Towards Sustainable Community-Based Early Literacy Program: The Case Of Woliso District, Southwest Showa Zone, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia

Abstract

Community-based program sustainability has been a major issue, especially in developing countries. In Ethiopia, though community-based early literacy programs are initiated and implemented by several non-governmental organizations, the practices and challenges related to sustainability of such programs have been less studied. The primary purpose of this study was to assess the practices, challenges, and an opportunity for a sustainable community-based early literacy program. The study was conducted in four communities of Woliso District, South West Showa Zone of Oromoia Regional State. The study applied descriptive type of research design with mixed quantitative and qualitative methods. The quantitative data was collected through households’ survey from 155 proportionally sampled households. The qualitative data was collected from key informants and community members through key informant interviews, and focus group discussions. Supplementary qualitative information at key points was also collected through personal observation. Both descriptive and inferential analyses were computed to analyze the quantitative data. The qualitative data was thematically analyzed and used to substantiate the quantitative data. Major findings show that minimal practices were identified towards sustainability of the community-based early literacy program in the study area. The program was mainly implemented in the school rather than in the community. Teachers participated much better than relevant community members in the key implementation processes of the program. Inadequate practices of capacity building efforts for the key community members were also observed. Furthermore, the practice towards sustaining the community-based early literacy program in the study area is challenged by various interrelated factors. These are lack of financial support, inadequate participation of relevant stakeholders in the program cycle, failure to institutionalize the program in the existing systems and structure, programmatic factors such as lack of sustainability plan and participatory designing process, and inability to provide required support by mandated government bodies. For instance, descriptive data show that the majority (>90%) of the participants in the study were very well aware of the program and its importance. This infers that only knowledge, but not practice, is sustained from the early literacy training interventions. The study concludes that the practices of a sustainable community-based early literacy program in the study area is trivial and is influenced by multiple interrelated factor including, lack of authentic stakeholders participation in the program cycles, failure to institutionalize the program in the existing community structures and systems. To the context of this study it is therefore, recommended that community-based program planners, supporters, implementers, and government mandatories should consider sustainable practices, genuine stakeholders’ participation, lasting community capacity building and institutionalize the program in the existing community structures and government systems.