The aims of the University of Bakhat Alruda include undertaking outreach activities and contributing to the country's development. Therefore, in October 2005, the university created the Faculty of Community Development, one of five faculties. The main mission of this faculty is to promote education and training for women in rural areas of the White Nile. In addition, the Faculty aims to train experts in local and community development and to conduct research on living conditions in rural areas of the White Nile.
The dissemination of basic education and access to it represents a significant challenge in the Sudan. In 2000, only 53% of boys and 47% of girls of school age were enrolled in primary education. These percentages are lower than those of other Arab countries, which are generally around 60%. Women have the lowest rate of enrolment, particularly in rural areas.
The main economic activity of women in the White Nile state is carried out in the family environment. Most women are involved in subsistence agriculture, which does not create independent income. This situation means that there is little social recognition of the work done by women.
One indirect effect of women’s low education levels can be the problem of child malnutrition. Mothers need to receive nutritional information in order to make the best use of food resources. In the Sudan, 22.6% of children under five suffer from this condition.
Some of the social and political conflicts that have arisen in the Sudan in recent years have a cultural and religious basis. There is great cultural diversity in the Sudan, and there is also often a lack of understanding between the different communities. Therefore, any educational initiative should include the perspective of cultural diversity.
The aims of the University of Bakhat Alruda include undertaking outreach activities and contributing to the country’s development. Therefore, in October 2005, the university created the Faculty of Community Development, one of five faculties. The main mission of this faculty is to promote education and training for women in rural areas of the White Nile. In addition, the Faculty aims to train experts in local and community development and to conduct research on living conditions in rural areas of the White Nile.
The main aims of the community colleges are:
- To carry out diagnostic analyses of the illiterate female population. - To provide the female population with tools that will increase the rural population's income. - To increase the rural female population's knowledge about health and the environment. - To promote the values of coexistence and mutual understanding. - To generate conditions that enable women to create a family environment that is beneficial to all members of the family.
The Faculty of Community Development has set up eleven Community Colleges in rural areas of the White Nile. These colleges, which are jointly managed by the community and the university, offer training to women from each community.
The selection of communities for the project was made on the basis of objective criteria drawn up by the Faculty of Community Development. They include:
1. The number of families that can potentially be reached in the area. 2. The ranking of a community in the list of areas with the greatest needs (compiled by experts from the Faculty of Community Development). 3. An assessment of the local resources that are needed to facilitate the implementation of the project. 4. The availability of qualified staff, or the possibility of employing staff from other regions who can travel to carry out these programs. 5. The required infrastructure: the community should have a space that can house the community college.
The recruitment of teachers to give the training sessions, which was also a key factor, was based on two main criteria: they had to be technically competent (with a minimum level of education) and capable of using only limited resources to give the training courses.
The community colleges only admit women. Educational level and age are not taken into account in the admissions process. Groups are formed according to the characteristics of the students, as there is a great difference between educational levels (from women with secondary school education to illiterate women) and ages (which vary between 15 and 50). The maximum number of students per course is 50.
Students who complete the course receive a certificate from the Community College. Courses last for a maximum of six months. The students choose their timetable to fit in with their other commitments. They do, however, have to take at least three hours of classes a day, including one hour of theory and two hours of practical work.
The following courses are taught at the community colleges.
1. Health course: this provides advice on topics such as the health of mothers and children; nutrition of children who are still on a milk diet; malnutrition; vaccination; illnesses and mental health problems.
2. Environmental course: the teaches basic environmental concepts, with a focus on sustainability and natural resources; energy resources; trees and their economic and environmental impact; water circulation and drainage; drinking water and the use of chemical fertilizers.
3. Food and nutrition: this course focuses on giving specific guidelines on nutrition and preserving food.
4. Religion: the aim is to present definitions and aspects of religion. There is a particular emphasis on giving an open view of religion, which highlights the role of women in society and the coexistence of religions.
5. Craftwork: currently, this course aims to offer training in craftwork techniques. This could help to generate income in small family or community industries. The indirect aim is for women's work to be recognised as a social activity that is economically useful.
There are now 11 community colleges employing a total of 120 professionals, 90% of whom are women. Most of the colleges are being renovated, as they are often located in old, underused buildings or in buildings donated by individuals or the local government.
One of the participating communities has collected money and constructed a new building to house the community college (Fig. 1).
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