Christena Essam Kamel, 19, works as a youth ambassador in her community of Ezbet Khairallah in Cairo, Egypt, because she recognizes how she can help develop her community through literacy.
As part of the Feeding Minds Youth Literacy Program, funded by the Yum! Foundation and KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken), Christena is just one of the many youth ambassadors working with ProLiteracy and partner Anba Moussa Al-Aswaad Association (ANBA) to help educate youth and young adults to build a more sustainable and healthier future for their community.
In Ezbet Khairallah, over 1 million people live in poverty, and 30% of students, mostly women and girls, drop out of school for various economic reasons. Through this three-year partnership, ProLiteracy and its partners are giving this population access to education and putting tools and resources where they are needed most.
In the first year of working with the Feeding Minds program, they reached 219 learners from the ages of 12 to 35. Literacy ambassadors framed instruction around Level 1 of ProLiteracy’s proven Laubach Way to Reading methodology, which was translated into Arabic.
Literacy gains were overwhelming across all age groups. Notably, 84% of 12–20-year-olds and 94% of 21-35-year-olds improved their literacy levels from a first-grade equivalent to being able to read at a second-grade level, recognizing letters, writing basic sentences, and reading short texts. With enhanced literacy skills, 70% of youth in the formal school system registered to take school exams to move up one grade level in this first year.
Keeping the momentum of the first year going and eliminating the barriers to education will mean these students will be more likely to stay in school, which will lead to a future with better economic outcomes, a more prepared workforce, improved health, and a more sustainable community.
As the program progresses and literacy levels grow, ProLiteracy is developing Levels 2 and 3 of Laubach Way to Reading in Arabic.
ProLiteracy is an international organization that builds the capacity of adult literacy programs to transform lives and communities. They are experts in adult education, leading the way in advancing adult literacy in the US and throughout the world.