The Marrakech Framework for Action (MFA, 2022) highlighted many thematic areas for ALE stakeholders to prioritise in the coming years. Each UNESCO member country is expected to domesticate this list and identify priorities that are most relevant nationally. It can also serve the African ALE community to narrow down this list to a manageable set of themes that can advise advocacy and other work in the coming years. This is not to say that each of the identified thematic areas is not important. Rather, it is to acknowledge the scale and scope of the challenge facing ALE and to suggest topics that can form the basis of a more targeted discussion.

The 1st Africa Adult Learning and Education (ALE) Conference brings together ALE practitioners and experts from 16 African countries to discuss ALE in the context of a just transition, its contribution as an essential component of community development, and to explore the adoption of a common advocacy platform for ALE in Africa.

Objectives

• To share and discuss examples from around the African continent of how ALE is contributing to community and national development and adapting to multiple challenges in a changing world.
• To explore the adoption of a common advocacy agenda for African ALE stakeholders for the next three years.

PROGRAMME

Please keep checking back for the updated conference programme

DAY ONE

• 08:30 - 09:00 | Arrival and registration of participants
• 09:00 - 09:30 | Opening Ceremony
  Thembisa Futshane (Deputy Director General, Community Education and Training, Department of Higher Education and Training)
  Esther Hirsch (Deputy Director, DVV International)

• 09:30 - 10:45 | Keynote Address - Ivor Baatjes (Executive Director, Canon Collins Trust)
• 11:15 - 11:30 | Explanation of conference Statement
• 11:15 - 12:30 | MOJA Digital Platform & Group Work - David Harrington (Project Manager, African Continental Project, DVV International)
• 13:30 - 14:45 | Presentation and Panel Discussion - Community Learning Centres as a key to Community Development
  Presenters:
  Imelda Kyaringabira Engabi, Principal Literacy Officer and National Coordinator - ICOLEW Programme, Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Uganda;
  Panellists:
  Dyson Mthawanji, Communications Officer, DVV International Southern Africa (Malawi);
  Said Errakib, Moroccan Lifelong Learning Forum (Morocco);
  Fatoumata Sylla Cisse, Head of the Department for Non-formal Education, Ministry of National Education (Mali), and Plenary

• 15:00 - 16:00 | Group Activity and Plenary: Exploring ALE Themes

END OF DAY ONE

• 18:30 - 20:30 | Reception Dinner

DAY TWO

• 08:30 - 09:00 | Recap of Day 1 and feedback - Rapporteur and All participants
• 09:00 - 10:45 | Presentation and Panel Discussion - Agriculture, Climate Change and ALE
  Presenter:
  Neila Rassaa (Institute of Agriculture and Higher Education, Tunisia);
  Panellists:
  Rebecca Lekoko, Professor of Adult Education (Botswana);
  Michael Ng’umbi, Director of the Institute of Adult Education (Tanzania);
  Séssévi Amah Ajavon, Head of the Department for Literacy and Non-Formal Education, Ministry of Social Action, Solidarity and the Promotion of Women (Togo), and Plenary

• 11:15 - 12:30 | Group Activity and Feedback session: Regional and African ALE Topics
• 13:30 – 14:45 | Group Activity: Soap Box
• 15:15 – 16:30 | Conference Statement - Conference Statement: Draft Reading, Plenary Discussion and Debate
• 16:30 – 16:50 | Closing Ceremony
  Thembisa Futshane, Deputy Director General, Community Education and Training, Department of Higher Education and Training;
  Esther Hirsch, Deputy Director, DVV International

• 17:00 End of Day 2

To download a detailed copy of the conference programme, please click here.

LOGISTICAL INFORMATION

To download a detailed copy of the logistical information, please click here

Conference Venue

• The conference will be taking place at the SunSquare Cape Town Gardens Hotel and all participants from outside Cape Town will be accommodated at the same location. The hotel is within walking to distance of shops and other amenities. Please ask at the hotel reception or check their website for further information about the local area and things to do in Cape Town.
• SunSquare Cape Town Gardens Hotel | Address: 10 Mill Street, Gardens, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa click here for directions | Phone: +27 21 465 1311 | Email : sunsquaregardens.reservations@southernsun.com | Website: www.southernsun.com/sunsquare-cape-town-gardens
• Check-in time is from 14:00, and check-out is by 11:00. The hotel can store luggage at the reception if you arrive before your room is ready. For delegates arriving early, the hotel will do their best to accommodate you; we ask for your patience in case your room is not ready yet.

Arrivals and Departures

• All delegates travelling from outside Cape Town will be met at the arrivals hall at Cape Town International Airport and shuttled to the conference venue. Look out for the VHS-DVV International sign in the arrivals hall.
• Transport to the airport will also be provided on departure. Please note the following number in case of difficulty in finding your shuttle: Ebrahim +27 (0)82 786 0789.

Weather

• Weather in late October and early November is generally mild. Temperatures are usually in the low 20s and sunny. Cape Town weather is notoriously changeable, so rain is possible. Please check the full forecast for conditions during your stay: www.weathersa.co.za.

Meals and Sundry

• All meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) are provided during the conference. A reception dinner will be held at the hotel for all delegates on the evening of Wednesday, November 30^th.
• All other costs, such as additional food and drinks, amenities, goods and services, are for the guest’s account and will not be paid for by the organisers. Please settle all bills before you check out of the hotel.
• Please retain all boarding passes from your flights and hand over to the conference team as they will be required for administrative purposes.

Security

• For your safety, please avoid carrying large sums of cash or displaying cameras or other valuables in plain sight. Do not leave belongings unattended. Avoid walking alone in unpopulated areas, especially at night. Stay safe, and exercise all precautions as if you were at home.

Emergency Numbers

• Ambulance (from a landline): 10177
• Ambulance (from a mobile number): 112
• General Emergencies: 107

In the event of urgent enquiries, the conference team can be reached at the following numbers:

• David Harrington: (+27) 72 083 3616
• Lauricha Erasmus: (+27) 71 860 5102
• Lindia Trout: (+27) 72 128 1355