Literacy & Girls' Education Nonprofit at Work in Zambia

Room to Read Zambia collaborates with the government to support Literacy and Girls' Education Programs, which advocates for early grade education, assists with national curriculum and policy and works to prevent child marriages.

Room to Read Pro-Literacy Policy Supports Long-Term Education Improvements

Room to Read has built strong relationships with the Zambian government since we launched our programs there in 2007. As a result, we have been invited to recommend national education policy improvements. Our team proposed the idea and collaborated with the government of the Republic of Zambia and UNICEF to host the third National Literacy Symposium in March of 2014, which produced recommendations that the Zambian government plans to implement broadly; these include requiring libraries in primary schools, adding library management to the government’s teacher training curriculum, introducing library periods at primary schools, and providing an allowance for school librarians. We were also invited in 2015 to participate in reviewing the policy that will guide the Zambian government as they plan for long-term education reform.

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Summit to End Child Marriage

The majority of child marriages occur in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, where they challenge girls’ abilities to become educated. In addition to working directly with girls and families to prevent early marriages, we also help challenge social norms governing girls’ education and marriage. In 2015, we participated in the first African Union summit on ending child marriage, held in Zambia. National ministries and thought leaders working to advance girls’ rights across the continent attended. Our team shared our experiences and best practices from our Girls’ Education Program and helped draft a strategic plan for ending child marriage in Zambia.