends and arenot so isolated. They ride up to 12 kilometres tomeet each other and do things as a group. Theyconstantly share what they know and that's new."

The project didn't only reach out to women, itmanaged to involve other family members. Menlearnt skills such as how to make a container for pro-cessing leather, or a loom from pre-Soviet times,reconstructed from old photos, which the womenthen used to re-learn the craft of weaving ornamentalbraid. Men also showed interest in the informationon family planning. In other cases, men's interestwas aroused by the benefits they received, like theherder who declared: "I support my wife becausewhen she got involved she made lots of good food,good bread!" Women outside the project followedthe radio programmes and frequently asked to join inthe project and get the booklets. The wider interestshown also indicated new, unmet needs inMongolian society.

Thanks to the work of educated and qualifiedpeople in rural areas, the flowering of activity atlocal level was one of the strengths of the project.Local activity has taken on a dynamic of its own,

initiating, supplementing and adapting the pro-gramme to fit local circumstances. It has createdstrong local ownership of the programme and ademand for more.

Breaking new ground

The project showed how distance education canbe implemented successfully in a vast country likeMongolia, with low population density, very scatte-red settlements, and poor communication and trans-port. (A member of the National CoordinationCommittee).

The project broke new ground in introducing non-formal and distance education to Mongolia and sti-mulated the further development of both. It brokedown barriers to learning by providing opportunitieswhich could not have been provided by traditionalmeans. New ideas of continuing and lifelong educa-tion for adults were introduced and turned intoaction. The project also implemented a decentralisedprogramme in a country which was used to verycentralised educational provision and control.

27 2

Financing tid

susta n b°

T.nancing the Gobi Women's Project required the

fr injection of outside funds at a time of acuteeconomic crisis. The funds, mainly from

DANIDA, provided equipment (items to re-equiplocal radio stations, 39 tons of paper, radios andbatteries for learners, jeeps and petrol), technicalassistance and training. The Mongolian Governmentalso provided some resources in the form oflogistical and institutional support (including theservices of people).

During the project life, there were few allocationsof funds in the government's education budget fornon-formal education - understandably, given thefinancial cuts in the formal education system. Apartfrom one officer with responsibility for it in theMinistry of Science and Education, no full-time staffposts existed for non-formal education. This maychange with the development of recent new policyand legislation to implement the policy. Already, afew aimags have taken local initiatives in funding afull-time officer responsible for non-formal educa-tion at the aimag education centre, reflecting thechange to a decentralised education system in gene-ral. First steps in the institutionalising of non-formaleducation have been taken, though in the long termsustainability and status will depend on resource allo-cation by central government

The Gobi Women's Project was provided free tolearners. They received booklets, materials (some-times radio and batteries) and "crash" courses free of

28

charge. If the project is to be sustainable in the future,some cost-sharing may be needed. Already, manywomen outside of the Gobi Women's Project haveasked to buy the booklets, so there is some potentialfor cost-recovery. The visiting teachers, on the otherhand, carried some costs for participating in theproject. They often paid for their travel to learners'gers and sometimes bought materials to make teachingaids, as well as giving their time without payment.The project has depended on the goodwill and volun-tary efforts of visiting teachers during the present cri-sis period, but in the long term this may not continuewithout some incentives.

To be sustainable, funding will be needed for theongoing creation of materials at central and regionallevels, for paper and equipment, for visiting teachers(if only to meet their expenses), and to ensure that alllearners have access to working radios. One possibleobstacle may be rising costs of radio use, as MongolRadio moves to charging for its services in line withthe market economy.

29

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Is the Gobi Women's Project a temporary measurefor the transitional period in Mongolia or does non-formal education have a permanent place in the future.It is difficult to make predictions in the uncertainenvironment of countries in transition. Nonetheless,indications so far are that non-formal education hastaken root in Mongolia. The Gobi Women's Projecthas introduced ideas and approaches that are likelyto persist in a variety of forms. Structures have beenset in place which can survive. The next projectplanned by UNESCO and the MongolianGovernment, on non-formal education for ruralfamilies and urban youth, will help consolidate theachievements gained so far. The funding of this nextproject, again mainly by DANIDA, can provide abridge between the donor-funded Gobi Women'sProject and assumption of greater financial responsi-bility by the Mongolian Government, given impro-vement in the economic situation.

