Creating pathways to community economic development through open and distance learning: The University of Namibia Northern Campus approach.

Creating pathways to community economic development through open and distance learning: The University of Namibia Northern Campus approach.

Abstract
Under normal circumstances community and economic development initiatives start with government or chambers of commerce setting goals for economic growth and taking steps to bring economic activities and projects to a particular community. However, the University of Namibia (UNAM) recognized that community economic development should be addressed through empowering community members who must participate in such economic activities.

During 2000 and 2001 UNAM, through its Northern Campus and in collaboration with Regional Councillors of north central Namibia, and two educational institutions in the USA, developed and implemented two educational programmes, namely the New Leaders Initiative Programme and the JobStart Programme. These programmes were developed to address issues of leadership development and eradication of unemployment among the youth of the region. The two programmes utilized open learning models to enable people who are far away from a University Campus, to learn and immediately apply what has been learned.

This paper will highlight the impact that the two programmes had made on the individual participants and their communities. It will provide information about the contributions the individual participants are currently making to the socio-economic development of their communities. The paper will further present useful learning outcomes as to what happens when a higher education institution tries to be involved in community development programmes of this sort.

The development and implementation of the New Leaders Initiative and JobStart programmes were made possible by a generous funding from The Ford Foundation.

Creating Pathways to Community Economic Development through Open and Distance Learning: The University of Namibia Northern Campus Approach

The Namibian Government has long ago recognised that education and training as well as knowledge and innovation are very important in bringing about socio-economic development. Accordingly, the University of Namibia (UNAM) has realised that it has a role to play in educating and preparing people to participate meaningfully in that development. The University has also realized that to provide meaningful learning for community economic development, collaboration with grassroots leadership and other educational institutions is necessary. This paper presents the impact of two programmes that have been developed in collaboration with Regional Councillors of north central Namibia and two educational institutions in the USA. Through developing and implementing these programmes an interaction and partnership was formed to facilitate a collaborative learning process.

The paper arise from the author's interest in researching learning approaches that facilitate learning for socio-economic development and her knowledge of the Northern Campus, first as head of the Community Education and Development Unit (CEDU) under which these programmes resided and as the Campus Director from 2000 to 2002. The paper will provide information on the Campus and the processes used in developing and delivering the programmes. It will further highlight the contributions these programmes have made to participants' communities and the contributions that participants are making to their communities. Finally, it will present useful learning outcomes emanating from this type of collaborative learning arrangement.

“Our vision is of an enlightened, free, well-informed, well-educated and healthy people, living as a harmonious, integrated and caring community, guided by a democratic culture based on shared common values, open to positive interaction with other cultures, in an economy which is productive and diversified, and provides meaningful employment” (The Northern Campus Vision 2020, produced in March 1999 during the Campus' first Vision to Action Workshop).

The Northern Campus was established in 1998 in the most populous north central region of Namibia, where 45% of the Namibian population resides. Since its establishment the principle of collaboration and community participation formed part of the planning process and operations of the campus. The Campus vision above has been developed in collaboration with the region's communities and it had helped the University in developing educational programmes that are relevant and address community needs.

Before the Northern Campus the University operated 9 regional centres, which are used to provide administrative and academic support to distance students. While the Campus was established for the intention of extending diploma and degree programmes to the most populous region of the country, due to public demand the University also decided to “provide innovative and tailor-made programmes based on the needs of the community that will be flexible and adjustable” (Harlech-Jones 2002, p. 14).

Through various forums with the local community it was also found that what was needed in the region was to educate the residents to realize a sense of responsibility to their communities and for the campus to provide an educated and productive workforce. As a result the two programmes, the New Leaders Initiative Programme and the JobStart Programme were developed to address issues of leadership development and the eradication of unemployment among young adults of the region. The development and implementation of the two programmes were made possible by a generous funding from The Ford Foundation.

The development of educational programmes at the Northern Campus is guided by the principle of collaboration and community participation. Moreover, it was proposed that in developing the two programmes distance and open learning methods be used to widen the scope of learning and ensure that information communicated to participants located in all corners of the region would be the same in all respects. Furthermore, during the implementation process local community structures and resources were used to ensure that learning was relevant to community needs and aspirations.

