Adult Education int the Penal System of Uzbekistan
Exactly in a country like Uzbekistan, where people who were released from prison get a special stamp in their passport and women from a traditional environment often don’t have a chance to return to their families, the situation ex-prisoners are facing is extremely marginal.
According to the idea of providing the opportunities of further education to all population groups dvv international since 2003 implements projects in the Adult Education sphere in penitentiaries on the basis of the agreement with the Main Administration for the Execution of Punishments of the Ministry of the Interior.
The project “Development of the Educational Centres in Uzbek Penitentiaries” is being implemented in four prisons.
After the successful delivery of the necessary equipment to the educational centres, the detained men could obtain the skills of such professions as carpenter, welder, tailor or electrician.
The following vocational education courses are being offered in three female prisons (so called “Colonias”): hairdresser, confectioner, seamstress and knitter, as well as handicraft courses. Last year an additional photo and video workshop was established. It can be used to learn about the handling with the picture processing programs.
These certain occupational fields were selected after the analysis of possibilities of the local labour market, and according to the conditions of the penitentiaries together with the Uzbek authorities.
The inmates, who will be dismissed before the completion of the course, have an opportunity to complete their education. This is possible owing to the cooperation with another partner of dvv international, the Shochsanam limited liability company, which is located in Chirchik (a small town near Tashkent).
The main aim of this project is to give the participants a chance to find a job after the dismissal through further education and vocational rehabilitation measures. The other also important aspect consists in the support of the personal development of the inmates. The women who during the prison term creatively occupy themselves with the handicrafts or design dresses, create something which they can be proud of, change their perception and thus change themselves.
The work on one hand with people whose personal freedom is strongly limited, on the other hand an extremely heterogeneous mixture within the groups, different in age, interests and previous education level, necessitate a very special approach in the learning and teaching processes.
All in all the education of about 600 people could be supported in the last years. After the successful completion of the course each participant gets a certificate. Sewing workshop, bakery, pastry shop and hairdresser’s salon are also used to satisfy the inner demand of the penitentiaries.
Presentations of handmade souvenirs, theater performances and fashion shows were organized. The participants of the photo and media workshop created a film, which reflects the learning process, collective project activities and their results.
dvv international also implements a number of other projects in Uzbekistan and the Central Asian region. For further information about our projects please visit our homepage www.dvv-international.uz where you can also subscribe for our quarterly newsletter.
