Global Literacy Matters

International Literacy Day Niger Micro-Credit in Africa, Inc. (MICA, Inc.) Micro-Credit in Africa is devoted to the education and empowerment of women in Niger. MICA works to improve the socioeconomic status of women by helping them gain economic autonomy through micro-credit, health, and literacy education projects. MICA’s flagship program is its Oxcart Project. As an income-generating project, MICA rents oxcarts to women in its programs. The women in turn rent their transportation services to people in their community. With these rental revenues, the women can then purchase the oxcart from MICA. By donating to ProLiteracy right now, you will help these women receive the necessary tools and materials to learn and prosper such as income generating supplies for henna design, oxcart provisions, needed health supplies and literacy books. Our goal is to raise just $220 a day as we countdown to International Literacy Day on September 8, 2009. Help us help them through strengthening the p...

International Literacy Day Mexico Proyectos Laubach de Alfabetización en Mexico, Asociación Civil, PLAMAC This woman-focused educational organization works in economically and socially marginalized communities that receive few public services, particularly in the realm of education. All of the communities have women’s savings clubs, in which women individually save small amounts of money in a communal chest or savings box. Literacy instruction is based in part on the weekly meetings of women coming together to deposit money into the savings box and includes record-keeping and numeric skills. Over time, the women begin to develop business plans for the use of the savings; income-generating projects include livestock cooperatives, bakeries, and small stores. By donating to ProLiteracy right now, you will help these women receive the tools necessary to learn and prosper such as notebooks to better keep track of funds and literacy materials to encourage safe and smart investing. Our goal i...

International Literacy Day South Africa Operation Upgrade Based in the city of Durban, Operation Upgrade emphasizes native languages and English literacy within the context of varied community and institutional structures, including squatter slums, rural villages, impoverished townships and workplaces. Operation Upgrade teaches adults to read in Zulu, Venda, Sepedi, Setswana, Xitsonga , Sesotho, and English . With the help of a growing network of 5,000 trained community facilitators throughout the country, the organization battles the problems of poverty, malnutrition, and HIV/AIDS through literacy based micro-entrepreneurship initiatives and health classes. By donating to ProLiteracy right now, you will help these women and men receive the tools necessary to learn and prosper such as literacy materials and seed money for income generating farming supplies. Our goal is to raise just $220 a day as we countdown to International Literacy Day on September 8, 2009...

International Literacy Day Ethiopia EHRCEPA The Ethiopian Human Rights and Civic Education Promotion Association (EHRCEPA) is an Ethiopian non-governmental organization dedicated to promoting human rights, providing voter education, and fighting harmful traditional practices, particularly those that affect women. Through “door to door” education and counseling, workshops, panel discussions, and school drama competitions, EHRCEPA encourages participants to address controversial women’s rights and citizenship issues. During the traditional village-level “coffee ceremony,” men and women use pictures, skits, songs, or dances to discuss sensitive issues such as individual rights, early marriage, abduction, domestic violence, and female genital mutilation. EHRCEPA also conducts workshops with business, civic, religious, and local government leaders on voter education, good governance, and elections. By donating to ProLiteracy right now, you will help these women and men receive the tools nec...

International Literacy Day Brazil Associação Beneficente de Vila Cachoeira (ABVC) ABVC serves residents of Vila Cachoeira, an area once abundant in cacao. The region experienced a cacao crisis due to a plague that destroyed the crops, and therefore people lost their main means of generating income. ABVC is helping residents to find new ways of generating income and recently has opened a community kitchen. Women are learning new recipes-along with literacy and math skills necessary to follow the directions-for desserts and pastries to sell in their communities. It is not only helping women to generate income but also giving them hope for a better future for themselves and their families. By donating to ProLiteracy right now, you will help these women receive the tools necessary to learn and prosper such as ingredients and packing materials for their micro-enterprise projects, as well as notebooks, pens, and chalkboards for literacy classes. Our goal is to raise just $220 a day as we cou...

International Literacy Day Afghanistan The Roquia Center The Roqia Center, ProLiteracy’s Afghan partner, has developed an innovative literacy program for couples in some of Kabul’s poorest neighborhoods. Attending class often means being in the same room with other men and women not from their own family—with the women’s faces uncovered—for the first time in their lives. Every class includes people of ethnic backgrounds that have historically been in conflict with one another. Bringing couples together outside the home is a powerful way to promote overall change in the community. Also, central to this effort has been the development of materials to improve the position of women in Afghan society. These materials include: human rights literacy manuals and a booklet consisting of the positive references from the Koran regarding the role of women in the family and society. By donating to ProLiteracy right now, you will help these women and men receive the tools necessary to learn and pros...