Literacy Achievement and Retention Activity (LARA)

Commissioned to address this issue, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/Uganda-funded Literacy Achievement and Retention Activity (LARA), implemented by RTI International, developed a unique approach to combatting and preventing violence of all forms in schools based on the following logic model: If life at school is characterized by a positive and supportive school climate, a violence-free environment, and effective instruction, then students enjoy learning and participate in class without fear of humiliation and punishment, remain in school throughout the primary cycle, and succeed in their school work. As such, the LARA team produced Journeys, an innovative approach to eliminating violence in schools, which was informed by research on school climate and social and emotional learning; known mediators of SRGBV, such as cultural norms related to gender and power relations; adult experiential learning models; Ugandan educationist views and expertise; SRGBV prevention and intervention case studies; and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Presencing Institute U-Model(link is external). The Journeys approach is unique in that it applies awareness-building social technologies, such as guided reflection, and prototyping to allow individual and collective actions for social change to emerge naturally rather than conducting any form of direct training or “sensitization.” Recognizing that the gender norms and power relations that produce and maintain SRGBV are entrenched throughout schools and communities, the approach is designed to engage all of the key actors in school change: teaching and non-teaching school staff, community members, and students themselves. Journeys is implemented through a set of three activity handbooks (Journeys Activity Handbook for Teachers and School Staff, Journeys Activity Handbook for Community Members, Journeys Activity Handbook for Pupils), each of which is specifically designed to provide a facilitator with a set of activities that guide reflection, stimulate dialogue and promote idea generation related to building a positive and supportive school, where violence cannot thrive.