A non-governmental organization (NGO), Engage Now Africa, has called for more human-centred intervention programmes as the world continues to battle the coronavirus pandemic.
The group admits all facet of human life has been affected in several ways and the recovery will not emerge by the flip of a switch but through fixes.
The NGO made the call in its message to commemorate the International Literacy Day on September 8, 2021, themed Literacy for human-centered recovery: Narrowing the digital divide.
The message reiterated the immense help technology has been to nations in the education sector at a time the world was brought to its knees.
“The role of technology during the COVID-19 induced school closure period in ensuring the continuity of literacy cannot be underemphasized. Hence, digital mediated learning should be extended to all especially, the youth and adults to enable them to keep pace with the current digitized world. The world will recover fully, only when the proffered literacy is centered on humanity,” parts of the message read.
It added: “The year 2020 was quite a challenging year, which witnessed an extended closure of schools. Though formal education was the most affected, adult literacy could not operate due to the government’s caveat for all gatherings to be suspended.
“Digital delivery of teaching and learning infrastructure was quickly put up to ensure the continuity of learning to save the knowledge already acquired from eroding and obtain new skills. The digital system did not factor in the adult non-literate.”
Pledging commitment to respond to such a call for development, the NGO emphasis on strides it has made amid the pandemic to put smiles on the faces of people.
“The NGO rose to the occasion to innovatively employ digital mediated teaching and learning.
“Additionally, Engage Now Africa led the adult learners to produce alcohol-based hand sanitizers and face masks. They were able to distribute over 2000 pieces of alcohol-based hand sanitizers and face masks to the vulnerable in society. The activity took place during the International Literacy Day, 2020 celebration to help curb the spread of COVID-19,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, they have appealed to the government to make adult literacy more inclusive in the educational curriculum with digital learning made available to adult learners as well.
More importantly, they want the government to prioritise TVET and also partner organisations like Engage Now Africa to help implement vocational skills in a wider range to build the present and a future workforce.
“Engage Now Africa should be recognized by government for their tremendous contributions and impact made in providing literacy and vocational skills training to thousands of the Ghanaian people”.
The International Literacy Day is set aside by United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to evaluate global literacy to ascertain the progress of young people and adults.
Engage Now Africa (ENA) is an international Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) that offers varied interventions to various communities across the nuke and cranny of Ghana.
One of the intervention areas is adult literacy through which the NGO has over the years supported the Ministry of Education in its quest to reduce illiteracy and increase literacy among the Ghanaian population.