The Gobi Women's Project was a challenging one toimplement. It achieved a large measure of success in a

er

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short time. Not surprisingly, some problems remained tobe solved at the end of the main phase (that is, its firstyear of a full-scale presentation). These offer useful les-sons for similar projects, such as the following:

- Co-ordinating activities

Making a distance learning system function well isa complex task, whatever the context. When onepart of the system develops problems, it can affectthe smooth functioning of the all. In the GobiWomen's Project, late production of some of theprinted booklets diminished the quality of the lear-ning resources and system. The radio programmeswere broadcast as scheduled but sometimes longbefore learners had received the related booklets.Different parts of a distance learning system (print,radio, local and central activities, delivery of mate-rials) need to be well-coordinated and managed ifthe whole system is to be effective.

- Producing self-study materials on time

Distance learning depends on the availability ofmaterials to learners. Late delivery of printed mate-

2930

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rials is a familiar but often avoidable problem. Thereare two main causes: late handover of manuscriptsby writers and slippage of schedules in productionstages. A further factor in the case of the GobiProject was the late delivery from abroad of paperfor printing.

Writers deliver manuscripts late because they lackenough training, time, support or management.Lateness raises problems for editing and printing,distribution to learners, learner progress and co-ordinating with other course activities. It may alsocut out essential processes which ensure quality,such as review and revision, testing the materialswith some learners, editing, and improving thembefore printing. Projects using distance educationneed to ensure that either the materials are readybefore learners are registered or are certain to beready when needed. This is particularly important incountries such as Mongolia where communicationsand transport are limited and recovery of misseddeadlines is difficult. The process of materials deve-lopment for distance education needs careful controland management.

- Teamwork

One challenge for the GobiWomen's Project staff and contri-butors was to develop new waysof working. The task of producingmulti-media materials requiresindividuals with different skillsand job-roles to work together innew ways, sharing information ina routine manner. Productiongroups need to harmonise theirefforts and collaborate closely toproduce well-integrated radio andprint materials. Local materialproducers also need to know cen-tral plans in advance so that theycan align their materials accordin-gly. Teamwork and regular com-munication within and betweengroups are essential for develo-

ping good learning materials and for co-ordinatingthe roles of centrally and locally produced materials.Information needs to flow two ways, betweenUlaanbaatar and the regions and records kept.

30

- Quality of learning materials

Learning materials for self-study need to be of agood standard because they are the pivot on whichopen and distance learning turns. They may be theonly learning resource an isolated student has.Standards need to be defmed and communicated tomaterials developers. A good start was made in theGobi Women's Project, especially in creating radioprogrammes and local materials. The next step is toimprove the quality of centrally-produced printedbooklets and to integrate them more closely withradio programmes. Self-study texts need to incorpo-rate those features which international experienceand research show to be effective for learning, forexample, learner activities and feedback on them.They should also match learners' language levelsand pre-existing knowledge (though difficult to do

31

with a diverse target group): The skills staff need toproduce good self-study texts as they aie often newones. Training practice and feedback to writers areessential ingredients in building capacity, though notalways given enough time or attention in the develop-ment process. Training should be viewed more as aninvestment and less as a cost in projects of ihis kindsince it builds essential and transferable skills.

- Supporting visiting teachers

Visiting teachers were important in supporting stu-dents' learning. A major challenge given the particularcircumstances of Mongolia, was how to make themmobile enough to carry out their roles. Transport wasnot readily available. Though project jeeps wereprovided, other local demands on them tended to takepriority over visiting teachers' needs. Many visitingteachers themselves took the initiative, finding theirown transport and the funds for it. Some had accompa-nied local officials making routine visits. Male visitingteachers usually had more options for transport thanthe females, one reason given in some sums for choo-sing more men to be visiting teachers. Making visitingteachers more mobile would help to improve the qualityand consistency of learner support but the issueremains how best to do it and finance it.

Assessment of learning

One large challenge is the assessment of learning. Inthe Gobi Women's Project it was done by visiting tea-chers, each using their own approach, usually by chec-king learners' notebooks or written activities in theself-study booklets. Other visible outcomes of learningwere the products and handicrafts, often impressive inrange and quality. While crafts and skills are relativelyeasy to evaluate, other kinds of learning, such as lite-racy or knowledge gains) are more difficult. The nextstep is to work out an assessment strategy and instru-ments for all to use. As well as providing indicators oflearning, this would give specific feedback to materialdevelopers.

- Monitoring and evaluation

Monitoring and evaluation took place at centraland aimag levels. The project was able to gain muchself-knowledge from these. However, monitoringactivities now need to evolve from an emphasis oninspection to a more developmental role, providinguseful management information totally adapted to thecontext. Another step needed, especially for a larger-scale project, is a data-base on local andcentral activity, mate-rials and learners, sothat information on dif-ferent aspects of thewhole system becomesaccessible when nee-ded. Without this, somekinds of evaluationactivities will not bepossible.

