Our Work in Africa
Worldreader works with communities, families, institutions, and organizations in Africa to get children reading so they can reach their potential. Discover our work.
Worldreader in Africa
At a glance
The challenge:
- 7% of homes in Ghana have children’s books. In South Africa, 58% of homes have no books at all.
- Only 47% of the population has access to electricity in Sub-Saharan Africa. 66% of children have no internet connection at home.
- High mobile penetration is accompanied by low digital literacy and vast disparities between rural and urban areas.
We work with partners to provide solutions for children and communities in several countries, including Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, and Uganda.
Our programs in Africa focus on foundational reading for children aged 3-12. We empower parents, caregivers, and educators during key initial years of child development. We work in under-resourced communities and leverage technology to foster a culture of reading in and out of school.
- We achieve impact through the BookSmart reading experience, available on any device and in several global and local languages.
- We provide continuous support, digital reading tools, and materials aligned with local educational priorities.
- We work with partners to get children reading at least 25 books a year with understanding, because regular reading improves reading comprehension, social-emotional learning, and digital literacy.
We partner with local and global organizations to tackle the learning crisis. Together, we’re able to reach more and more readers every day. Partnerships include:
- Institutions, libraries, and school networks
- Global and community-based organizations
- Local and international world-class publishers
- Foundations and corporate partners committed to achieving impact at scale
Solving the learning crisis requires collective action. By supporting our work in Africa and around the world, you’re part of the solution. Here’s how you can help readers build a better world:
- Donate today – it takes seconds to make a gift
- Partner with us – get continued support and data insight to help readers keep improving
- Stay connected – get updates on the progress we’re making in India and around the world
We’re always looking for partners interested in scaling their impact in Africa. We welcome the opportunity to collaborate as we help strengthen communities through digital reading.
Worldreader in Africa
Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA)
Long-standing partnerships are powering large-scale digital reading programs in the ESA region. In South Africa for example, our partnership with Moya App focuses on accessible mobile-led solutions and has provided hundreds of thousands of readers with continuous free data access to reading materials for over a decade. Today, South African children are reading an average of 16+ minutes per session showing an increased love of reading and improved reading habits.
Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
Worldreader’s work in the MENA region has long been supporting readers through some of the world’s most disrupting educational challenges, including conflict and the pandemic. In Jordan, Worldreader brought digital reading to vulnerable families impacted by the Syrian refugee crisis. In Egypt, Worldreader partnered with CARE Egypt to support children’s learning affected by COVID-19 school closures, increasing daily reading time to 23 minutes.
West and Central Africa
(WCA)
The first Worldreader projects were launched in Ghana, and West Africa remains one of our key regions for innovation and expansion. Since 2010, Worldreader promoted digital readership in the region through partnerships with local institutions (such as Ghana’s Ministry of Education), education NGOs, and development and corporate organizations. Research projects complement our local impact by generating evidence of best practices for reading improvement.
Our projects in Africa
Cheza, Soma, Jifunze (CSJ)
In partnership with Kidogo and ThinkPlac, and with the support of the Bezos Family Foundation, the Cheza, Soma, Jifunze (“Play, Read, Learn”) program integrates age-appropriate science-based Vroom Tips on BookSmart to support learning for over 1,000 Kenyan families. The CSJ bi-lingual digital library offers materials in Kiswahili and English tailored to children aged 3-5, and aligns with the government’s educational priorities while supporting social-emotional learning.
Since a child’s love of reading starts at home, parental involvement is key for learning and early childhood development. CSJ is designed to strengthen the school-home connection and support caregivers and educators while developing a robust research and learning system to scale up parental engagement and early learning readiness on a national and international scale.
Support our work in Africa and around the world
Reading is the foundation of all learning, and a child’s best chance to reach their potential. Together, we can tackle the learning crisis in Africa and beyond.
Give children access to thousands of books, reading materials, and engaging activities that will help them reach their potential.
Support programs focused on reading comprehension, emotional intelligence, and digital literacy skills.
Provide training and continuous support for educators, caregivers, and reading champions so they can read to and with children.
We’re reaching children and parents on any device.
We’re leveraging mobile technology to reach families on devices they already own. BookSmart is available anytime, anywhere, at the touch of a finger.
- Thousands of books available online and offline on any device including mobile phones, computers, tablets, and more
- Multiple languages, including Arabic, English, Hindi, Kiswahili plus several local languages, like Ewe and Twi, depending on the user’s location
- Fun learning activities and reading challenges that promote reading skills and emotional intelligence
- Tips to support caregivers
We’re working with partners to support communities across the country
Working in under-resourced communities requires expertise and long-standing local leadership. We’re proud to partner with organizations that boast years of experience delivering reading programs and educational support to children who need it most.
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