Sharing
the Social Mobilization Model Through Training
January – March 2001
 To
increase awareness and the ownership of ideas and practices
related to education and other social issues in Malawi, Creative
Associates developed and tested an innovative social mobilization
process throughout the 1990’s. The strategy employed
grassroots level methodologies and one-on-one communication
at the community level to increase girls' access to and participation
in formal basic education programs. The success of this strategy
led to a similar campaign to improve community participation
in educational quality as well as one to increase community
awareness and involvement in combating HIV/AIDS.
Under
the BEPS Project, the results of these campaigns were synthesized,
ensuring lessons learned
can be disseminated.
BEPS consolidated the projects’ experiences into a conceptual
model delineating a process for creating community dialogue
and then mobilizing communities to accept responsibility and
take action to address those issues. Key stakeholders and policy
makers are kept informed of the community activities and work
to influence policy change. After developing the conceptual
model, BEPS facilitated a training in which Malawian NGO project
participants taught other education professionals how to implement
this social mobilization model at the Comparative and International
Education Society Conference in 2001.
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