Two Case Studies on Community Education
Longford Women's Link: Community education for empowerment
The Longford Women's Centre was established in January 1996. Over the years it has become the primary campaigner for the rights of women in Co. Longford. Many Longford women experience poverty and a lack of development opportunities. In addition, their geographic isolation renders them a silent minority when social and economic issues are being discussed at national level.
The Longford Women's Centre is a welcoming and dynamic women's centre, which provides many services to women, and their families. This development is underpinned by a desire that local women should play a more active role in the social, economic, cultural and political life of the community.
The Values
The work of Longford Women's Link is underpinned by the following values;
Inclusion and positive action Anti-discrimination
Solidarity Rights to care and respect
A proud and confident attitude
Activities
Longford Women's Link works to provide new models of delivery of education and training. All projects are dependent on working in partnership with a range of state agencies and other non-government organisations. The centre values its long history of partnership with Co. Longford VEC in working to combat women's educational disadvantage.
The centre works with women to build their confidence and skills in a group context
They are committed to co-ordinating new approaches to outreach and predevelopment work
They provide a space where women are encouraged to learn, question and discuss issues of importance to them
All courses organised by Longford Women's Link are done in response to the needs of local women. They are held at times to suit women's caring roles and delivered in a women friendly, supportive atmosphere.
Mevagh Men's Initiative: an Outreach case study
Mevagh Resource Centre in Downings in North Donegal identified that its service was not being used by men in its locality despite the fact that the area had a significant number of isolated, unemployed or underemployed men. The aim of this project which was funded under the Education Equality Initiative (EEI) was to engage with these men, to empower them to be agents of change in their own lives and in the community in which they live.
Outreach work
The project developed an outreach programme for isolated, disadvantaged men in the area over a period of 3 years. The programme linked with the men on a number of different levels; outreach to the men's homes, the Tuesday night meetings, and educational outings (day events) that brought the men in the area together. Noel Bradley, the outreach worker built up trust and friendship with the local men over a period of 12 months. Approximately 50 men engaged with the project on one or all these levels.
Activities
The core activity of the project was the Tuesday night meeting which began with 6 men attending and ended with a consistent figure of 20. Educational outings and Annual Health Days were also organised as one off events to bring the men together.
The educational outings gave the men an opportunity to meet and travel to another place outside of their own locality. Some men only made contact with the group in this context, for others it was a way of testing the waters before coming along to the Tuesday night meeting, for the regular Tuesday night attendees, it helped build the group dynamic and their confidence even further.
The annual health days were conducted as part of an overall health promotion strategy by the project in response to the fact that many of the men suffered different forms of ill health and were heavy drinkers and/or suffering with depression. These involved participatory workshops covering a wide range of topics with speakers from the HSE. 35 men attended the first year and 27 the second year. The impact of the project in the area of health has been significant with more men coming to the local day care centre and getting check-ups.
Outcome
Overall the project has had a huge impact on the men in the community by bringing them together in a non-formal atmosphere, building a community amongst them and offsetting the isolation and loneliness experienced. The project has also had an impact on other groups and organisations locally and nationally who wish to work more meaningfully with older isolated men, most particularly, FAS, VEC, DSFA and the HSE all of whom linked in with the project to various degrees. The greatest challenge for the project is sourcing funding for this type of work which requires agencies working creatively together to support it. Outreach work is a tool for the inclusion of those who are isolated and marginalized by society. It is time consuming and requires skills such as openness, trust-building, relationship, empathy and reflective practice.
