A team from the University of Aberdeen have been awarded £1.2 million to carry out a project to improve adult literacies in Rwanda.
The project will aim to develop, implement and embed teaching practices that will teach adult literacies in Rwanda, and that can then be managed and delivered by local institutions. Improving adult literacies will help to support the livelihoods of local residents and could therefore lead to a reduction in poverty. The project aims to innovate the innovative social practices approach to adult literacies developed in Scotland.
The University will work closely with several local partners, including the Institute of Policy Analysis and Research Rwanda, the College of Educations, the University of Rwandar and three teacher training colleges in Western Provence Rubengera, Gacuba II and Mururu.
The project is funded by the Scottish Government and will take place over a four and a half year period.
Professor Pamela Abbott, from the University of Aberdeen, said: “It is fantastic that we have received the funding to carry out this project, which has the potential to have a huge impact on the lives of many who struggle with literacies.
“Literacies skills are so important to navigating through life, and we hope that this project will enable those who may be struggling to utilise these skills.
“The hope is that by the end of the project, not only will adult literacies have improved in Rwanda, but there will also be a suitable adult literacies professional development programme in place, allowing local tutors to be trained and therefore be able to deliver the courses themselves.”
The project has been funded as part of the Scottish Government’s Rwanda Development Programme 2017-2022.