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Alpha Hinda education project in the Republic of the Congo

Our initiative in the district of Hinda, going since 2012, spreads literacy among children and adults in the Republic of the Congo.

More access to education in aid of local development

Within the broader Hinda project, we came up with an initiative to spread literacy, setting up training centres where everyone, including in practice a large proportion of grown men and women, can learn to read, write and count until 2030. This is in line with the UN's fourth Sustainable Development Goal, quality education. The first phase of the Hinda project began in 2012. The second started in 2017 and saw the launch of a new literacy initiative for adults in its second year. To encourage local communities to take part, we spread information about it in Loemé-Nangama, Tchibanda, Kondi-Mbaka and Tchikoulou, the first places covered by the project. At the laucnh of the initiative, nine volunteers took part in training on teaching methods for adults and study programmes.

To encourage people to make the most of their individual skills, we not only funded education in the community but also launched joint initiatives. At each of the four facilities we ran farming projects, with a particular focus on rearing papaya and other crops to sell, the proceeds for which were given to the volunteers. In the long term, as the operation becomes more successful and incomes from farming go up, there are plans for forming the groups of students into a cooperative with a bank account for managing the financial side of their work. 

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is an action programme signed in September 2015 by 193 UN member states. It includes 17 goals for socio-economic development of communities and local areas. By launching this project, we are helping reach the fourth Sustainable Development Goal. We are helping provide local communities with "inclusive and equitable quality education and [...] lifelong learning opportunities" (Goal 4).

Impact on the environment and communities

Spreading literacy is critical to local economic development and helps improve quality of life and well-being in all the communities it touches.