Global Literacy Matters

ProLiteracy recently received an update from one of our partners in Haiti, a program called AyitiKonseVet (AKV), which provides literacy classes and training for rural Haitian farmers.  AKV is focused on enabling local men and women to create reliable and sustainable sources of income through better farming techniques.  The project is continuing these efforts through a literacy class in Ma Wouj, in the northwest region of Haiti.Since its inception two years ago, this literacy class has provided a small group of women with the tools and training to grow produce in their home gardens that can then be sold in local markets.  AKV has also facilitated the reconstruction of a building that will serve as the group’s classroom.  Now, the project has entered a new phase, and the women of the Ma Wouj literacy group are being trained in raising sheep.  Wedly Deceus, AKV’s general coordinator, instructed the group in the care, feeding, and vaccination...

April 22 is Earth Day! This year, the Earth Day theme is "A Billion Acts of Green," a campaign to generate a billion acts of environmental service and advocacy. In honor of Earth Day, ProLiteracy is sharing a few stories about innovative projects our partners are doing around the world to integrate literacy with preserving the environment. Mexico - PLAMAC and AYUDA MUTUA Solar ovens, medicinal herb gardens, and cactus greenhouses are just a few of the projects that Mexican learners have undertaken to help their communities celebrate and preserve their land. In the community of Ajuno (near Patzcuaro), learners have cultivated a garden with native species of flowers and herbs. Doña Salud, who oversees the garden, can name all the plants and explain their household, medicinal, and aesthetic uses. In the arid desert outside of Dolores Hidalgo, learners in La Cuenca del Guzano have installed a simple greenhouse that accommodates rows of Prickly Pear cactus, one of the few plants...

Close to a billion people suffer from hunger every day. The World Food Program (WFP) is grappling with how to address the increasing needs of starving populations. October 16, 2010 - World Food Day - has been marked as a day to remember that global hunger is still a life threatening crisis in close to 22 countries . Many countries are facing dramatic food shortages, and relief agencies are overwhelmed in places like Pakistan as they try to meet the demand. While we reflect on the challenges the world is facing with food, ProLiterac y would like to highlight a program we support in Haiti that, despite the shortage of resources, is making a significant difference in the lives of rural Haitian farmers and their families. AyitKonseVet (AKV) is a training program that works with Haitian farmers in the north and northwest regions of Haiti. The project includes literacy classes for rural farmers and their families with a focus on environmental sustainability through better farming techniqu...

Many of our donors have contributed to the Proliteracy Haiti Earthquake Emergency Fund and we would like to update you on the current situation with our partners in Haiti. FONKOZE It has been confirmed that five Fonkoze employees lost their lives in the earthquake and its aftermath. No one died in any of their buildings. There was significant damage to Fonkoze employees’ housing, as 145 had their houses destroyed. The current plan is for Fonkoze to provide each of their employees $1,000 from the donated funds that have been received, so that they can focus their energies on helping Fonkoze’s clients. Another 121 employees have homes that need repairs. The plan is to provide them with $500 each from donated funds. Many employees lost family members, close friends, etc. With grant money Fonkoze is launching an innovative pilot project that will get one of their branches operating almost immediately. The plan is to operate Bizoton out of a van that is owned by Alternative Insurance Compan...