Literate Village uses an intergenerational approach that engages mothers and their children to eradicate illiteracy in 1,447 economically disadvantaged communities with high rates of maternal illiteracy and low rates of children’s school attendance. The activity currently reaches families in the Assiut, Beheira, and Sohag governorates. Literate Village strengthens literacy among children in community schools by improving early grade reading instruction, particularly for remedial readers. In addition to reading instruction for children, the activity provides literacy classes to adult learners – namely mothers and women’s groups – and teaches them to engage their children in learning at home. The activity also partners with community associations and leaders to garner support for literacy and encourage school attendance, creating a network that supports a culture of reading at every level.

Implementing Partner: Save the Children Federation, Inc.; Life of Project: March 2017 – March 2021; Total Estimated Cost: $17 million; Governorates: Assiut, Beheira, Sohag 

GOALS

• Improve the quality of reading instruction for primary school-aged children in rural community schools by training instructors in evidence-based remedial reading instruction and by providing reading materials in community school classrooms
• Provide community-led adult literacy classes to increase mothers’ ability to contribute to their children’s primary education and foster a culture of lifelong learning and self-improvement
• Offer intergenerational literacy activities between mothers and their children
• Provide in-home learning tools to facilitate remote learning and hygiene awareness in response to the COVID-19 pandemic

RESULTS

• Supported community governance structures in 1,313 villages to develop village literacy improvement plans; these plans engage the whole community in education and establish expectations for learning among children and adults
• Established 1,203 Community Reading Clubs that provide 28,958 children with engaging educational experiences to improve reading ability and reduce regression over the summer months when school is out of session
• Trained 115 master trainers, who have implemented training for nearly 3,000 primary school educators on evidence-based reading instruction; more than 41,600 community school students have benefited from these improved lessons
• Trained 2,752 adult literacy facilitators, who have in turn engaged over 39,553 women in intergenerational adult literacy activities
• Provided 1,451 school book banks, totaling more than 140,000 books across Beheira and Sohag, ensuring children have authentic, level-appropriate reading material to encourage stronger reading habits
• Refurbished 515 community schools to create an engaging learning environment
• Delivered 22,000 Family Learning Kits in rural Egypt; these kits facilitate in-home learning and hygiene awareness in response to COVID-19 and community school closures