- Gaining credibility

A challenge in anydistance education ornon-formal educationprogramme is to gaincredibility. Distanceeducation is frequentlyregarded with suspicionin many countries newto it. Credibility is esta-blished most of all byits visible products(most importantly thelearning material) and results, together with the statusit has in official policy and plans. The challenge herefor the Gobi Women's Project is to continue to buildon the strong start made.

31 3 )

he Gobi Women's Project is a significantlandmark in the establishment of non-formaland distance education in Mongolia. Its success

has led to pressure within the country, and from thePresident himself, for its wider application. The nextsteps in the development of an expanded, revisedmodel have already been taken. Together, UNESCOand the Government of Mongolia, supported byDANIDA funding, have developed a nationalprogramme of non-formal education. The focus is onfamily-based learning covering the whole country:women, men and children, with an emphasis on theneeds of out-of-school children and urbanunemployed youth. Using distance education as ameans, together with group meetings and visitingteachers, the programme is designed to meet a

variety of learning needs. Now that the educationsystem has been decentralised, as much as possibleof the learning material will be produced locally.

Several factors combine to make this new pro-gramme possible: the experience gained from theGobi Women's Project, growing collaboration withbodies outside the system, the sharing of resourcesand experienced people at central and local levels,and not least, the enthusiasm of those who were keyactors in the Gobi Women's Project. Significantly, thenew project director is a woman. Mongolian societyhas already undergone a far-reaching transition andnon-formal and distance education programmes, likewinds of change, are reaching out to learners andcreating new forms and ways of learning.

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MONGOLIA : Facts and Figures,

Locatimi: Central Asia,.bordered by Russia in the north and China in the southArca: 1,567,000`sq. ;km.Population: 2.3 million.Livestock (goats. librseS;0410,:,26.8 millionDejisily of inhabitants per sq. km: 1.5 peron4"Average aiinual populatio'n .rate: 2.6Average Purdy size: 4.6Lip expectoncy: 64 for men (65 for women)Urban Population (as percentage (if total): 53%fiural popuhithin las percentage of total): 47%,Wynten.share (/ adult kthourprq: 49% .

.-..lixp'enditrition educatiOn as Perieiitage of GNP: 2.7% (1993)'Arndt liler.acy mte: 81% - 93% (differs according to source)Feniale literucy rate: 75% (differs aCcording to source)GDP: US$ 340 (1904).Agrkulture-os percentage of GDP: 30%Rdigiwis BUddhism, LamaismCapital city: UlaanbaatarNiunbcr of provinces (ainiags): 21

Sourco:

The World Bank. World Derehinnent Repo 1095. New)''1.4 ond akhrd.0.0n-d CliirersitY Press. 995.The United Nations I)evel"Pnwni

V}95' UM)P.O.vflird1995.Shur ShniAttral Offiz.z. Illongolizi. ttz,nica and Children di,z. ;hhollu,nor. 1995.

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Aimag Province (the largest administrative unit). Mongolia has 21 aimags,

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Airag Fermented mare's milk.

eel Traditional Mongolian garment worn by men and women.

Gobi Desert of Southern Mongolia.

Ger Mobile, circular felt dwelling, built over a wooden frame.

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Sum District (the rural administrative unit below the aimag). Mongolia has

336 sums, of which 62 are in the Gobi. The sum or district centre is a

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-) The Gobi Women's Project introduced ideas of non-formal education and continuing adult edu-cation to Mongolia. It implemented the country's first large-scale non-formal education pro-ject. stimulating other non-formal education activities as a result.

) The Gobi Women's Project was the first distance education project to be carried out inMongolia. demonstrating a model of distance learning appropriate for the educational goals. thelife contexts of learners and the physical infrastructure of the country.

) The Gobi Women's Project based its programme firmly on a needs assessment study whichexamined the changing conditions of rural women and their communities and designed learningmaterials in response to the expressed needs of the target population. This was a major changein a country where centrally-devised curricula had been the norm.

) The Gobi Women's Project design provided scope for local initiatives and regional variation(additional booklets and newsletters. locally produced radio programmes) to be combined witha centrally-produced core of printed materials and radio programmes.

) The Gobi Women's Project revived lost traditional skills, improved existing ones, and enhancedthe quality of life for many rural women-who wo Id othert have been isolated and withoutlearning opportunities.

) The Gobi Women's Project acted OS a,c:atalystin,tfifprIT:00A-0., opal grOups and-petworks ofspecialiSis and resOUrCe peiSans (veterinarlans;-docitesteiolio0;:iodavofficials)learners at home Or cirganiSed group Meetings.

