ChildFund Uganda & Longhorn Publishers Partner to boost early literacy.

Child Fund Uganda and Longhorn publishers under the guidance and support from the Ministry of education have today announced a strategic partnership aimed at improving literacy among the early grade learners in Uganda.

The joint partnership worth 588 million Uganda shillings will see the printing and distribution of over 40000 books to 72 government aided schools across the selected districts which among includes, Agago, Kitgum, Guru, Lira, Dokolo, Kole, Kamuli, Luwero, Kyankwanzi,Katakwe and others.

The books which include English pupil Books, Early Grade Reading (Teacher’s book/Guide) and Supplementary readers intend to reach over 90000 learners as part of a comprehensive initiative to enhance the literacy competence of the learners between Primary one and primary four.

The five-year joint partnership has come at a critical time when 55% of grade 3 learners and 35% of grade 4 learners could not read according to the 2021 UWEZO survey.

Further, a ChildFund global monitoring and evaluation survey in January 2023 indicated that only 17% of children in districts could read a story.

Speaking at the event Moses Otai, the Country Director ChildFund Uganda said the project therefore seeks to focus on public schools in 32 districts with 72 schools directly benefiting from the distribution of books and support from nine local implementing partners.

“Each school will receive at least four teachers’ guides and 20 learners’ books for English per class,” he said, adding that schools already under the ICYD/USAID project but lacking sufficient resources will receive additional support to ensure adequate materials are available’’. He noted

According to him, Part of the roles and responsibilities of ChildFund under the partnership will include; providing government-approved materials for printing and use in early grade reading, facilitating the distribution of books through local implementing partners, assessing and training teachers in early grade instruction, conducting baseline and endline assessments for teachers as well as facilitating mentorship sessions and organising performance review meetings through local partners.

Longhorn Publishers on the other hand will contribute to the printing of early grade learning materials, facilitate the training of teachers in early grade reading instruction, participate in periodic project review meetings and build on existing partnerships.

Charle Sseruwu, the Country Manager Longhorn Publishers Uganda Limited said the project aligns with their mission to enrich lives through knowledge adding that books have the power to change lives thus contributing to the transformative process.

“We endeavour to make books available, transcending geographical, socio-economic status, and language barriers. Through various initiatives such as this partnership with ChildFund, we strive to promote literacy and bring the joy of reading to learners. Every book we distribute is a step toward a more literate, informed, and empowered community,” Sseruwu explained.

This collaboration builds on an existing partnership with the USAID/ICYD activity, which also focuses on promoting literacy and numeracy. “Partnerships like these are crucial in our efforts to enhance literacy in the early grades. By combining our resources and expertise, we can create meaningful, lasting change in the lives of young learners. Together, we are laying the foundation for a brighter, more empowered future for our children and communities. It is only through collaboration and shared vision that we can achieve the greatest impact," said ChildFund’s Africa Regional Director, Chege Ngugi.

While mastering the basics of reading in early grades is crucial, many children struggle to achieve this, impacting their overall learning experiences. The situation was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted schooling and left many learners unable to read or recognise letters.

According to the project implementors , they dont expect schools to keep these materials in shelves but rather to allow pupils to fully acess materials, and where need be, parents would be also allowed to take books at home and support the pupils on condition that the books will be take back to school.