Communication
Summer School for language learning
One of the ongoing challenges faced by Pamoja West Africa is communication between Anglophone, Francophone and Lusophone countries. Members have long expressed their desire to collaborate and access information across language barriers in order to resolve common issues, share innovations and good practice and participate in international advocacy initiatives. People who can speak two or more of the three international languages are constantly in demand for translation and interpreting but more importantly their capacity to converse in several languages reduces the need for time and energy consuming translation. In 2008 the Pamoja WA annual meeting asked the secretariat to develop opportunities for language learning as part of the programme of activities for year. This resulted in a pilot initiative in the Gambia in August 2009 to enable francophone members of the network to improve their capacity to communicate in English.
Fifteen participants from Guinea Bissau, Guinea Conakry, Senegal and Mali lodged with families in Gunjur, a small rural community in the South of the Gambia. The month long course was hosted by Tarud, a national NGO member of Pamoja Gambia.
Classes were taught by 4 facilitators with both development and language teaching experience. The approach was based on Reflect methodology. Typically participants divided into country groups and developed a PRA tool concerning an aspect of development. Each group presented their graphic to the others, who noted new vocabulary arising during the discussion. Facilitators provide words as needed and mistakes were corrected and used as learning points. Role play and theatre were also used and classroom learning was complemented by field trips to local places of interest, development projects and community groups, making for varied and interesting learning, coupled with opportunities to speak and understand English and discuss development issues. One trip up-country involved an over night stay at Janjanburay, an island in the river 300 km from Gunjur. This provided an opportunity to visit a group of Reflect circle participants and also Gambia's stone circles at Wassu - megalithic monuments of ancient and mysterious origin. Such trips have been a regular feature of the course.