REFLECT, or Regenerated Freirean Literacy through Empowering Community Techniques, is an original approach to literacy that ADRA Albania is applying with a roma women’s group in Fushe Krujë. We meet three times a week and every participant discusses issues that are relevant to their lives. The discussion provides the basis for teaching literacy, numeracy and general communication skills. However, these are not simply classroom activities but also group gatherings used to foster ways for roma women to express their perceived needs and doubts. This first project, started in September 2011, is a pilot program and this blog will provide you with day-to-day information on this Reflect Literacy program and its effectiveness with the women of Fushe Krujë.
Our first goal is to strengthen these women's ability to efficiently communicate while learning various life skills. We focus on the participants’ past experiences and what they already know. Then we discuss each topic they raise and learn together how to describe, express and analyze them. For more information on the Refect method, please see the website www.reflect-action.org where you can download many useful documents.
Our second goal is to encourage women to send their children to schools. We strongly believe that by helping these women we can make a big difference in their children’s lives. First, because by improving these women’s situations, the situation of their children will improve and second, because as a mother's educational level increases, the rate of school attendance of these children will increase as well.
Our desire to begin a project such as this is based on the belief that "The fastest way to change society is to mobilize the women of the world" C. Malik
