Non-Formal Adult Education and Community Development
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NON-FORMAL ADULT EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: An assessment of the contribution of an NGO implemented program in Southwestern Uganda SAUL TUMWINE SUPERVISOR Associate Prof. Vito Laterza University of Agder, 2020 Faculty of Social Sciences Department of Global Development and Planning NON-FORMAL ADULT EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: An assessment of the contribution of an NGO implemented program in Southwestern Uganda BY SAUL TUMWINE SUPERVISOR Associate Prof. VITO LATERZA This Master’s Thesis is carried out as a part of the education at the University of Agder and is therefore approved as a part of this education. However, this does not imply that the University answers for the methods that are used or the conclusions that are drawn. University of Agder, 2020 Faculty of Social Sciences Department of Global Development and Planning ii Abstract This master thesis assessed the contribution of non-formal adult education programs in the process of community development. The study took a case of a training program designed and implemented by a local NGO supported by INGOs in southwestern Uganda. The program (whose name was anonymised in this study to follow the General Data Protection Regulation and Personal Data Act), was designed to provide vocational skills training to out- of-school youth. The findings showed that the program whose model is to use ‘master’ artisans (knowledgeable and experienced individuals) with workstations in the community. Trainees undergo hands-on training within their local communities. The study established that the program had several trades but tailoring and hairdressing were the most common among trainees. By adopting the capability approach and critical capability approach as its lenses, the study findings established that the program provides competencies in the different trades but also an important set of life skills were provided to trainees in form of seminars. Findings indicated that the combination of these categories of competencies has enabled program graduates to find jobs majority being retained by their former trainers while others have established their micro-enterprises. Findings further revealed that graduates have acquired household assets and several other benefits which have improved their well-being. Based on the OECD well-being framework measures for 2020, the study established that the NGO implemented program has to a moderate extent contributed to improving the living conditions of the beneficiaries and their household members. The limitations of the program including donor dependence have made it hard to provide graduates with substantial start-up capital for the graduates to start meaningful micro-enterprises. This has therefore handicapped the immense contribution the program would have on the beneficiaries its ripple effects on the community. The study recommends for collaboration among different development actors to explore workable ways of improving the model especially for training vocational skills to not only the vulnerable groups but to the whole community as everyone needs key competencies to live a better life in the current globalized world. iii Acknowledgement I want to acknowledge first of all the unending blessing God has provided me. I have had dreams but how I achieve them can only be by the grace of God. Thank you, Jesus! I would like to most sincerely express my gratitude to the academic and administrative staff of the Department of Global Development and planning for the wonderful two years. You took me in and provided me with the guidance I needed to complete this program. I am forever indebted to Jannik Stolen Timenes Senior adviser at the Faculty of Social Sciences and rest of the advisors at the department and sister departments where I took some courses. My research supervisor Associate Professor Vito Laterza, I am indebted to you for your patience, guidance, and counsel. To the Faculty data control officer Malfrid Tangedal, thank you so much for your swift attendance to my correspondence. The people who made it possible for me to do this program, I owe a big thank you to the leadership of Dr Alex Okot and his team at the School of Distance and Lifelong Learning, Makerere University for the scholarship opportunity. Without it, I don’t know If I would have made it to Norway. So, thank you! My family, Mam, Dad, thank you for your unending prayers. I believe your prayers have done much to my every achievement. My good friend Dr Kush, I am always reflecting how life would have been if you had not come the time you came. I owe you one. My Norwegian family, my supportive brothers from West Africa (Darlington, Celestine, KC, and Andrew), thank you guys for cheering me up always. My sisters from Uganda (Naome, Linda and Valerie), my neighbour (Judith) thank you for being around to support me in many ways. My workmates, Salman and your crew, Tussen Takk! Thank you for the opportunity to work with you and learn a lot of diversity. iv Declaration I Saul Tumwine, declare that this master thesis entitled: Non-Formal Adult Education and Community Development: An assessment of the contribution of an NGO implemented program in Southwestern Uganda is my original piece of work and has never been submitted for any academic award to any institution of learning other than the University of Agder. Place: name: date: Kristiansand Saul Tumwine 15.12.2020 v Table of contents Abstract .............................................................................................................................................................. iii Acknowledgement .......................................................................................................................................... iv Declaration ......................................................................................................................................................... v Table of contents ............................................................................................................................................. vi List of tables .................................................................................................................................................. viii List of figures ................................................................................................................................................ viii List of abbreviations/acronyms .................................................................................................................... ii CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Background and Rationale ........................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Research Problem ........................................................................................................................... 3 1.3 Research objective ......................................................................................................................... 4 1.4 Research Questions ........................................................................................................................ 5 1.5 Thesis outline ................................................................................................................................... 5 CHAPTER TWO: STUDY AREA AND CONTEXT OF THE RESEARCH .............................. 8 2.1 Area of study – a snapshot of Uganda ...................................................................................... 8 2.2 Context of the study ..................................................................................................................... 10 CHAPTER THREE: LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ..... 15 3.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 15 3.2 Definition of concepts ................................................................................................................. 15 3.3 Non-formal adult education content ....................................................................................... 20 3.4 Organization and delivery of Non-formal adult education program content .............. 21 3.5 Skills and competences provided by Non-formal adult education programs ............. 22 3.6 Role of competencies .................................................................................................................. 25 3.7 The link between non-formal adult education and community development ............. 29 3.8 Theoretical framework ................................................................................................................ 31 CHAPTER FOUR: METHODOLOGY .................................................................................................. 39 4.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 39 4.2 Research Paradigm ....................................................................................................................... 39 4.3 Research design and approach .................................................................................................. 40 4.4 Sampling strategy ......................................................................................................................... 41 4.5 Data collection procedures