The New Leaders Initiative programmes was first implemented in 2000 and the JobStart in 2001 and the implementation process was as described below.

Experience has shown that every year people in rural areas of Namibia establish projects to raise awareness on issues of regional and national importance and mobilize community members to participate in those projects. However, commendable as they might be, in most cases these projects disappear from the scene without recognition and support. This results from initiators getting demoralized, stop their activities and some even move out of those communities to other parts of the country where their efforts are accorded the recognition they deserve. Thus, failure to recognize efforts made by upcoming leaders robs local communities of high calibre people with workable ideas.

The objective of the New Leaders Initiative Programme was therefore, to recognize the initiatives by these upcoming leaders that promote economic and community development and civic vitality in rural areas. It aimed at developing local leadership at community level through appraising individuals who seek to transform the social and economic life of their communities, by recognizing their efforts, providing them with advice and training opportunities. It was hoped that the recognition and experience gained from the training would further lead to greater involvement of these individuals and motivate them to continue engaging in community development activities. By recognizing these leaders, the programme also hoped to encourage and inspire other community members to become active and productive citizens.

In order to give impetus to genuine collaboration and partnership with the local community, selection of candidates was a joint effort by the UNAM Northern Campus and regional leaders. Each constituency nominated one person who qualifies for the programme, according to the given criteria. Eligible candidates were invited to participate in the programme. All 46 new leaders, 26 for the first intake and 20 for the second intake, underwent training. The training included one-week face-to-face and seven months self-directed study period. Furthermore, all participants were provided with advisory services, which ranged from assisting with project proposals, forming networks and designing plans for further collaboration.

The study materials for this programme were developed with the aim that most of the learning would be done through distance and only a small part was through face-to-face training. The study materials were prepared by Northern Campus staff cooperatively with the Heartland Centre for Leadership Development, an independent non-profit orgainsation based in Lincoln, Nebraska, USA. The Northern Campus and the Centre for External Studies' Continuing Education Department staff delivered the face-to-face training. Participants used the self-directed study materials between the one-week training and the celebration of their achievements, which took place seven months later. During that period selected Councillors and business leaders were requested to assist with participants' learning process.

Besides not recognising individuals who initiate projects, the other concern of the region was the high level of unemployment, particularly among young people. At the time of implementing the JobStart Programme in 2001, the unemployment rate in the region was 54%, 6.1% more than the national figures of 47.9%. Today, unemployment is still a problem at 36.7% nationally and 64% in the region (The Namibian Newspaper, 14 June 2006: pp.1-2). The problem of youth unemployment was discussed at the region's partnership workshop in June 2001, organised to develop strategies to address the problem. One of the five-year goals identified at the workshop was that there would be a full range of vocational skills training opportunities throughout the region, meeting the needs of unemployed young adults.

The aim of the JobStart Programme was therefore, to prepare participants for employment through a combination of off-the-job training and work experience. Its objective was to increase the trainees' level of self-confidence and self-esteem, and equip them with the non-technical skills expected by employers in the work situation. The target group was school leavers who had completed grade 12.

The selection process for the JobStart programme followed an open competition. The programme was advertised in the national press, at local youth organisations' offices and regional youth forums. The selection criteria were applied to ensure that the selected candidates had the greatest potential to benefit from the programme and secure employment upon completion. Using the given criteria 60 participants were selected for the first intake and further sixty for the second intake of the programme. In the process 30 participants dropped out and only 90 participants successfully completed the programme.

The training programme consisted of 5 weeks off-the-job-training, mainly through face-to-face and a small part of self-directed study covering these topics:

The programme also consisted of 10 weeks of practical work experience. The practical work experience was implemented in collaboration with the business community and political leaders in the region. It took place between week four and week five of face-to-face training. Suitable candidates were assigned to employers, the employers were provided with a profile of the candidate and employers in turn provided trainees with guidelines.

The model of this programme was adopted from Onondanga Community College, New York, USA, which offered a similar programme. The study materials and delivery of the programme were the responsibility of two VSO volunteers, selected community members and the Northern Campus CEDU staff. The study materials were developed with the aim that learning would be done mainly through face-face mode, supplemented by self-directed study (through specially prepared worksheets). The self-directed study component was designed to offer support to participants between face-to-face sessions and during the job placement.

