Link Community Development
Encyclopedia
Link Community Development (LCD) is a partnership of international NGOs and separately registered charities in Ireland
, Ethiopia
, Ghana
, Uganda
, Malawi
and South Africa
, England & Wales and Scotland
. LCD works on a grassroots
level and its main focus is school improvement in sub-Saharan countries
in partnership with Ministries of Education. It works with all schools in target districts providing a variety of capacity building training, resources and support to schools, teachers, headteachers and district education staff. This includes specific literacy, numeracy and HIV/AIDS projects. The aim is to improve the quality of education in rural schools across sub-Saharan Africa
so that children and their communities have better life opportunities.
LCD's secondary focus is to provide educational opportunities for UK schools to get involved with schools in Africa
to support school improvement and to inform. LCD currently works with over 400 schools in the UK.
. Separate partnerships have been established in South Africa
, Ghana
, Uganda
, Malawi
, Ethiopia
, Scotland
and Ireland
between 1995 and 2007. LCD continues to expand and is now probably the leading specialist NGO in district school interventions. The Most Revd Desmond Tutu
is the Patron of LCD.
is a basic human right
and fundamental to breaking the cycle of poverty
.
Link Schools Programme (Ongoing): A programme that allows UK schools to set up and sustain meaningful partnerships with schools in Ghana
, Malawi
, South Africa
and Uganda
. LCD currently supports more than 800 partnerships. The activities and benefits range but generally include:
, and occurs every Easter
holiday with students from universities across the UK taking part. It began in 1991 with Prague
being added in 2003. This second destination was changed to Croatia
for the 2012 hitch.
Over 7,500 people have taken part in the Hitch since it started in 1992, raising more than £3.5million for Link’s projects in sub-Saharan Africa.
The event is sponsored by Rough Guides
, which donates guidebooks for Morocco and Croatia every year.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
, Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
, Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
, Malawi
Malawi
The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...
and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, England & Wales and Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. LCD works on a grassroots
Grassroots
A grassroots movement is one driven by the politics of a community. The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it are natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures...
level and its main focus is school improvement in sub-Saharan countries
Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa as a geographical term refers to the area of the African continent which lies south of the Sahara. A political definition of Sub-Saharan Africa, instead, covers all African countries which are fully or partially located south of the Sahara...
in partnership with Ministries of Education. It works with all schools in target districts providing a variety of capacity building training, resources and support to schools, teachers, headteachers and district education staff. This includes specific literacy, numeracy and HIV/AIDS projects. The aim is to improve the quality of education in rural schools across sub-Saharan Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
so that children and their communities have better life opportunities.
LCD's secondary focus is to provide educational opportunities for UK schools to get involved with schools in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
to support school improvement and to inform. LCD currently works with over 400 schools in the UK.
History
LCD was founded in 1989 as Link Africa by students of Cambridge University who actively supported Black Education in South AfricaSouth Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. Separate partnerships have been established in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
, Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
, Malawi
Malawi
The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...
, Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
between 1995 and 2007. LCD continues to expand and is now probably the leading specialist NGO in district school interventions. The Most Revd Desmond Tutu
Desmond Tutu
Desmond Mpilo Tutu is a South African activist and retired Anglican bishop who rose to worldwide fame during the 1980s as an opponent of apartheid...
is the Patron of LCD.
Vision
LCD’s vision is a future where all children have access to free, quality education enabling them to flourish and fulfill their potential. LCD believes that educationEducation
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
is a basic human right
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
and fundamental to breaking the cycle of poverty
Poverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
.
Mission
LCD aims to improve the potential of disadvantaged people to gain meaningful employment by sharing and developing appropriate skills through education and training.Programmes
Global Teachers Programme(ongoing): A professional development programme for experienced teachers and headteachers lasting 15 months. It includes:- A five week summer placement on a school improvement project in AfricaAfricaAfrica is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
.
- Follow up work in the UK, using the learning from the placement.
- Comprehensive training and support before, during and after the placement.
Link Schools Programme (Ongoing): A programme that allows UK schools to set up and sustain meaningful partnerships with schools in Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
, Malawi
Malawi
The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
. LCD currently supports more than 800 partnerships. The activities and benefits range but generally include:
- Opportunity for teachers and pupils to share experiences and learn about real lives in AfricaAfricaAfrica is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
- Ability to obtain first-hand substantial information about African countries
- Chance to develop global citizenship values, and decrease harmful stereotypes
- Opportunity to apply for an International Schools Award
Morocco/Croatia Hitch
The Morocco/Croatia Hitch is LCD’s biggest fundraising event and the world's largest organised hitchHitchhiking
Hitchhiking is a means of transportation that is gained by asking people, usually strangers, for a ride in their automobile or other road vehicle to travel a distance that may either be short or long...
, and occurs every Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
holiday with students from universities across the UK taking part. It began in 1991 with Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
being added in 2003. This second destination was changed to Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
for the 2012 hitch.
Over 7,500 people have taken part in the Hitch since it started in 1992, raising more than £3.5million for Link’s projects in sub-Saharan Africa.
The event is sponsored by Rough Guides
Rough Guides
Rough Guides Ltd is a travel guidebook and reference publisher, owned by Pearson PLC. Their travel titles cover more than 200 destinations, and are distributed worldwide through the Penguin Group...
, which donates guidebooks for Morocco and Croatia every year.