Education for Development and Democracy Initiative - USAID

Education for Development and Democracy Initiative

Following President Clinton`s visit to Africa in March 1998, the Education for Development and Democracy Initiative (EDDI) was launched. Namibia was among the eight focus countries eligible for EDDI funding during Financial Year 2000. The different components of EDDI were coordinated at an inter-agency level with U.S. State Department, USAID and Peace Corps.

EDDI focused on developing partnerships at all levels, involving policymaker and grassroots democracy networking community resource centers, technology innovations, and girls` scholarship and mentoring activities.

EDDI recognized the need for girls to be allowed to be fully integrated into the economy and political systems, by improving their access to and the quality of their education. EDDI resources were dedicated to helping expand the potential roles of girls and women in their societies.

All EDDI activities and funding were concluded and ended in September 2004. Namibia benefited tremendously from the EDDI funding, as several activities ranging from Junior Achievement youth entrepreneurship program, the OVC component of the Catholic AIDS Action, Partnerships among universities and schools, as well as the Ambassador`s Girls Scholarship Program (AGSP) were implemented with EDDI funding during this period.

A new Presidential Initiative was announced in June 2002: the Africa Education Initiative.

Africa Education Initiative

In Africa today, 42 million children do not have access to primary school - 60% of these children are girls. Of those that do have access to school, the schooling they receive is often of such poor quality that they are not able to acquire even the most basic skills of reading and writing. Major factors impeding access to education and the quality of education is the lack of money for school fees and the lack of trained teachers. The President's Africa Education Initiative is designed to increase access to quality basic educational opportunities and increase the number of teachers in Africa, especially at the primary school level. To achieve this goal this U.S.-led, multi-year initiative will:

- provide 266,667 scholarships for African girls;
- train 160,000 new teachers;
- provide in-service training for 264,000 existing teachers;
- partner with historically Black Colleges and Universities in America to provide 4.5 million more textbooks and other learning materials for children in Africa; and
- increase the role of parents in their children`s education by working to make school systems more transparent and open to reforms from parents.

Resources

The U.S. Government launched this five-year initiative in June 2002 with $15 million, and will provide $185 million over the next four years (FY 03 - 06), of which $27 million was provided in FY 2003.


Partner Efforts to Date

A contract was awarded to Hampton University (Hampton, VA), and Elizabeth City State University (Elizabeth City, NC), as a first step in the development of a partnership with a consortium of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Recently announced new additions to this consortium are Dillard University (New Orleans, LA), St. Augustine University (Raleigh, NC), Alabama A&M University (Norma, AL), and Albany State University (Albany, GA). This consortium will work in close collaboration with African education institutions to develop, publish, and distribute high quality textbooks and learning materials. We are currently in the process of introducing our University partners to our established contacts in USAID missions and selected African Ministries of Education. As the Initiative expands, new HBCU and African partnerships will be established to meet the targets established by President Bush.

University Partnership Program

The Centre for Entrepreneurial Development (CED) was established as part of a three-year program to expand the Polytechnic of Namibia`s (PON) human resource capacity, create linkages between the PON and the business community, and carry out train-the-trainer programs to ensure the gains made through the project are sustainable. This project emerged from the PON`s strategic plan and its existing relationship with Highline Community College (HCC). HCC combined its expertise with that of Eastern Iowa Community College District (EICCD). The EICCD works with the PON to increase its administrative and programmatic capacity through the establishment of a Center for Entrepreneurial Development (CED). Together the faculties at HCC and EICCD develop increased understanding of southern Africa, resulting in curriculum changes and enhancement of campus global perspectives.

Four themes

Four themes will be the guiding principles for initiative implementation. The Initiative will:

· Engage constructively with African leaders, the international development community and U.S. interest groups to raise awareness, receive input on the initiative and build support for the initiative;

· Build upon EDDI country teams to facilitate management and implementation of the Initiative.
· Monitor performance and report results on a timely basis.
· Encourage innovation in the design and delivery of programs.

Ref: http://www.usaid.gov/na/eddi.htm