The Nook

What is a Nook?

Nooks are schools without teachers that provide everyone, especially girls and women, with free access to technology, tools, resources and information to co-create their own education and ultimately take lives and livelihoods into their own hands. Nooks help to address important Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) such as SDG 4 (ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all), SDG 5 (gender equality), SDG 8 (decent work for all) and SDG 10 (reduced inequalities). 

Mt. Elgon Nook Hub Uganda

In December 2022, Mt. Elgon Self Help Community Program and its partners Project DEFY, For Afrika, and Leopold Bachmaan Foundation Stiftung initiated an Innovative Education Project called The Mt. Elgon Nook Hub Uganda.

The Nook provides an opportunity for the community to navigate, rewrite their history and overcome the enormous challenges, often marked by abuse, neglect, hunger, labeling, violence and poverty and nature resilience, aspirations, capabilities, skills and talents.  Importantly, the processes and people’s stories of initiatives, survival, resilience, hope, connections, and innovations are documented and shared to create a sense of self-worth, esteem, community and life. Project DEFY (‘Design Education For Yourself’) pioneered the Nook model of self-learning (www.projectdefy.org) where it hopes to provide access to the community through:

1. Provide access to quality education for everyone. 
2. Co-Create an Inclusive Community.
3. Harness the Power of Technology.
4. Help hundreds of our people to craft New Livelihood Opportunities