It has been said that when stakeholders share the responsibility of educating society that learning is more meaningful to individuals participating in the learning experience (Treleaven and Cecez-Kecmanovic 2001). The two programmes therefore provided opportunities where participants, the University and members of the community worked together to achieve shared understanding of important issues in society and co-create useful knowledge. According to Treleaven and Cecez-Kecmanovic (2001, p. 170) collaborative learning strategies require more interactions and engagements with learners to “produce deep learning of concepts, theories and the co-creation of knowledge”.

Since this learning was collaboratively arranged and distance and open learning methods were used it enhanced social interaction opportunities among participants, community members and the University. It also enabled people with families and far away from a university campus to learn in their own environment and to immediately implement what has been learned. It was discovered later that such models provided participants with opportunities to influence each other and their communities. The methods were also found to be effective in facilitating learning that directly contribute to participants' livelihoods and improving their quality of life.

Furthermore, both programmes have enabled rural people to earn a living, create better living conditions, create employment and in the process provided the needed products and services to their communities. The New Leaders Initiative programme made the most community impact. Since participants had workable ideas, they had managed to utilise the learning experience. Out of the 46 participants 9 (20 %) are still continuing with their projects with 3 doing very well. 16 (35%) participants have found permanent employment within their local communities, while the rest (21 participants) have moved out of their communities to more developed parts of Namibia.

One participant in the New Leaders Initiative programme, Samuel Angala, is really worthy mentioning. He is currently managing three projects located in the region: a student canteen at the Northern Campus, a cleaning service at a nearby Agricultural College and a bicycle courier service (Speedbike Enterprise -SBE). Currently he employs 30 people permanently and many others as casual workers. In addition, he created an association called Namibian Youth Enterprise Fighting Unemployment (NYEFU).

He also built a shelter for patients' relatives who care for the sick at one of the largest hospital in the region, Oshakati Hospital. “During the official launch of the Wapandula Noyaka Shelter, Chairman of SBE, Samuel Angala said, `the conditions under which visitors previously stayed were both inhuman and degrading'. The shelter will also provide health education on HIV/AIDS, TB, Malaria and Nutrition” (The Namibian Newspaper, 12 June 2006, p. 5).

Samuel succeeded through collaborating with others and in building the Hospital Shelter he collaborated with the Northern Campus. He said “it is through the New Leaders programme that I have got an opportunity to learn how to lead people, to solve conflict and this have gave me an open chance to be recognized by different institutions including the Vocational Training Centre where I am doing my bricklaying and plastering course” (Samuel Angala, July 2006). He also said that he learned a lot from local business people, Regional Councillors and even from people beyond Namibia's borders. “. …my organizations have won an International Awards from the Jet Community Award from South Africa and from the World Bank. All these are fruits of the New Leaders programme because we have learned how to win prices (prizes) and awards” (Samuel Angala, July 2006).

Participants appreciated the opportunities to learn better ways of learning together with their communities and communicating with people in authority. As the participant who established an HIV/AIDS Youth Club put it, “it is good to find employment in my community, I got this job because I was able to put my ideas across the Regional Management Committee during the interview” (Foibe Hailaula, July 2006). This young woman is now employed as an HIV/AIDS Support Officer with her Regional Council. This position provided her opportunities to be exposed to best practices of HIV/AIDS prevention used elsewhere in the world, enabling her to gain new perspectives on her job. As she said during the interview “ I have attended one week training on Sexual and Reproductive Right of Young People (SRHP) on a study tour to Zimbabwe in July 2002, and that helped me a great deal” (Foibe Hailaula, July 2006).

The third person worthy mentioning is a lady who established the stoves manufacturing project, manufacturing stoves that are appropriate for rural conditions, using corrugated iron sheets. Currently the project employs 10 people. She has also established a gardening project where young people grow vegetables and sell to local people thereby generating income for themselves. Additionally, she has negotiated for a free venue with her Regional Councillor to enable talented young people to perform (drama and music) whereby people coming to these events pay entrance fee, which is an income for the young artists. Not only that the artists are making an income this has created vibrant social evenings in her community. She said that the “New Leaders Initiative programme helped me a lot, through it I had learned how to lead people with different understanding and with different age groups.” (Julinda Nanghanda, July 2006).

