Institute for Literacy Movement

ILM's core strategies include:

• identifying critical needs of illiterate people that can be met through literacy
• developing educational approaches through research that expedites the learning process, especially among girls and women and those living in rural areas
• offering educational programmes to all levels of society that are designed to meet felt needs
• promoting the idea that knowledge supports healthy living
• advocating for education and literacy in Pakistan in an effort to secure total commitment from the government and the elites (feudal lords) of the country
• demonstrating that knowledge and better health reduce poverty.

In pursuing these ends, ILM is cognisant of three fundamental needs: motivating illiterate people to acquire literacy skills, designing new and improved literacy tools (materials, methodology), and developing techniques to propel self-learning. Beyond the traditional skills of reading, writing, and arithmetic, ILM integrates topics of daily life (functionality) in an effort to make learning relevant to adults' needs and aspirations. The idea is that those who are illiterate can be stimulated to want to learn, and can learn more effectively, when the required skills are based on objects and concepts from their own surroundings; ILM believes that these objects and concepts can best be identified with the help of learners themselves. This also implies using the vocabulary and images of the learners in their spoken language, while also helping them become more adept with the national language, Urdu.

On ILM's model, literacy skills are linked with current issues that impact daily life, as identified by community members. Motivated by the belief that illiteracy is a significant barrier in learning about health in South Asia, ILM builds preventive health messages in to its literacy programmes. Based on the disproportionate number of girls and women struggling with literacy, gender sensitisation is another focus. Other issues of urgency and priority are discussed with the community, and strategies to address them formulated with their input. Themes that run throughout ILM's work are those of tolerance, democratic values, and dignity of labour, within the broad framework of human rights. Literacy is, thus, conceived of as a skill supportive of a healthier and more moderate way of living, understood broadly.

If the ideas, vocabulary, and concepts are to be meaningful for learners in their daily life, ILM holds, community-based research is central to the development of any literacy programme. ILM's strategy involves establishing a community support group (CSG) made up of local leaders interested in human development issues. This committee provides support to and oversight for the project, meeting at least once every quarter. A community needs assessment survey is then undertaken to gauge the interest of the illiterate population in literacy, identify public health and social issues, and assess available resources. As part of this process, ILM then carries out focus group discussions (FGDs) to learn why illiterate people want or do not want to become literate, and to hear their concerns. These findings guide the formulation of programme strategies and activities.

Participation as a core strategy is also evident in ILM's use of FGDs to find suitable words that are easy for the beginner to perceive in written form and easy to write. The aim is to develop a 2000-word vocabulary for those who have never had any schooling. This vocabulary then informs literacy packages, which are structured to suit individual needs and learning goals. These packages feature practical words, concepts, and messages on topics and themes that the particular community has deemed useful. One package may offer the ability to write the numbers 1-20 and signatures in 2-week classes; another may enable a person to read numbers, street signs, and labels on merchandise in 6 weeks; and so on. ILM then trains teachers in the use of the primers, emphasising participatory modes of learning. ILM is working to develop audio and video materials for both teachers and learners to support self-learning on participants' own time and at their own convenience. (ILM holds that the issue of time - the learner's time, the total period time it takes for one learner to reach literacy, national literacy goals, etc. - is important; focus is thus placed on quality and speed of learning and acquisition of basic knowledge and skills.) Post-literacy packages on specialised skills such as records keeping, account keeping, newspaper advertisement, and use of the telephone will be developed.

To support both the sustainability of the organisation and its humanitarian/development aims, ILM is organising health education classes, as well as business and commercial education for those seeking to start small businesses. A fee will be charged for participation. To build on this element of ILM's work, materials will be developed on subjects covering preventive health care and hygiene, family planning, and nutrition.

Literacy, Health, Gender, Youth.

According to the UN, the total number of illiterate people (age 15+) in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan will increase from 392 million in 2000 to 413 million in 2010. A vast majority of those who are illiterate will be females. In Pakistan, for example, in the year 2000, 56.8% of the population aged 15 and over was illiterate (42.6% males and 72.1% females). By 2010, this ratio is projected to decline to 34.9%. However, in terms of the number of illiterate persons, there will be an increase from 46.7 million in 2000 to 53.1 million by 2010. It is projected that 33.9 million of these persons will be girls and women. In this context, the UN has declared the years 2003-2012 as the Literacy Decade. One of the indicators for Millennium Goal (MDG) #2 is the literacy rate of youth aged 15-24 years.

According to a note from "Just this month [March 2007], 30 young village women graduated acquiring literacy and/or sewing skills. Our two teachers have finished their computer training and are now teaching basic computer skills. At least two ladies have begun to learn how to operate a PC [personal computer]. This is a quantum leap for these rural females in a country where female literacy is still near the lowest among nations."