- The Gobi Wornen's Projed proVed effective in mobilising rural and nomadic women to become

I .

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_aative learneis and in generating pew netWorks of support. Radio had the ability to bring--'iarious forces into play,.'e'S'Pe'Ciallyinteraction.(stuiiii*e*pOVdedge, inforMation flowS and

i-adffearmUtual helP). The visiting teachers carried iiiit,thaii;,-t;trolleO.0:04114npiickrotOitary

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Education for All, Making it Work is amajor internationalUNESCOIUNICEF programme tocollect, analyze and promote successfulbasic education projects in thedeveloping world.

Previous issues in the series:

No. 1: All Children Can Learn .

Chile's 900 Schools Progranune for the Underprivileged, 1993

(Arabic, English*, French, Spanish*)

No. 2: In our own HandsThe story of Saptagram, a women's self-reliance movement in

Bangladesh, 1994 (English*, French*)

No. Within ReachThe iy of PROPEL, a non-formal education project for ntral children

in 1994 (Arabic, English*, French*)

lazing the Traile Schools of Save the ChildrenIUSA in Mali 1994

ish*, French*)

5: On the Right Trackors earlY childhood and adolescint deYelopment programmes

idad and Tobago, 1994 (English, French)

.treal.l.iing Through .

T .,AN's non-formal basie educaii& programine in natiiM011

'languages in Senegal, 1995, (English, French)-

i:-Voices.across the Hillsand's Hill A Education Projeet, 1995 (English, French*)-

Th bgsed,Lite cYPrograthme for Women, Chirid, 199. 5

English, Frenschc'.`

thrldreii.lOrtheNilePrOject,inWpper Egypt, 1995

Bibliography.Bawden, C. R: 1989. The Modern History of Mongolia. London: Kegan

Paul.-10 Bond, D. 1992. Non-formal Education to Meet Basic Learning Needs ofNomadic Women in the Mongolian Gobi. Report to UNESCO and theMinistry of Education and Science, Mongolia. . .

Brun, 0. and Odgaard, 0. (eds) 1996. Mongolia in transition: Old pat-.

terns, new challenges. LondoniCirizan Press. ,

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`. Flarpere:: 1994. An AisesiMini Of Vulnerable GroupS in Mongolia:'18trategies for:Social Policy Planning:- World Bahk biscuision Piqier'229.

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Humphrey,.C.:and Sneath, ):1996, Culture and Environthent in - --Inner Aiia (H: The Paitoral'ECOnniny and the Environment: The White.

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s, I1 LUvganjaV. Ch..and-Travers,.k..(eifi) 198:tiow didilie GreatBear; Originate? Folk Tales from MOngolia. State PublishingH oiise,

1995: Mongolia in tianaitioni"a role tor- .

distance education?. Open Learning, NOvember, pp. 3-14:

'1 Robinson B. 1996. An evaluation of the GobiWoMen's Project, Mongolia: inomformatedacation prOject usitig distance "etitie.a...tion. -Reportfor UNESCO:

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With the disintegration of the formen, Soviet Union,Mongolia was abruptly severed from its exterior financialand technical support. Rebuilding the country's humanresources became a top priority with self-sufficiency andthe creation of employment matters of urgency.The shift in socio-economic system, althoughdramatic and problematical, became a chance,however, to introduce new forms of leaming andliving. In 1991 with the support of UNESCO, theGovernment of Mongolia launched a non-formaldistance education programme. Its mandate wasto respond much faster and more efficiently than traditionalfçrmal education to the population's learning needs. Thewoinen of the Gobi desert were identified as being the moit

-

at risk, and by 1996 15,000 nomadic women were taking

part in education activities offered through radio, printedmaterials and the support of visiting teachers. Non-forma:1

education for adults, although a new concept to Mongolia,was well-received by the nomadic women and communityaction took on a dynamic of its own. Women wrote to theradio stations asking for new subjects, exchanged viewsand designed their own lesson content. Learning, in manycases, became a family affair with many members of settle-.ments, including men and children, being drawn into lis-tening to radio programmes. Skills that seemed lost wererevived and improved the quality of life. Income-generation facilities imparted through radio have meant, forexample, that small crafted objects, camel saddles, cheese'and fuel from dung have become part of a wide system_ ofexchange and bartering in the desert. The women's project,

-.00)1kwith its «learning without frontiers» approach, has mana-ged to mobilise the peoples of the Gobi. Its success hasencouraged the country to develop a second phase and, in1997, in accordance with the Mongolian Govemment'swishes, it will spread to the whole nation, reaching all thosecurrently unreached by the fonnal education system.

A._elt-crt.

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