Sawiyan’s transformative pedagogy.
In Jordan, Locally Led accompanies organizers and initiatives from Sawiyan, a community-driven movement solely led by members of the Sudanese, Somali refugee communities. One of Sawiyan’s most impactful initiatives over the years has been a community-led and taught educational initiative that intertwines English language learning, critical pedagogy, and cultural/racial empowerment.
The practice of teaching and learning English collectively among the Sudanese and Somali communities in Amman dates back to as early as these communities began to form in the city. Knowledge of English is considered important especially as the majority seek resettlement to third countries like the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and Canada.
In late 2018, Sawiyan board member Dr. Shireen Keyl, Sudanese community teacher Mobarak Adam and Somali community teacher Hassan Abdullahi joined forces to develop an English language program that can reach greater numbers of learners. The program would continue to be run by volunteer teachers among the community, with the assistance of native speakers. They set out to find nearby community-based organisations in different neighborhoods to hold the classes, where a successful collaboration materialized with House of Hope in Jabal Amman neighborhood, and HelpAge International in Jabal Weibdeh neighborhood.
Paolo Freire’s Critical Pedagogy approach was integrated into the formation of our community-led English language program shortly after the program was piloted. These English language classes are spaces where teachers and students learn together. It is also a place where texts, passages and readings chosen for the different levels (beginner, elementary, pre-intermediate and intermediate) contain elements of racial empowerment for community members with Sudanese, Somali, Ghanian, and Afro-Jordanian origins. Over the past three years, co-founders of this project Mr. Mobarak Adam from Sudan and Mr. Hassan Abdullahi from Somalia developed study books for the beginner, elementary and pre-intermediate levels that address the needs of our refugee community.
With class sizes rapidly growing, Mubarak and Hassan continue to add more classes and recruit and train new teachers in Sawiyan’s transformational pedagogy. Sawiyan’s reach now transcends boundaries, also offering remote classes open to anyone, regardless of location. Recent courses have had students from around the region, and even Europe and North America.
Why Paulo Freire focused on oppression? Because oppression is dehumanizing. To be fully human is to have full control over what we do, how we think, and what we want to become. It’s a matter of self-determination. So, if we don’t attain self-determination, we will become alienated, will not have control over of our thoughts, creativity, and production. You can learn more about Paulo Freire and the development of critical pedagogy through the short animation below.