The Tobago Hill Adult Literacy Programme (THALP) was launched in Region One through collaboration among the Guyana, United States, Canada and New Zealand governments.
The initiative started in the small community of 176 persons, with neighbours teaching each other to read. Classes are currently held twice weekly by the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) in a community building in the village while a new school is being built, according to the Government Information Agency (GINA).
Tobago Hill is now home to the formerly displaced residents of Sumotoo Creek, who were relocated by government in 2005. Since their relocation, various development organisations have been working with the RDC and the Tobago Hill Village Council to improve lives by hosting sanitation programmes, agricultural projects and now the literacy programme.
Minister within the Ministry of Local Govern-ment and former Region One chairman Norman Whittaker was instrumental in helping to secure funding for the initiative.
He said he was pleased with the progress made to date and that the programme could serve as a model for other literacy programmes across the country. Whittaker noted that literacy is easily taken for granted by those who can read “but for others, simple tasks such as reading medicine bottles, food labels, street signs, or even recognising a name may be a challenge primarily due to difficulty in accessing educational resources.”
Village Captain Edmund Santiago said he was grateful for the programme. “We’re happy for this opportunity because many people are attending school for the first time,” he said.
Two retired teachers from the region are facilitating the classes two nights per week for a year after which the programme would be handed over to the participants. Retired school teacher and literacy facilitator for the programme Bernice Pierre said the goal is to improve villagers’ literacy and numeracy skills, which will empower them to better manage their community’s affairs.
“Learning to read and write is an essential step in their community’s development,” she added.
According to GINA, funding for the programme is provided through a grant from the Canadian Inter-national Development Agency in partnership with the New Zealand High Commission.
Based on the model of combining adult literacy instruction and community development, THALP facilitators seek to use participants’ existing knowledge as stepping stones towards literacy.
US Peace Corps volunteer and THALP Project Manager Nathaniel Stewart observed that working with adults is different from children since adults have a lifetime of knowledge that can be used in literacy work.
