ALEF, Study groups in Africa – Uganda, Togo / Benin, DR Congo and Ethiopia
ALEF, Adult Learning and Empowerment Facilitators, was founded in May 2010 as a Swedish non-profit organization.
ALEF has developed a unique method of popular education for young people and adults who have not had the opportunity to attend school. In study groups that meet a couple of times a week, participants learn to read, write and do basic arithmetic, and to use the skills as tools to take control of their own lives and change their life situation.
The strength of the ALEF method is that the lessons are in the local languages. In Uganda, during the pandemic, ALEF has developed luganda textbooks that mothers can use to teach their children at home during school closures. in Togo and Congo-Kinshasa, ALEF plans to create small libraries in 2021 to encourage reading at home. The need for study groups is very big and ALEF is continiously starting more groups with more participants along with incoming contributions.
Motivation: ALEF’s activities fit very well with The Book Aid’s purpose in terms of broad literacy where it’s most needed within the communities and to stimulate reading. Hélène Boëthius, who started ALEF and developed the method herself, has solid commitment and perseverance to take the business forward and broaden it.