Global Literacy Matters

In Ethiopia, drinking coffee is more than just a morning routine before running out the door to work. The traditional village-level “ coffee ceremony ” is an integral part of Ethiopian social and cultural life. An invitation to attend a coffee ceremony is considered a mark of friendship or respect. Performing the ceremony is usually done in the presence of a visitor, regardless of the time of day. The coffee beans are roasted and then coffee is usually served with a local snack such as peanuts, popcorn, or barley. The special ceremony is never rushed; it can sometimes take several hours. ProLiteracy partner in Ethiopia, Nurture Education and Development (NED), uses the coffee ceremony as an opportunity for education. During these education sessions, coffee is served while 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. NED is an Ethiopian in-country gr...

T he earliest evidence of baking comes in the form of refined wheat and barley from about 23,000 years ago. Today, a bakery in every community is the norm in the United States. However, such is not the case in the rural areas around Pitayó, Colombia, situated in an Andean valley near the Ecuadorean border. There, baking is done individually or not at all, since a visit to the nearest bakery involves quite a trek. Through support from Citi Foundation, ProLiteracy and partner organization Fundación Juan Tama have found a way to help make baked goods more readily available, increasing literacy skills along the way. Called Rincón del Sabor (Taste Corner), this bakery cooperative gives each member a 1 percent return on earnings in exchange for a one-time $100,000 COL (roughly $50 US) investment. The members then act as door-to-door salespeople, taking baskets of bread to sell in rural communities. Members also participate in cleaning the bakery and can earn the privilege of using the bake...

Today, On March 8, 2011, we mark the Global Centenary for International Women’s Day – 100 years since the first International Women's Day. More than one million women and men attended rallies in 1911. Today, we remember and honor the achievements women have made all over the world. The United Nations Global Theme for International Women’s Day 2011 is: Equal access to education, training and science and technology: Pathway to decent work for women. We at ProLiteracy would like to express our appreciation to our program partners who work in more than 30 countries to help women gain literacy skills and access to information about health, human rights, and micro enterprise. Every day, women open doors for new levels of education, employment, and progress for their families and communities. ProLiteracy celebrates women today! We stand in solidarity to support the many partners we have working on behalf of women in North/South America, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East to see women c...