Back to Windhoek!!

FINALLY!!!

I will be flying back to Windhoek on Tuesday, 12 July!
I hope to be back on the road, officially, by latest Friday – 15 July.
That gives me little over a week to make it to the Angolan border, then a month to get through Angola.

So you can expect more ‘exciting’ updates pretty soon!!

“The road calls”

In the meantime, check out an article about my trip on Jacaranda FM!! There’s an audio interview as well that you can listen to.

I had a meeting on Monday with Managing Editor, Denzil Taylor, at Jacaranda FM. I’m very happy to announce that they have come on board in a big way!
Now you’ll be able to listen in LIVE for weekly updates. I’ll be chatting to the team every week to keep you all updated on where I am and how things are going.

A big thank you and a very warm welcome to the Jacaranda FM team!

I’ll post an update as soon as we’ve sorted out the more ‘nitty-gritty’ details.

In the meantime: Check out their Website.

Angola – Mapping the Country’s Education System

So, after a rollercoaster few weeks Jolandie has finally got her Angolan visa and is about to set off on her Cycle For Education Tour of the country. But just what can she expect education-wise?

Flag of Angola

The country gained independence in 1975, but experienced intense civil war from 1975 – 2002. Since the closure of that period, Angola has looked towards stability and rebuilding the shattered education system. There is now compulsory, free primary school education for children in Angola for the first four years (which begins at the age of 6 or 7). Primary school then lasts for another four years and secondary school education follows immediately afterwards. In 2000 this system was classed as severely sub-standard with over half of adults classified as illiterate. The Angolan government has since concentrated on shifting that situation for the betterment of the people. Education reform started in 2004, and by 2008 over 80% of students had been integrated into the new system.*

The Ministry of Education is based in Luanda, and in 2009 this Ministry made an agreement (with UNICEF) to provide quality education training to 8,750 primary school teachers over the course of three years.** In addition, just yesterday, allafrica.com reported that over 1500 adults of the Chicomba district have been attending the second phase of a programme designed to fight illiteracy. Since the beginning of the programme, 6,500 adults have been taught to read and write.

Luanda, Angola's capital city.

But what about post-secondary education? There has been considerable development in post-secondary education over the last few decades. Just after independence, the public Universidade Agostinho Neto (UAN) was established, and shortly afterwards came Universidade Católica de Angola (UCAN). A wave of political liberalisation in the 1990s saw the growth of many private universities, some of which were directly linked to Portugal. In 2010 the UAN split up, with various faculties now constituting autonomous public universities (two have retained the UAN name). Pupils hoping to continue to university level are now required to undergo a post-secondary, “pre-university” 2-3 year course.***

A class in Kuito...

Although great progress clearly has been made in the country, there are still many challenges ahead. Primary school enrollment is at an all time high, however drop out rates keep increasing. Around 20% of males and 45% of females are still illiterate, despite the programmes implemented to directly tackle this problem***. The solution is not a short-term one but the focus on education is clearly present – I’m sure Jolandie will have personal insight into this situation once she gets back on the road.

 Sources:

* i4donline.net.

** UNICEF.org

*** angola-today.com

Image of Luanda… Photo: Silje L. Bakke, Wikipedia.org

Image of schoolchildren… Photo: Living in Kuito, Wikipedia.org

 

 

News in Nigeria: Foundation describes the condition of Edo State education as ‘deplorable’.

Edo State, Nigeria

Last Friday the TY Danjuma Foundation declared that the state of education in this region was alarming, despite huge infrastructural investment in the education sector. The TY Danjuma Foundation attributed the problem to an imbalance in the posting of teachers, and the poor construction of school buildings in rural and urban areas. In rural areas, the student-teacher ratio was found to be 160 pupils to 1 teacher, whilst in urban areas it was found to be 50 to 1. Although this indicates that there are more teachers in urban areas, there is a class size problem that desperately needs addressing. An oversized class means that not all of the children have fair access to the limited resources. Children that may initially struggle through classes do not get the one-on-one teacher care that their education requires, and they will become despondent with the system. Few pupils in class sizes this large have aspirations of higher education, and they fail to reach their full potential.

Moreover, the investigation discovered that secondary schools were woefully under-funded. Without resources, pupils cannot better themselves. There is no reading without books; there is no writing without pencils and paper. Such a situation means that secondary-school graduation rates remain low – further hampering opportunities for pupils to continue to post-secondary education. The TY Danjuuma Foundation have sponsored the Wing Community Development Project, which has supported over 2000 pupils through secondary and tertiary education – but there is still a long way to go, and the momentum must come from the state.

