Preparation for Social Action (PSA)
“the purpose of education implicit in our textbooks […] has always been to assist our students in their spiritual and intellectual growth as individuals and in the development of their capacity to contribute to the transformation of society.”
-FUNDAEC
Preparation for Social Action (PSA) is a nonformal, education for development program that was developed by the Foundation for the Application and Teaching of Science (FUNDAEC) following four decades of experience working with rural populations in Colombia. PSA is currently offered in different parts of the world including several countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Kimanya-Ngeyo Foundation has been implementing the program, with advisory support from FUNDAEC, since 2007.
The PSA curriculum is comprised of twenty-five units, organized around the concept of a capability, defined by FUNDAEC as “developed capacity to think and act effectively within a particular sphere of activity and according to an explicit purpose.” Each unit of study helps the participants of the program gain a deeper understanding of a number of concepts, learn a range of facts, develop certain skills and abilities, as well as acquire attitudes and spiritual qualities necessary in strengthening one or another capability required to meaningfully engage in a process of societal transformation.
“The promoter’s values are shaped by the twofold moral purpose of pursuing one’s own intellectual and spiritual growth and contributing to the betterment of society.”
The interrelated capabilities treated in the program are broadly grouped into the areas of (1) language, (2) mathematics, (3) science, and (4) processes of community life, including agriculture, education, environmental conservation and health. It is hoped that, as they advance in the program and long after the completion of their studies, participants will grow as “promoters of community well-being”—whether they be farmers, teachers, health workers, students, tradesmen, or belonging to any other profession in service to their communities—who assist others to take ownership of their path of development and apply the knowledge and insights they have gained to contribute to the betterment of their communities.
PSA units are studied by youth and adults in relatively small community-based groups guided by a trained local tutor, who accompanies the group over the course of their study. PSA groups usually meet for 10 to 15 hours per week, during which they study texts, carry out experiments and research activities, and engage in social action in service to the community. At such a pace, it usually takes between two and three years for a PSA group to complete their study of the program.
Each year, Kimanya-Ngeyo works with roughly 40-50 such PSA groups, involving more than 500 participants. The core of our activities take place within Buikwe, Jinja, and Kamuli Districts.