When compared with the New Leaders Initiative programme the JobStart programme had less community impact because it was designed with a very specific target audience in mind - only those who have reached grade 12. However, it has managed to equip that particular audience with the skills necessary for the workplace. I succeeded in tracing back 42 of the 90 participants that completed the programme. The 42 participants were all employed, with 40 of them finding permanent employment of which 5 were employed in neighbouring South Africa. The other 2 participants were still working as volunteers and hoping to gain enough work experience to be able to be offered paid employment. Even though there is no visible community impact 44% being permanently employed is significant and it can be concluded that the programme has been successful in contributing to the well being of young people in the region.

In addition to enabling participants to be employed the programme has also created a new way of addressing unemployment in the region where job creation is hard to come by. Local employers and Regional Councillors especially appreciated this approach of addressing unemployment and learning together. As one of the employers said “unemployment is a national burden and we all have a part to play in enabling young people to get the practical skills necessary to enter the workforce and for enabling the region to address developmental goals, especially that of eradicating poverty and hunger” (Ms Karen Kaafuli, one of the 2001 JobStart employer).

Since Namibia's independence in 1990 UNAM has been utilising open and distance learning methods to enable teachers and nurses to qualify for their jobs, but it has never used the methodology in developing non-formal programmes. Due to a paradigm shift to more open learning and open knowledge systems, the University decided to engage in non-formal programmes utilizing open and distance learning methods. It also realized that developing programmes for this paradigm shift calls for collaboration with relevant stakeholders in society.

The two programmes were thus developed in partnerships with the local community and other educational institutions in the United States, which provided materials and methods that have been successful in communities with similar conditions. These materials and methods were then adopted and changed to suit the Namibian conditions. The programmes enabled academics to make sense of participants' messages and their aspirations in implementing community development activities. As a result they assisted in creating new knowledge that is valued in local communities and by participants.

We have also learned that it is possible for higher education to successfully engage with local communities and provide strategies and learning approaches for addressing developmental goals. Also, that it is possible for higher education institutions to collaborate with rural communities and bring about socio-economic development and create communities of action. As Roger Mills and Alan Tait (1996, p.8) put it if “faculty makes the time, place and modes of curriculum delivery more accessible, they are simultaneously opening the universities to new kinds of students”. Through these programmes the Northern Campus received students who other wise would have not come to a University campus, even though they are full of innovative ideas that have the potential to bring about development in rural areas.

During the self-directed learning participants were encouraged to approach their Councillors and other local leaders if they experienced any problems. However, we learned that if we are to use business and political leaders as partners in the learning process, they need to be prepared for the job and to change their mindset and attitudes towards a more participatory learning that increases mutual understanding of issues and assist to cooperatively construct useful knowledge.

Finally, it should be mentioned that the University was criticized for engaging in non-formal education both by academics and Government. Academics felt that by engaging in such low level education the University was degrading its academic standards, while government felt that resources were being wasted in offering non-degree programmes. It is however this author's conviction that universities should engage in developing and testing innovative learning approaches that facilitate community economic development and once successfully tested the University could transfer them on to relevant stakeholders for implementation.

The evaluation of these programmes provides convincing data to interest other stakeholders in implementing them. With the unemployment situation rife in the country this is an opportune time to introduce the two programmes on a large scale. It is noted that as people become disenchanted with current services, they tend to become increasingly interested in participating in activities that respond to their immediate needs (Zwierzynski 2003). The hope is that the high unemployment will be enough motivation for Government and civil society to participate in the expanded New Leaders Initiative and JobStart programmes.

Ileka, Merja, (2006). “Shelter open for Oshakati patients' relatives”, The Namibian Newspaper, 12 June, p. 5, John Meinert Printing, Windhoek.

Treleaven, Lesley and Cecez-Kecmanovic, Dubravka (2001), “Collaborative learning in web-mediated environment: A study of communicative practices”, Studies in Continuing Education, vol 23, no 2, pp. 169 - 182.

Zwierzynski, Marcelo (2003), “On global wisdom: Some thoughts about the role of adult education in rebuilding civil society in Argentina”, Convergence, 2003, vol 36, no 1, pp. 5 - 19.