Teen Fights Illiteracy In Her Community

Merci is not your typical high school teenager.

As she walks through town in the fishing village that she calls home, a group of six-year-old girls excitedly call her name and rush to greet her. Merci’s friends joke that she knows all the children in their neighborhood. This is because she is teaching many of them to read.

Every Saturday, you can find Merci at her village library, leading reading activities and educational games for children in her neighborhood. Merci received training from a Peace Corps Volunteer who World Education trained to lead small, informal literacy classes that give students individualized attention and support that they might not get at public school. The Community Library Program recruits volunteers like Merci to work with children who may be falling behind in school.

“I think that helping children learn to read is essential for a better future. Now we have a place in our neighborhood where children can have fun and learn at the same time. The children can bring the games and songs that they learn at the library home to teach other kids and family members.” -Merci

World Education’s community-based interventions address the many factors that contribute to a student’s ability to learn—from training qualified teachers to developing age-appropriate learning materials and creating safe spaces for youth to apply newly learned skills. Learn more about our early grade reading expertise in Mozambique.