by lwang | Jan 12, 2012 | Education, Landesa, Roy Prosterman, Tim Hanstad
2006 Kravis Prize winner Roy Prosterman’s organization, Landesa, which helps the world’s poor secure land rights, has come a long way since its inception in 1981. Today, their work spans all across the globe, including Odisha, India, and impacts development in a variety of ways. For example, did you know that the lack of land titles could affect one’s access to educational opportunities? In an article published in the Huffington Post, Landesa President and CEO Tim Hanstad explains that owning land titles is crucial to improving school enrollment rates in developing countries: “So, what can be done to make sure that all children get that chance? Part of the answer lies in the land. In the [Indian] state of Odisha, at least 40 percent of rural families, many of whom are tribal, lack legal rights to the land on which they depend. Often they’ve been farming this land for generations but without legal title. Without this documentation, they often cannot access the free tuition and related services and subsidies to which they are entitled.” Thankfully, Landesa has partnered with the Odisha government to help families gain their land patta, or land title document, which has helped many children receive the free admission or stipends that the Indian government provides to certain tribes. During a visit, Hanstad made some observations on how the land titles have impacted the society: “As I saw in Odisha, land rights not only yield productive farmers. They also nurture students who grow to become engineers, doctors, executives, parents, elected officials, scientists and productive members of society in countless other ways. That ‘second harvest’ has an...
by lwang | Dec 14, 2011 | Education, Pratham, Sustainable Development
Kravis Prize winners are tackling pertinent social issues throughout the world. For example, 2010 Kravis Prize winner Pratham has been praised for its innovative solutions in education. Pratham Books’ latest initiative, Awareness Today for a Greener Tomorrow, aims to kill two birds with one stone by promoting environmental awareness and literacy. According to the Hindu, Pratham Books is releasing environmentally themed books as part of its campaign. Manisha Chaudhry, head of content development at Pratham Books, said: “We are doing this in a way that is natural and real, rather than teaching them lessons in morals and ecology. We hope the books will make readers respect wildlife. We want the children to know that like us, animals too have many dimensions to them. We can make children more sensitive towards them.” Since 2011 was named the “International Year of the Forest” by the United Nations General Assembly, Pratham Books is holding different events throughout December to spread awareness for a greener world. Head on over to their website to check out the events and conservation tips! You can also learn more about Pratham here. “Planting an idea” [The Hindu, December 9,...
by lwang | Dec 1, 2011 | AIL, Community Development, Education, Sakena Yacoobi
With their profound and inspiring work, it’s no surprise that Kravis Prize winners are acknowledged worldwide by prestigious organizations. In fact, 2009 Kravis Prize winner and Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL) Founder Sakena Yacoobi was honored as the 2006 Skoll Social Entrepreneur. The Skoll Foundation also produced a great video of Sakena Yacoobi telling the story of the people of Afghanistan. In the video, she says that the Taliban in Afghanistan caused the country to lose an “educated society.” So how is AIL remedying this problem? Yacoobi explains it best: “Afghan Institute of Learning is a non-profit organization mainly run by women. We run program[s] in the area of education, health, leadership, human rights, women’s rights, gender issues, management and peace education. So far AIL has trained 16,000 teachers and we have reached 6.8 million people.” One of the driving forces behind AIL’s success is Yacoobi’s optimism and persistence: “The future is bright because the people have this strength in them that they really want to be independent. They want to be self-sufficient. Believe me, the people of Afghanistan have the potential, have the energy to overcome and to that, I see a beautiful, very bright future of people in Afghanistan and for the new generation of Afghanistan. That would be my dream come true.” Enjoy the video below and let us know how Sakena Yacoobi and her work with AIL inspire...
by lwang | Nov 16, 2011 | Education, Pratham
Here at the Kravis Prize, we’re proud that our winners continually lead the dialogue on international development issues. In honor of Children’s Day in India this past Monday, Pratham CEO Madhav Chavan contributed an article to the Hindustan Times, discussing the future of education. Chavan commended the increasing strides towards breaking down technological and economic barriers to knowledge, but acknowledged that there is still much more to be done: “The education system tries to fit the technology to serve its dead content and dull processes that deliver a linear curriculum rather than taking advantage of the randomness of access to live knowledge that the technology facilitates. Using ICT without changing the mindset about education will not improve the system of education. The tablet alone is unlikely to cure the patient. It requires a change of lifestyle as physicians often say.” The Hindustan Times and Indian Express also published articles by Pratham members, MIT Professor Abhijit Banerjee and Accountability Initiative Director Yamini Aiyar, who discussed public versus private schools and India’s Right to Education Act. Find out more of what these leaders in education have to say: “Learning curbs” [The Hindustan Times, Abhijit Banerjee, November 13, 2011] “The tablet as a pill” [The Hindustan Times, Madhav Chavan, November 13, 2011] “The right to fix your education” [The Indian Express, Yamini Aiyar, November 14, 2011] And to find out more about Pratham, head over to our profile of the 2010 Kravis Prize...
by lwang | Nov 11, 2011 | Education, FAWE, Female Empowerment
Here at the Kravis Prize, we are proud that our winners contribute to cutting-edge research in areas of international development. In July 2011, the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) launched a new research series for its Strengthening Gender Research to Improve Girls’ and Women’s Education in Africa Initiative. The initiative, supported by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, “promotes girls and women’s education through the integration of gender into education policy and practice in sub-Saharan Africa.” FAWE is already a leader in research on gender equality in education. The first volume of the FAWE Research Series compiled eight studies undertaken in over 20 African countries from 2009 to 2010, targeting key issues such as: “What is the relationship between a student’s gender and academic success? What are the factors contributing to the gaps in academic attainment between girls and boys? Is there a pattern to these relationships and factors across African countries? Why are girls and women less likely to choose science, mathematics and technology subjects at secondary and tertiary education levels? What social processes within learning institutions can enhance the participation of girls and women in education? What coping strategies do women employ to ensure they succeed in their university studies? And what are their career prospects once they graduate from higher education?” FAWE put out a call for proposals for its latest research initiative on September 29. Learn more about the research series here. And to learn more about FAWE and how it’s educating women and girls across Africa, visit:...
by lwang | Oct 12, 2011 | Education, Pratham
Pratham, the 2010 Kravis Prize winner, is world-renowned for its programs that tackle the major issues in India’s education system. In the Huffington Post, blogger and author C.M. Rubin discussed the potential parallels between the state of education in the United States and India, including the educational readiness of children from poor and low-income families. Dr. Madhav Chavan, Pratham CEO and co-Founder, shared his thoughts with Rubin on what India and the U.S. might learn from each other’s education systems: “On the face of it, the two systems are at least a century apart and may have nothing to learn from each other. Indian educators would need to look at how the US schools evolved over the last two centuries, and the US counterparts may want to look at how similar the root causes of poor learning are in schools where children of the poor go. I have been thinking lately that the basic model of the school is fast becoming outdated in the modern times … Perhaps both sets of educators should sit down and ask what kind of schools are needed for this century and if they can be systematically developed over the next twenty years.” Chavan also shared some of his insight on Pratham’s solutions to problems facing education in India: “In India, our first objective in many cases is teaching the child basic skills such as reading and writing. Our annual education survey also checks children’s competence in these basic skills and also their school attendance … Looking at the indicators and outcomes is the first step. Based on those results that I have explained...
