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WUSC works in a number of key areas that are essential for sustainable development:

Certifying Teachers in Afghanistan

Following decades of conflict and tumult, almost half of Afghanistan's children are still not attending schools. Despite an increase of teachers since 2001, only 24% of teachers have the minimum qualifications to teach. The country lacks common and appropriate standards for certifying teachers and accrediting teacher training institutions. Consequently, the quality of education in Afghanistan is poor.

Results: 

Expected results:

  • Improve the standards of teacher training institutions and quality of existing teachers within the education system
  • Enhance quality of classroom teaching
  • Increase equity in the delivery of education services across Afghanistan
  • Contribute to greater access to education for boys and girls
  • Increase primary completion percentage and secondary school enrolment
Tags: Afghanistan, Development in Fragile Contexts, Strengthening Educational Institutions

Plantation Communities Project in Sri Lanka

For Sri Lanka’s 300,000 Tamil tea pluckers and plantation workers, empowerment means much more than merely changing laws.  It means improving their daily living and working conditions. It means ensuring that they know their rights as Sri Lankan citizens. Most of all it means giving them the opportunities to shape their own futures.

Results: 
  • 10,000 Plantation residents have successfully navigated the complicated process of obtaining basic identity documents
  • Over 80 women's groups have received training to help them plan and implement community initiatives on gender inequality, violence against women, and access to health services and clean water
  • Hundreds of local youth have completed vocational training and secured good jobs working in the local welding, construction, hotel and garment industries
  • A number of plantations are promoting women to supervisory roles as a result of the training and activities under taken by the project
  • Rates of domestic violence have gone down while rates of participation in child care and household activities by men and boys have gone up

 

 

Tags: Basic Education, Life Skills, Sri Lanka, Skills For Employment, Skills for Employment, Development in Fragile Contexts, Strengthening Civil Society

Volunteer Cooperation in Haiti

In the aftermath of the January 2010 earthquake, Haiti is struggling to rebuild its  physical infrastructure as well as recover from damage done to important sectors that contribute to the development of the country. WUSC began the second phase of the Volunteer Cooperation Program in support of local government and non-governmental organizations who are contributing to rebuilding in the education, economic and government sectors, which are key to the success of long-term development efforts.

Tags: Haiti, Emergency Response, Engaging Canadians, Strengthening Educational Institutions

Education and Training in South Sudan

Decades of conflict have exacted a heavy toll on the people of Sudan. Many adults and children have not had the opportunity to attend school or training programs. As a result, the national literacy rate is one of the lowest in the world.  Women have been particularly affected. While primary school enrollment has increased fourfold since the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in 2005, the need for classrooms and trained teachers remains an enormous challenge to get the education system functioning again.

Results: 

WUSC is working toward the following results:

  • Youth will gain increased employment, self-employment and educational attainment through vocational skills training and improved literacy, numeracy and life skills
  • Womenwith increased literacy, numeracy and life skills
  • Teachers will acquire increased  English language skills, improved teacher training methods and increased sensitivity to gender equality issues
Tags: South Sudan, Skills For Employment, Development in Fragile Contexts

Canada Fund for Local Initiatives

The Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI) is a Government of Canada fund that provides financial support for small, local Non-Governmental Organizations and Community-Based Organizations to promote economic and social development at a community level through technical, economic, educational, cultural or social development projects.

WUSC manages the funds for Botswana and Malawi on behalf of the Embassy of Canada in Harare and the Canadian High Commission in Maputo respectively.

Tags: Malawi, Botswana, Skills For Employment, Strengthening Civil Society

Field Support Services

To effectively support development in any country, it is important to have sound knowledge of the local culture and context and to maintain good partnerships and relationships. Networking and maintaining contacts with other donors and government as well as local officials is vital to keep current with emerging development needs and issues and to ensure that development assistance is well coordinated and harmonized.

Tags: Peru, Vietnam, Special Topics

Mr. S. Ganeshamoorthy - an active facilitator from Osborne Estate

Mr. Ganeshamoorthy is a young volunteer with an important goal: helping his fellow community members from Osborne Estate to access and protect their basic identification documents.

In Sri Lanka’s plantation communities, lacking the proper identification documents, such as a birth certificate, can be a serious obstacle to accessing important services. Mr. Ganeshamoorthy is one of several volunteers from Osborne who help estate residents acquire their documents. He received training by WUSC in May 2010 to strengthen citizens’ rights on Sri Lankan plantations.

Tags: Life Skills, Plantation Communities Project in Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka, Skills For Employment, Development in Fragile Contexts, Strengthening Civil Society

Building Leadership Skills for Sri Lankan Youth

Once their secondary schooling has been completed, some Sri Lankan teenagers continue to live with and depend on their parents. Years of civil conflict, the 2004 tsunami and recent flooding in the East have worsened the situation, displacing thousands of families. In these circumstances, many youth moving toward adulthood are ill-prepared to contribute to their households, become independent and help their siblings.  With few opportunities to pursue university studies, many youth still seek skills training, or life direction.  

Results: 
  • 1660 tsunami- or conflict-affected youth empowered to plan and to act
  • 44% of YITP graduates have pursued skills training courses
  • 23% of YITP graduates are either employed, self-employed or are pursuing higher education
  • 53% of participants are female
  • Over half of the youth in the program are also involved in community development groups (e.g. children’s aid society, tree planting)

 

Tags: Life Skills, Sri Lanka, Youth Employment, Skills For Employment, Development in Fragile Contexts

International Seminar

For over 60 years, the WUSC-initiated International Seminar has provided Canadian students with their first in-depth experience in a developing country. Now run by the Uniterra program, the annual seminar offers an unforgettable opportunity to build bridges to a more equitable world and empowers both Canadian and host country participants to become development advocates on campuses and beyond.

Tags: Engaging Students, Youth Employment, Engaging Canadians, Private Sector Partnerships, Skills for Employment, Canada, Strengthening Civil Society
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