REFLECT in Canada: pebbles in the sand

This short article describes an English as a Second Language (ESL) literacy programme called Pebbles in the Sand which was initiated in Canada by the Calgary Immigrant Women's Association (CIWA) in July 1999. The programme used REFLECT methodology to develop a non-traditional programme to meet the needs of new Canadian immigrant women who face multiple barriers accessing mainstream services. The article details how the pilot project was set up using a participatory community-based approach, how the ESL component was incorporated and how a community development process emerged, along with a Pebbles in the Sand Manual.