Cooperation in Gambia, WALDA
Project Wulli, literacy in local languages in Eastern Gambia
The Wuliproject aims to create an adult education center for local development in the Wulli district in eastern
Sidia Jatta is the coordinator of the project, a member of the Gambian parliament and a member of the African Union Parliament. He visited
They are now teaching Mandinka in literacy groups in several villages, and soon will start up teaching classes in the second local language, Fula. The goal, to be able to read and write in their mother tongue, so far has been achieved by several hundred people. Teacher's Manuals in Mandinka have been developed and teachers (facilitators) are being trained.
The literacy groups will be linked to income generating activities, so that in the long run the education will make its students eventually self-sufficient and independent. So far, all income earned has mainly gone towards the payment of teacher salaries, including Sidia Jatta’s donation of his MP salary. Isolated small grants have come from WAD (WÜLI Association for Development), another health care organization in the field. In general, the main resources are made up of human moral effort.
The work methods of the proposed adult education center will focus on participants' own activities and interests. The idea is to have the groups expand their activities to additional areas including improving the rural living quality. Above all, the experiences of the older women of the area will be taken into account, along with gender issues and traditional knowledge, which is otherwise lost. The center could house an adapted technology, culture and cuisine, folk medicine, economic and social community-building traditions, stories and music