Global Literacy Matters

The fight for literacy has recently seen a great deal of success in South Africa. The country’s Kha ri Gude literacy program reported that it has registered more than two million adults for basic literacy education since its inception in April of 2008. The government-sponsored campaign consists of a massive network of volunteer educators who oversee a minimum of 18 students each year. These educators are just one part of a hierarchy of local supervisors and district coordinators who report to the Department of Basic Education. Through this system, Kha ri Gude is able to not only distribute hundreds of thousands of sets of comprehensive curriculum materials, but also collect learner portfolios to measure and assess students’ skill levels upon completion of the program. The result is that more than 40,000 literacy classes take place across South Africa each year, and 80 percent of those enrolled complete the six-month program. The program’s efforts are dedicat...

David Harvey President and CEO of ProLiteracy Why have I bec ome so passionate about literacy in Colombia and, specifically, in Medellin? You won't believe what I saw. See the pictures posted here: Medelli n, through a unique partnership between the public and private sectors (each pay 50 percent of the bill), built seven "park libraries" in the lowest income neighborhoods in the city’s steep hills. Through a combined planning process that included education, transportation, cultural activities, and libraries, residents of the neighborhoods were engaged in designing for themselves the library parks and the programs they wanted to see put in place. Then, the city built a cable car system with suspended gondolas that links the libraries and steep hill neighborhoods with the city's metro system. Evaluations are ongoing, but literacy rates are up! And parent engagement and adult programs are flourishing. And the neighborhoods are being transformed as economic opportuniti...

Women celebrating from Sudanese NGO, My Sister's Keeper In July 2011, South Sudan will become an independent nation, Africa’s 55th country, and the world’s youngest state. After two decades of civil war and high poverty levels, the new country will face many challenges. Literacy and education will play a vital role in charting a new course for South Sudan. A recent policy paper published by UNESCO discusses how education will be a first step toward the construction of peace and a better future for the people of South Sudan.The policy paper reveals that women face some of the most imminent challenges in terms of access to education. Today, only around 8 percent of women in South Sudan are literate, possibly the lowest female literacy rate in the world. Young girls in South Sudan face extreme disadvantages in education. Girls are less likely to enter school and more likely to drop out early. Today, a young girl in South Sudan is three times more likely to die in pregnancy or ch...

ProLiteracy is pleased to announce the release of a new paper [1] on education and civic participation. This paper was written by Roxana Silva Ch., a 2009-2010 Hubert Humphrey Fellow at Syracuse University and a specialist working for Organizaccion , a grass roots organization in Ecuador specializing in democracy, transparency and governance. Educacion y Participacion Ciudadana explains the role education has in civic participation and outlines ways that individuals and community leaders can participate in practicing their civic rights. The paper stresses that when literacy is integrated with education on citizen’s rights, people are able to play a more active role in the decision making process, have access to public information, and keep their government leaders accountable. Silva emphasizes that knowledge of one’s rights is critical for social empowerment at the local level. Two of ProLiteracy’s partners, PLAMAC in Mexico and Tú Mujer in the Dominican Republic, are included...

Organizaccion , a grass roots organization in Ecuador specializing in democracy, transparency, and governance, held a special event in Ecuador on January 12, 2011 at 5 p.m. at the National Assembly of Quito. More than 80 representatives of NGOs, and national leaders attended, as Roxana Silva Ch. presented her ideas on civic participation, based on her recent paper ‘Educacion y Participacion Ciudadana, ’ recently published as part of ProLiteracy’s Critical Issues in Literacy series. ProLiteracy’s partners, PLAMAC and Tú Mujer tuned in live at the event and shared examples of integrating literacy with education on civic participation in Mexico and the Dominican Republic. ProLiteracy's international programs manager Mary Kelly participated via video from Syracuse, N.Y., and ProLiteracy’s international programs coordinator Alesha Anderson helped with coordination on site in Quito. The event was recorded and will soon be shared.

International Literacy Day Mali Ouelessebougou Alliance Ouelessebougou Alliance supports local women’s education membership organizations. In addition to learning to read and write, women learn about health, nutrition, hygiene, AIDS, and farming techniques. They develop cooperatives, produce and sell goods, and discuss issues such as female circumcision and domestic abuse. Participants launched an experimental effort to establish schools for children. Literacy is giving these women the confidence to take steps to ensure education for their own children and future generations. By donating to ProLiteracy right now, you will help women receive the tools necessary to learn and prosper such as note books and pencils, health supplies (vaccinations, and mosquito nets), and plant seedlings. A donation will also help these women pass on education to their children, keeping the goal of an educated Mali paramount for generations to come. Our goal is to raise just $220 a day as we countdown to ...

In April of 2000 the World Education Forum gathered in Dakar, Senegal and formed the Framework for Action on Education for All (EFA). The EFA promoted the importance of education in the pursuit of empowering individuals to positively change society. Since its creation, the EFA has played a large role in the eradication of illiteracy around the world. Since 2004, the G8 has been committed to the EFA’s goal of universal education. Between September of 2004 and June of 2009, the G8 have contributed over six billion dollars towards the EFA and universal education. Closely aligning with ProLiteracy’s mission to use literacy to combat poverty, the 2009 G8 Summit argued, “Basic education is a key factor in poverty reduction”. Further, the G8 promoted the importance of inclusive education that focuses on education for women and marginalized groups. In the G8’s declaration, Responsible Leadership for a More Sustainable Future, education and vocational training are “…crucial for a sustainable re...