Success Stories
Angolan Women Learn Basic Literary Skills
Photo: USAID/Angola
In Angola, USAID support has helped in the creation of a community center to train local women who otherwise have no access to formal education in basic literacy skills. The center was built by the Mississippi Consortium for International Development (MCID), as part of a USAID-funded civil society strengthening project, and was conceived as a place where women could learn basic literacy skills, and in the process receive education in human rights to help empower them to participate in political processes. MCID worked in partnership with an Angolan non-governmental organization, the Centro Unesco Kuntuala (CUK), which has been providing informal basic education services to women for several years using local churches. The center, inaugurated in July 2003, now provides a clean and comfortable environment for CUK volunteer teachers and their students.
Currently, approximately 1,200 women are enrolled in classes at the center, which will eventually be able to accommodate up to 2,500 women. More than 1,500 students have already received basic literacy training. The center plans to begin to supplement these skills with small business management training. It is important to note that most of the students are informal sector vendors or operate micro-businesses. The Angolan Ministry of Education has promised to provide additional teachers as well as books and materials, and has cited the Center as an excellent example of the type of civil society involvement and participation which must be used to meet this pressing need.