 

News Source: allafrica.com

Image Source: Uwe Dedering, Wikipedia.org

The IMF Successor Must Prioritise Education

The scandal-fuelled resignation of Dominique Strauss Kahn as head of the IMF has raised some serious issues about who will succeed to lead the financial institution. The IMF has been under increasing pressure to appoint a non-European head, and many anti-poverty campaigners have argued that – due to the state of the global economy – the candidate must be chosen from an international pool of suitable individuals. The key question is – how will the choice of candidate affect education in Africa?

Gordon Brown, ex-Prime Minister of the UK and a potential candidate for the top IMF position, has recently criticised the international community (and the G8 powers in particular) for failing to honour their commitments to the Millennium Development Goal on education. Reforming education, he has indicated, should be a top priority for the IMF under new leadership as there are still 67 million primary-school-age children, and even more adolescent children, out of school. Developing countries require 1.8 million more teachers and further spending on school facilities if they are to realise their economic capabilities.* However, traditional IMF economic planning operates on a three year cycle which puts countries in a difficult position as they cannot always justify short-term spending on education.

Education is a human right

 

Speaking in South Africa, Brown has launched a report that warns of an “education emergency” emerging in the developing world. This emergency will continue to undermine efforts to boost economic growth and tackle poverty if it is left unheeded – therefore the new leader of the IMF must address education as a top priority and reform their current approach.

 *Source: The Guardian

Field Partner Application Form Now Online

The Field Partner application form is now available online. Before you start filling out the form, please make sure you are familiar with the following:

• Iduka African Pilot Project
• Field Partner roles and responsibilities
• Cycle For Education event and its mission and goals

Sylvanus Murray leading AID-SL relief distribution to street beggars in downtown Freetown, Sierra Leone

If your organization is aligned with our mission and goals and can perform the roles and responsibilities of a field partner, please fill out the Field Partner Application form.

Thank you for your interest in partnering with Iduka!

A New Era of Collaboration

During the fund development phase (phase 2) that started at the beginning of May, 2011, the focus of our African Pilot Project shifted from setting up teams of student intern volunteers across Africa (phase 1) to working together with local field partners around various fundraising events that include two core initiatives: cycle for education and the creation of student portfolios in our focus areas.

School in D.R. Congo

Tired of seeing pictures like the one above? Want to change the state of education in Africa? You can make an impact by joining our team as an individual or as a field partner. Together we can usher a new era of collaboration to create educational opportunities for underserved African youth.

We would love to hear from you.

(Image credit: Appolinaire Zagabe, D.R. Congo)

Jolandie will soon enter Namibia – What is the education system like?

In a couple of days Jolandie will be crossing the border into Namibia – South Africa will be behind her and the rest of the journey up ahead. Jolandie says, “For me, the adventure starts here”! The education situation in Namibia has recently been entering the news and so Jolandie could not have better timing on her ‘Cycle For Education’ tour.

All Roads Point to Namibia

A new Minister for Education was appointed for Namibia in March 2010: Dr Abraham Iyambo. Shortly after taking up the position, Dr. Iyambo declared that:

“The Government sees education as an indispensable and long-term investment. The more we invest in the future of our children, the more we can withdraw from those banks of knowledge and the closer we come to attaining our country’s vision.” (Source: newera.com.na)

 However, a year later the situation remains worryingly below acceptable. In mid-April of this year Dr. Abraham Iyambo delivered harsh criticisms of principals, education inspectors, advisory teachers, and textbook officials in Namibia. Dr. Iyambo stated that he has often witnessed teachers and principals arriving to their school unprepared, late or even drunk! Inspectors frequently fail to reprimand the principals not performing to national standard and the interaction between each level of administration within the education sector is poor. (Source: AllAfrica). Of course, a sub-standard education sector will limit the opportunity the country’s youth have of betterment through higher education.

 Jolandie’s cycle tour through Namibia will coincide with the build up to the National Education Conference to be held in the capital from the 27^th June where Dr. Iyambo will directly address these issues. Representing Iduka when travelling the country, Jolandie will raise the bar of the education stakes for the Conference (and will hopefully point a few students and volunteers our way!).

 Updates on Jolandie’s travels at the moment will follow soon…

Jolandie will soon cross to Namibia!

What would you take?

Jolandie's bike - all ready to go!

Tomorrow, April 27, Jolandie Rust will be setting off from Cape Town to begin her 2 1/2 year circumnavigation cycle around Africa. Of course, today is full of last minute preparation and family goodbyes… the road ahead will be a long and difficult one but Jolandie, with Iduka, will be making such a difference to those she meets along the way.

What does one take on such an adventure? Well, first and foremost Jolandie will have her open letter, which is addressed to the African Leaders of each country she will travel through. As Goodwill Ambassador for Iduka, Jolandie will be presenting this letter to African leaders in the hope that it will inspire them to recognising Iduka’s cause in promoting and protecting higher education in Africa.

