Issues and organisation of a mixed meeting at the APEF

What is a mixed meeting at APEF?

The relatives/husbands/tutors of the learners are invited by APEF to meet at three key moments of the training course:
– just before the course to elect the parents’ committee which will act as an intermediary between the APEF learners and the other parents
– in the middle of the course to consolidate the links between the parents themselves and between the parents and the APEF in order to encourage the learners’ empowerment;
– and once the lessons have been completed, in order to close the training course and enhance the emancipation of the learners.

What are the objectives of a mixed meeting?

Each mixed meeting has different specific objectives but the overall objective remains the same. The aim is to involve parents/ husbands/tutors in their daughters’/women’s empowerment journey. Ideally, it is men who are invited in order to start working on the notion of gender and empowerment of their women.
The general objectives could be summarised as follows:

• To present the APEF and the organisation of the training;
• To encourage the involvement of parents/ husbands/ tutors in the learners’ emancipation process;
• Define with parents/ husbands/ tutors strategies that can facilitate the learning conditions of the learners;
• To exchange and share experiences on the advantages of vocational training while noting gender inequalities.

Detailed steps for organising a mixed meeting at APEF

To find out more about the different stages of organising a mixed meeting at APEF, open the following document:

Interview with Masika (literacy learner)

What is your opinion about this meeting with your parents before the literacy training started?
« I am happy, I have been dreaming of this day because I missed the sewing training twice because of illiteracy. I hope to learn to read and write well so that I can start training in sewing cutting next year. Learning to read and write will open many doors for me. It is a new page in my life. Personally, I feel incomplete because I can’t read and write. But thanks to APEF, my dream will become a reality. »

Interview with Munyerearalimba (sewing cut learner)

What can you tell us about the mixed meeting?
"First of all, I am happy and I thank APEF for today’s meeting. I thank them for the support they give to women in difficulty by organising training in cutting and sewing. This training will enhance our status and give us a place of choice in society because women are the main actors in the development and well-being of the family.
After the training my objective will be to work and practice what I have learned. We are also asking for sewing equipment to start working straight away so that I can become independent and no longer depend on others. I once again congratulate APEF for the work they are doing to promote low-income women.