Literacy Resource Centre for girls and women

The World Education Forum was held in Dakar, Senegal from 26th to 28th April 2000, where as many as 180 countries gathered and voiced for the betterment of the basic education including literacy in the world. The opinions and experiences of all participants were reflected and proposed constructively in the Dakar Framework for action consisted of 21 clauses.
LRCs, since its inception in 1994, have been conducting innovative programmes for improvement of the literacy situation especially for girls and women in Asia and Pacific region. With the recent trend of Information Technology (IT), LRCs have been trying to gain maximum benefits of IT and apply it for their programmes, on top of their abundant skills and experiences at grassroots level, for further efficient implementation of their activities.
It is hard to measure the benefit that IT will bring about for literacy and NFE in the future. However, the possibilities will expand if one plans and implements programmes to incorporating advanced technology with due consideration of "learner-centred" NFE activities. LRCs, with their strong network with local NGOs, Gos and IOs have been striving each day in applying such knowledge with various means to achieve goals adapted at the Dakar framework for action in Dakar, Senegal in April 2000. This chapter shows you briefly such innovative programmes and efforts of the LRCs.

What is an LRC?
An LRC is a resource centre managed by a partner literacy organisation of ACCU for the promotion of literacy especially for girls and women. The LRC is expected to act as a centre for technical resources in promoting literacy for people in need and those who work for literacy and NFE in NGOs, government agencies and other relief organisations. In order for the LRC to function effectively and truly be resourceful, network at local, national and regional level is created. The common functions of the LRC are-

1. To collect/provides information and reference materials
2. To develop innovative literacy strategy's and materials, and
3. To provide training opportunities for it to see workers in different aspects.

Based on our, each a Lassie tax with different functions getting to local needs.

Major activities of LRCs
For designing concrete activities of the LRC, each partner literacy organisation forms a management team and an advisory committee. Some of the examples of LRC activitie are

Innovation

1. Initiation innovative projects and strategies to promote literacy.
2. Conducting research studies.
3. Advocating the empowerment of women, specific target groups through education.

Material and development

1. Designing nonformal education curriculum for specific target learners.
2. Developing teaching/ learning material and reference materials.
3. Producing audio-visual materials for environment building and learning.

Training

1. Providing training on management to literacy organisations and communities.
2. Conducting training workshops on material development, IT use, and HRD.
3. Organising meetings/courses on village development for stakeholders.

Information

1. Collecting/providing reference materials and information to NGOs concerned, CLCs, field workers, govt. agencies, and international organizations.
2. Publishing LRC newsletters/bulletins and disseminating them to concerned organisations, including LRCs in the Asia/Pacific region.
3. Developing MANGO (Map-based analysis for NFC goals and objectives) for effective implementation of literacy and NFE programmes.
4. Developing data base on learning materials.

Networking

1. Promoting network of local NGOs and CLCs.
2. Providing technical and financial resources to partner organisations.
3. Developing LRC homepages introducing their activities and findings.
4. Participating in international meetings