The Impacts of Literacy Skills on the Economic Empowerment of Housemaids in Addis Ababa city Administration
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Date
2014-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The contribution of literacy skills for economic empowerment for housemaids in Addis Ababa City
Administration
The purpose of this study was to examine the impacts of literacy skills for economic empowerment of
housemaids in Addis Ababa city Administration . Both quantitative and qualitative research methods
were employed. The sources of data were both primary (beneficiaries, facilitators and project
coordinator) and secondary (documents). To draw sample , both probability (stratified and simple
random sampling) and non proba bility sampling techniques were used. Then, data were gathered
through questionnaire 120, interviews (semi-structured) 21 and document analysis. Finally, the data
were analyzed using both quantita tive (frequencies and percentages ) and qualitative data analysis
techniques. Following these procedures, the study has revealed the following findings: literacy skills
were conceived differently by the project workers and beneficiaries ’ i.e. while the project workers
view literacy as the acquisition of the 3Rs, the beneficiaries focused on the functionality of the
literacy skills. And, the incentives given to them were found to be inadequate compared with their
tasks. In addition, the project used literacy materials prepared by education bureau for teaching
children to teach the young people and the activity of the project in the area of creating literacy
environment was very weak. The changes observed on the lives of beneficiaries as the result of
joining the project were insignificant, except the changes in the life skills. Besides, participants
’
frequent absenteeism and the mismatch between what the learners want to learn and what the project
want to teach were found to be serious challenges. It was concluded that the understanding of
project regarding literacy was very out dated and as a result it failed to train and motivate
facilitators and most significantly, failed to consider the wonderful needs of
its beneficiaries
economically. Therefore, it has been recommended that the project need to develop the more recent
understanding of literacy, its approaches and the existing gap between the needs and priorities of the
project and beneficiaries must be filled to empower economically
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Addis Ababa city Administration