Words by Smiley Team
Around the world reading and writing offers young people and children an incredible tool to improve their lives. Not only does it introduce communities to new means of communication, this freedom to converse also helps drive equality, peace and political participation.
To help improve global literacy levels through better education, here are our top suggestions for initiatives to support.
To improve literacy levels globally, the World Literacy Foundation provides educational resources, technology and literacy support to children and their parents. In 2020 alone, they distributed nearly 100,000 books to disadvantaged children and engaged over 100,000 parents.
Launched by Pakistani education activist Malala Yousefzai, the Malala Fund tries to get more girls into education. Operating across eight different countries, it provides around $22 million in funds to support local educators and break down barriers to education for women and girls.
[Read more: New book empowers black girls and women]
Reaching over 40,000 children from remote or marginalised communities, United World Schools hopes to uplift children through education. Around the world, their schools offer indirect benefits to local communities, spreading vital social and environmental knowledge.
Worldwide Education Project works with poverty-struck communities to build local education infrastructure. They provide funding for training, psychological support, classroom supplies and more.
[Read more: Optimism and visions: The importance of headteachers]
Children’s charity Save the Children is one of the biggest organisations working to get more children into school. They’ve opened access to education for 273 million children in the last decade, through locally-tailored programmes.
Scottish charity LINK Education works with thousands of children around the world. They promote education in vulnerable communities by funding new schools, better quality curriculums and one-to-one support for children.
