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Non-formal (additional) Aid resources

“Do not eat on your own”

The Psychometric Quadrant Analysis illustration that appears earlier in this volume sets out

how, for most people, it’s only as we move through the different layers of formal education
that we develop ‘intellectual learning’ ability. It’s an acquired skill. Unless and until we

develop that skill our learning is based on empiricism (‘trial & error’)

Africa has established educational facilities. But that only deals with parts of the
problem.

In Africa’s least developed nations, most of the older generations, those people who

have the most influence in African society, won’t have gone through formal education. Or at
least will not have progressed very far.

And in those least developed countries, even when there are enough schools and

teachers, no one can be sure that the children will be able to attend school. Even very young
children can be needed to help on the family’s small farm. (And it will be small. Very small.) (In

south-west Uganda they told me of the story where a m’zungu promised to provide the food

for free school meals for a school that was on an island of an inland lake. Almost
immediately there was an increase in attendance of more than 100 pupils!

And in those least developed countries one of the most common things you will hear
is a fully grown man telling you how he had to drop out of secondary school because his

father could not afford it.

*****
There is a real need to help Africa’s left behind. These can be Africa’s least developed

nations. But they can also be in those ‘left behind’ regions of any African country. Places

which for a variety of reasons won’t see the sort of ‘investment’ that is needed to develop
their local economy.

These left behind Africans will almost by definition have very low levels of educational

achievement. We can expect their learning skills to be limited by this.
Their communities will develop quicker, their local economies will develop faster if our

UK International Aid programmes are adapted to bring more of these ‘left behind’
communities in close contact with people from our more developed society.

And if the way in which we go about this also introduces a small ‘low tech’ business

that can produce a small sustained income for some of the local people, we can be sure of
local people willingly participating.

*****