As access to digital technology becomes more wide-spread, rural communities are finding ways of enhancing their livelihoods through new knowledge, diverse modes of communication and expanded social networks. National... [ view full abstract ]
As access to digital technology becomes more wide-spread, rural communities are finding ways of enhancing their livelihoods through new knowledge, diverse modes of communication and expanded social networks. National governments and NGOs increasingly recognise the importance of integrating information technologies into agricultural development programmes. In the Philippines, the government set out to strengthen services that provide farmers with information on enhancing farm technologies, increasing farm production, and facilitating market prices practices. However, some farmers still report a lack of access to relevant information concerning their livelihoods. This paper sets out to explore how women could benefit more from new technologies for enhanced and sustainable livelihoods.
Recent research on adult learning and agricultural extension in Cambodia, Egypt and Ethiopia revealed that providers often failed to recognise and build on the informal learning strategies that farmers were developing to access new knowledge and digital technologies. Adult literacy programmes tended to take a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to functional literacy, adopting an instrumental approach to educating women. Similarly, agricultural extension programmes rarely took account of indigenous knowledge, and ended up excluding the poorest non-literate farmers.
Focusing on a project implemented by two women-led organisations in Cebu, an area devastated by Typhoon Seniang in the Philippines, this paper looks at an alternative approach to supporting literacies for sustainable livelihoods. Combining Participatory Action Research (PAR) methodology and the Sustainable Livelihoods Approach (SLA), the project adopts Freirean principles to engage women in collective action. Building on a social practice model of literacy, the paper investigates this participatory approach to developing a sustainable information system. By building on their existing literacies, farmers are encouraged to take on the role of researchers to ensure innovation, improvement, and sustainability of their livelihoods. The paper also considers the broader policy implications for cross-sectoral collaboration.
