Original Training Approaches that encourage the Autonomy of Rural Communities and Sustainable Development

This contribution originates in a multi-stakeholder consultation process involving civil society, government bodies and farmers' organizations in West Africa concerning alternative training experiences that put people at the heart of the learning process and link training with the lives of individuals and their communities. These original approaches, which give added value to the identity of individuals and their experience in all areas of life, help to build common core skills (communication and language skills, citizenship, basic aptitude for work, life skills) giving people the keys to build their autonomy and transform their environment.  These learning processes, which enable the learner to clarify their personal prospects and the outlook for their community, mean that rather than being simply consumers of training they can seek out the know-how and skills they actually need to achieve their life plan.