Link Community Development

Infobox Organization
name = Link Community Development


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caption = LCD logo
abbreviation = LCD
formation = 1989
type = NGO Charity
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purpose = Improving education in Africa
headquarters =
location =
region_served = Sub-Saharan Africa
language =
leader_title = CEO
leader_name = Mr Steve Blunden
main_organ =
parent organization =
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num_volunteers =
website = [http://www.lcd.org.uk LCD homepage]
remarks =

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 partership 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.

General information

History

LCD was founded in 1989 as Link Africa by students of Cambridge University who actively supported Black Education in South Africa. 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.

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 education is a basic human right and fundamental to breaking the cycle of poverty.

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 Africa.

*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, Malawi, South Africa and Uganda. 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 Africa

*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

Events and activities

Morocco/Prague Hitch

The [http://www.lcd.org.uk/events/hitch/ Morocco/Prague Hitch] is LCD’s biggest fundraising event and the world's largest organised hitch [http://www.lcd.org.uk/about/press/releases/08mar2006.html] , and occurs every Easter holiday with students from universities across the UK taking part. It began in 1991 with Prague being added in 2003 [http://www.lcd.org.uk/events/hitch] .

In 2007, 785 students hitch-hiked from the UK to Morocco (1600 miles) or Prague (800 miles). Each student must pledge to raise at least £300 and so far the funds raised have totalled more than £235,000 [http://www.lcd.org.uk/events/hitch/experiences2007.html] .

Postcard Exchange

As part of the Link Schools Programme, African and UK primary and secondary schools exchange thousands of postcards with a specified theme each year.

References

External links

*official|http://www.lcd.org.uk