Worldreader Launches Campaign to Get One Million Children Reading in Kenya by 2030
Nairobi, Kenya, and Seattle, US, July 12, 2025
Seattle-headquartered global tech nonprofit Worldreader has already reached 22 million readers in 110+ countries, including families in the United States, with its award-winning digital reading experience BookSmart. Now, Worldreader is launching its bold Get Kenya Reading campaign with an ambitious new goal: to inspire one million Kenyan families to read together by 2030.
In Kenya, 80% of third-graders cannot read a second-grade level story (Uwezo Kenya, 2020). Reading can be perceived as irrelevant in today’s competitive, digital landscape, but it’s the very foundation of learning. Only 41% of children aged 0–4 are read to regularly (down from 64% in 2012). Through the Get Kenya Reading initiative, Worldreader is leveraging its proven global model to start a bold national movement that builds “future-ready” children by promoting just 10 minutes of family reading a day. It’s a locally rooted effort with the potential to scale, inform and inspire similar approaches around the world, helping drive progress in the global fight against the learning crisis.
“When a parent reads aloud to their child, it stays with them for life and increases their potential for future success,” says Olivia Kimani, Worldreader Director of Partnerships and Services in Kenya.
Strategic partnerships are powering the campaign’s reach and impact:
- Safaricom, Kenya’s leading telecom provider, is joining as a key implementation partner.
- Pottermore Publishing is collaborating with Worldreader to support older readers and siblings by making Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Book 1) available through the BookSmart app. Families will enjoy digital incentives and reading challenges culminating in a Harry Potter Tea Party for the campaign’s Reading Champions.
“We are thrilled to join Worldreader in bringing the magic of Harry Potter to families across Kenya through the Get Kenya Reading initiative,” said Paula Scott, Acting Managing Director, Pottermore Publishing. “By making Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone accessible through BookSmart, we hope to ignite imaginations and inspire lifelong reading habits.”
The campaign leverages BookSmart, Worldreader’s free mobile app designed for parents and caregivers of children ages 0–5. The app offers more than 2,700 quality books in English and Swahili, daily reading prompts, learning games, and tips to support early brain development.
BookSmart is grounded in Worldreader’s three-pillar approach:
- Reading Routines: A 365-day reading calendar to guide daily storytime
- Reading Games: Fun activities that reinforce comprehension, family connections, and digital literacy
- Reading Circles: Community-led family reading events that celebrate caregiver involvement
With support from Kenyan publishers like Longhorn Publishers, Storymoja, Kenya Literature Bureau, and others, BookSmart offers culturally relevant stories alongside international favorites, ensuring every family can find a book that reflects their world.
In 2024, 440,000 families read on BookSmart. The app is available for free via all major app stores and online at booksmart.world/free.
Media Contacts
Mirtha Vaca-Wilkens
Director of Transformational Giving
Worldreader
m.vaca-wilkens@worldreader.org
Olivia Kimani
Kenya Director, Partnerships & Services
Worldreader
+254 (0)711 582 205
olivia@worldreader.org
About Worldreader
www.worldreader.org
Worldreader is a global tech nonprofit working to get families reading. Since 2010, Worldreader has supported over 22 million readers across 110 countries through digital solutions like BookSmart, which provides access to quality books, activities, and tools to build reading and social-emotional learning. Their impactful, data-informed programs are built around three pillars—Reading Routines, Reading Games, and Reading Circles—and delivered in partnership with governments, publishers, NGOs, and communities.
About Safaricom
www.safaricom.co.ke
Safaricom PLC is Kenya’s leading telecommunications provider and a pioneer in mobile money and digital inclusion. Its mission is to transform lives by connecting people to opportunities, services, and each other. As part of its corporate responsibility strategy, Safaricom supports literacy and learning initiatives across East Africa.
About Pottermore Publishing
www.pottermorepublishing.com
Pottermore Publishing is the global digital publisher of the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts series, offering ebooks, audiobooks, and interactive content. With a commitment to storytelling and literacy, Pottermore supports young readers—families and educators—by delivering magical narratives that inspire lifelong reading.
