Reading, Writing and Cultivating. A Resource Book for Post-Literacy Trainers Based on Experiences in Senegal.

This resource book is intended to help trainers working on postliteracy programs in agricultural areas of West Africa. Its primary focus is on the role of literacy in the management of irrigation systems and farmer cooperatives and on program administration activities such as recordkeeping, registration, and credit. However, strategies for meeting the specific training needs of other groups, such as women's cooperatives, vegetable growers, and youth associations, are also examined. The format of sections introduced by a story is used to demonstrate the importance of storytelling as a media for disseminating information in West Africa. The following topics are examined in the book's main sections: the role of literacy in agricultural development, designing a postliteracy course, planning a lesson, organizing learning activities, making and using materials, and village projects. Appended are the following: a short course in blackboard drawing; games for literacy and numeracy; and instructions for making a rod puppet, binding books, a freestanding flipchart; and examples of account sheets used by farmers in Senegal. (MN)