Highland valley of al-Ahjur in central Yemen

The following report was recently published online by dvv international at the Institut für Zusammenarbeit des Deutschen Volkshochschul-Verbandes. It can be read in English, French or Spanish. The report describes an innovative World Bank-funded literacy project coordinated in Yemen by anthropologist Najwa Adra in 2002/2003.

Learning through Heritage, Literacy through Poetry
by Najwa Adra

I have just read Henrik Zipsane’s fascinating article on heritage learning (Zipsane 2007) in the latest issue of this journal. Zipsane describes several highly effective programs for lifelong learning provided by Jamtli Open Air Museum in Sweden. He argues that each person’s heritage includes “many coexisting histories” and that there is a need to provide diverse learning experiences. He suggests that one can learn “through cultural heritage” and not only about this heritage. In a part of the world far from Sweden, geographically and culturally, I too have found that heritage can be an effective learning tool “in the present” and not just an interesting artifact of the past.
The Project

In 2002-2003, I piloted a literacy project for adults in Yemen, on the SW corner of the Arabian Peninsula, in which learners created their own texts through their stories, poems and rhyming proverbs (Adra 2004). 2 Classes began with a discussion of a photograph of a scene familiar to the students or a topic of their choice. Students were encouraged to insert poetry and proverbs into their discussion, as is their custom when discussing issues of importance to them. With the teacher’s help, the class developed a short story based on the discussion. This story, which was written on large paper taped to the wall, along with poems and proverbs generated by the discussion, became the text through which students learned to recognize and read phrases, words and letters of the alphabet. In order to reinforce letter and word recognition, texts often focused on particular letters, words or syllables.

Because each class developed its own texts, classes were inherently diverse. Texts were first written in the local dialect spoken in the community. When students developed word and letter recognition, rules of standard written Arabic were introduced. (They need to know standard written Arabic because most published materials and media messages are phrased in standard Arabic.) Each text was typed, photocopied and returned to the students, so that they could learn to read their stories and poems in print as well as handwritten form. Finally, the typed texts of each class were collected and bound into a book. Each student who completed the course was given a book that she helped write.

Why were students encouraged to include poetry in their discussions and stories? As in many other Arabic speaking countries, the vast majority of rural Yemenis above the age of 35 can compose or improvise short poems of two to four lines which they sing while they work in the fields, at home, on construction projects or on a number of other tasks. 3 These poems express their deep feelings about their situation in the family as well as local and international issues. Short poems and proverbs are often inserted into conversation to make a point, and poetic competitions are integral to Yemen’s heritage. Poetry is used regularly in conflict mediation to persuade the two sides to compromise (Caton 1990). Women’s oral traditions have been threatened by socio-economic changes, new media such as television (Adra 1996), and imported conservative interpretations of Islam that denounce women’s oral traditions as un-Islamic. While some genres of men’s poetry have been enhanced through the use of audiocassettes (Caton 1990, Miller 2007), women’s sung poems are rarely heard any more.

Literacy through Poetry, which was funded by the World Bank and the Social Fund for Development (SFD) in Sanaa, was designed to respond to two concerns: the very high illiteracy rate (78.2 %) among rural women in Yemen 4 and the progressive loss of women’s voice in the past 30 years. Would incorporating local poetry in literacy classes attract rural students and sustain their interest in acquiring reading and writing skills? And/or would this participatory approach enhance the effectiveness of teaching and learning? The pilot was intended to test these two questions. It was also hoped that recognizing and affirming women’s poetry, their traditional form of public expression, would empower women and encourage younger women to revive and continue their mothers’ poetic traditions.

Basic to the project is my belief, shared by the donors and implementers, that in today’s global environment, learning to read and write is itself empowering for both women and men and basic to development. This position has been contested in literacy studies, often with good reasons, and I would not have argued in its favor thirty years ago. Certainly, illiterates are as intelligent and articulate as those who can read and write, but in rural Yemen today, the inability to read severely limits one’s independence and the autonomy that Yemenis value. Reading skills are needed to perform even the most basic tasks, such as taking medication or applying pesticides safely, using a cell phone, navigating urban environments, reading letters from migrant kin, and even understanding extension messages aired in the media. When I have asked women why they want to read and write, they have often responded with an Arabic proverb: “Learning is a woman’s weapon” ( Al-‘ilm sila – h. al-mar’a ). Furthermore, women and men in this pious country cite learning to the read the Quran as an important priority for them.

The pilot was conceived to attract adult rural Yemeni women (and men) to literacy classes and to introduce up-to-date pedagogy to Yemen’s adult literacy programs. Existing literacy classes offered by the Ministry of Education condense six years of elementary school curriculum into two years; a heavy illustrated text is used, and learning is purely rote. This curriculum is most attractive to young people who dropped out of school at a young age and who wish to complete elementary school. Even among these, withdrawal rates are extremely high, estimated at 80-90 %, and the ability of graduates to read unfamiliar text, even after two years of instruction, is low.

Older adults, on the other hand, find textbooks and exams alienating and do not feel the need to learn all of the subjects taught in school. When interviewed they usually say that they simply want to acquire reading, writing and numeracy skills. This pilot was designed for the

latter group – older adults not interested in pursuing the full range of basic education. As it turned out, many of the students in the pilot went on to register in government literacy classes after spending nine months in the pilot, an indication of its contribution to lifelong learning.

Literacy through Poetry was participatory from its inception. In response to adult women’s expressed needs, it did not aim to provide a basic (formal) education. Instead, its modest goals included reading and writing skills. Graduates of the program were expected to be able to read new text and write a short paragraph on a topic of interest. The curriculum was developed by Maritza Arrastea and Fatiha Makloufi. 6 It combines a Freirean emphasis on learning through dialogue and drawing class content from the local culture with a community literature approach in its development of student stories. 7 The teaching of reading skills began with sentence and word recognition, then focused on syllable and alphabet recognition. What is new to the method is its focus on the students’ poetry and oral heritage.

Before continuing with details of the pilot, I provide a sample text developed in one of the classes. The text addresses conflicts between the demands of agricultural labor and education, as well as the common disregard for girls’ education. (Prose is presented only in English translation. Poetry is presented in the local dialect of Arabic followed by my translation.)

The story: Muhsin went to the fields early in the morning. He went with Hamud and his daughter, Rahma, to sow seeds. When his wife brought them breakfast, she said: “Ya ma’in” (Oh, hard worker – This is a common greeting and appreciative comment to someone who is working.)

He replied poetically using a variant of “ma’in”, the word she had used, “Allah ya’in al-jami'” (May God help everyone.” )

His wife said, “Shame on you for taking your daughter out of school to help in the fields.”

He then recited a verse from the folk tradition:

Ma rayt mithl al-zira’a
Ma rayt ana mithliha shay’
Al-waqt kullihu matalim
Ghayr al-madhari laha awqat

Translation :
I have never seen anything like farmin g
I have never seen anything like it .
It is always time to plant somethin g
Except those plants that have specific sowing seasons .
(In other words, there is always work to do. )

His wife’s sarcastic poetic response was composed by a learner:

Hadhihi al-sana biyidrisayn ‘ajaiz
Wayn al-mudir yidi lahin jawa’iz?

Translation:

This year, old women are studying Where is the director (in this case, school principal) who should be giving them certificates?

(In other words, why are men in positions of authority not providing the support they need?)

In this example, the story reflects problems often encountered by rural students. Poetry and humor present both the man’s reasons for taking his daughter out of school and his wife’s annoyed and clever retort.

For the full report, click here.