Second, she will have her djembe drums. These will be her communication tools along the way. No matter what the culture, no matter what the language, Jolandie will reach out to those she meets through the power of music (and the djembe drums are the secret to that power!)

Jolandie's Djembe Drums

Third, she will have her mobile phone – this vital piece of technology will be her only communication tool to contact us here at Iduka. With this we will hear every detail of the journey – the students she connects with, the volunteers she mobilises for Iduka, the African leaders she delivers the open letter to!

And last – but by no means least – she will have everything else… family mementos, a camera, sleeping bag, first aid kit, bicycle repair kit, bicycle lock, water flasks, cooking equipment, hot weather gear, wet weather gear, cold weather gear, helmet, sun hat… the list is long and the bags are overflowing!

If you were embarking on such a journey – 2 1/2 years on the open road with only a bicycle for transport – what “luxury” items would you take? Photos of loved ones? A journal? A musical instrument? Your lucky mascot?

If it was me, I would not leave the house without a journal, a camera, and my favourite novel. In the journal I could record every thought and feeling I have along the way – and it would be a book to treasure forever. I could also use the pages to draw pictures and communicate with those who speak a different language to me. I would take a camera, of course, to record all of the fantastic scenes and people I see and meet – particularly Iduka students and volunteers. Finally, I would take my favourite novel, as it would be like carrying some friends with me on the journey, and may provide some comfort on lonely nights.

What would you take?

Iduka Partnership with Kisima Initiative in Kenya!

John Ndegwa - New Field Partner

Iduka is excited to announce a partnership with Kisima Initiative based in Kenya. Kisima is a non-governmental, non-profit organisation that provides education and employment schemes for youths living in poverty, along with support for their families. Kisima will be taking on the function of Iduka Field Partner as part of Iduka’s ‘Africa Project’, and will have a central role in the selection, support and development of Iduka’s scholarship awardees! John Ndegwa (pictured) is one of the founders of Kisima and will now sit on the Executive Committee for Iduka, assisting student development in East Africa.

As an Africa Project Field Partner, Kisima has several important responsibilities, including:

• The selection and submission of students for Iduka’s scholarship scheme
• Reviewing student candidates that are forwarded by Iduka (local students that have contacted Iduka directly)
• Personally interviewing student candidates
• Maintaining records of each student
• Assisting students with their online profiles and subsequent online profile updates
• Managing the scholarship moneys that are payable to the educational institution that the student is attending
• Conducting follow-up interviews to make sure the students are getting all the support they need, and are actively volunteering in their community.

No student can benefit from Iduka’s education scholarships without a dedicated Field Partner working on the ground to provide the vital student support. Already John and Kisima have demonstrated their commitment to Iduka’s cause, as they have been instrumental in organising a scholarship for Iduka’s excellent student Neville Albert.

John (right) working with a volunteer

This Iduka-Kisima partnership is a fantastic opportunity to open the dialogue on education in Africa – particularly East Africa. The networking and information sharing that will result from this partnership will not only create national and international awareness of the need for higher education in Africa, it will also offer more education, skills and livelihood opportunities for African students on the ground.

Kisima Initiative has been working with local communities since 2002 and they offer a variety of development projects including: Youth Support, Orphaned and Vulnerable Children’s Educational Support, Women’s Projects, and Agribusiness. As a Field Partner for Iduka, Kisima will now be able to offer undeserved, underrepresented and underprivileged students in East Africa the opportunity to realise their higher-education ambitions!

Cycle For Education – Why It Matters…

Jolandie Rust is about to set off on the biggest challenge of her life – in six days she will begin the 40,000km circumnavigation of Africa. Just one girl, just one bicycle. But this challenge means more to Jolandie than physical achievement… along the way she hopes to serve as an inspiration for girls everywhere and spread a message that education is the key to prosperity. Jolandie, as Iduka’s Goodwill Ambassador, will be delivering an open letter to African leaders in each country, asking them to promote and protect higher education in the continent.

Education is an incredibly important issue. The second Millennium Development Goal, outlined 11 years ago, continues to call for universal primary education. This crucial education requirement will construct the foundation for secondary school learning, which ultimately provides students with the development needed to progress into further education and the world of sustainable employment. The transformative power of education to break generational cycles of poverty must be recognised! Through education boys and girls can gain the skills and knowledge needed to transform the prosperity of local communities and support the development of their nation.

Sadly, the truth remains that Africa has the lowest primary school completion rates in the world and the majority of out-of-school children are girls (UNESCO).

School children in Kenya

Iduka is currently working with local students and volunteers in all African countries in order to assist African students to achieve their dream of further education. In particular, Iduka will be specifically targeting girls’ education. Jolandie, by representing Iduka, will be giving the campaign a voice. Cycle For Education is not just about pushing the boundaries of solo female cycling, it is also about creating momentum for a cause that so many young boys and girls dream of – higher education!