In Zambia, limited access to reading materials, especially in local languages, has inhibited children’s ability to master foundational literacy skills. With so few mother-tongue books and materials at home, parents and community members rarely find ways to support children in reading outside of school. As a result, children do not have adequate opportunities to practice reading.
Creative piloted Makhalidwe Athu in cooperation with Read to Succeed, a USAID-funded program which worked with Zambia’s government to improve early grade reading through more effective teaching and school-community partnerships.
Makhalidwe Athu was a mobile reading project bringing reading to Zambian children with no access to books at home. Through SMS, children received more than 50 local tales, crowdsourced from the community. More than 4,000 community members were involved in the project, funded through All Children Reading.
