THERE are people with a wide range of skills and capabilities in the places where we live.
Among other professionals and practitioners, there may be builders, nurses, teachers, carpenters, miners, sportspersons, artists and so on.
There is more than enough to be learned from one another in a community.
How can we encourage the sharing of knowledge and the development of skills in our communities? Here are a few ideas:
Mentorship
The younger members of a community require senior members’ guidance to assist them in learning about societal norms, values and expectations.
It is the responsibility of the leader to provide guidance and positively influence future leaders.
One way of doing that is through mentorship. Mentorship is when a leader deliberately seeks to influence, guide or provide direction to a specific individual.
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The leader is the mentor and the receiver becomes the mentee.
A mentor influences the personal and professional growth of a mentee.
The mentee may benefit greatly through learning, observing, and imitating the important skills or knowledge from a senior exemplary individual to develop their skillset.
While a mentoring programme is mostly beneficial to the mentee, the mentor or leader can also benefit through reverse mentoring.
In other words, the mentor may benefit from the mutual exchange of skills, knowledge and understanding. Simply put, the mentor learns more through mentoring others.
Public seminars or lectures
The community may learn (or unlearn) from its leaders. It is not everything that can be found in books, on the internet, or on the streets.
Various community leaders have acquired vast knowledge in a variety of fields.
Some are experts in agriculture, commerce, climate change, education, art and crafts, among other things.
Volunteering time to share your experiences at a local school, university, church or any other gathering may do the community well.
In this information age, there are multiple media of sharing experiences, knowledge and skills including social media platforms.
Community library
Establishing a community library can go a long way in empowering communities in as far as knowledge acquisition is concerned.
It may encourage a reading culture among elders and children in the community.
A library may also be used as a community learning centre.
While establishing a community library may require financial resources you may start right where you are as community by pooling together all the reading material that you may find.
If all the books that are in the homes of people in your locality are put together a small to medium library could be established. It is a fact that you might never know unless you engage fellow community members.
Career guiding sessions
Organising career guiding workshops is a noble way to empower community members at a tender age.
Young people need career guidance to pick career options early based on their interests, skills and values.
Career guidance is about showing the way and advising individuals on career, educational and professional opportunities.
It is a developmental programme for assisting individuals in making informed educational and occupational choices.
As a result of career guidance sessions, people can make mature and informed decisions.
Career guidance also helps people to acquire knowledge, information, skills, and experience necessary to identify career options.
Adult classes
Adult education is any form of learning undertaken by or provided for mature men and women.
Adult education may consist of education for vocational, technical, and professional competence.
It may be modelled around civic, political, and community competence. Adult education is usually education for self-fulfilment.
Through adult education programmes, community members may have opportunities to access training and education in their areas of interests.
Skills training
Skills training may go a long way in empowering community members.
Community members may collaboratively establish networks or centres for imparting skills in various sectors in which they are knowledgeable about.
Skill development and training is essential for productive work and as such it is a vital tool for increasing productivity, developing communities and reducing poverty.
