Radio Education for Out-of-School Zambian Children

Summary

Working with Zambia's Ministry of Education and EDC, we aim to provide access to full primary education through radio distance learning to 800,000 orphans and vulnerable children

What is the issue, problem, or challenge?

800,000 Zambian children cannot attend formal education, as they live too far from a school or are AIDS orphans or children from desperately poor families. Adding to the problem, many teachers in Zambia fall sick and die of AIDS. In a sweeping effort to combat illiteracy and improve life skills, the Ministry's Education Broadcasting Service has implemented highly successful radio instruction. It covers the primary school curriculum, and is called "Learning at Taonga Market."

How will this project solve this problem?

In remote Zambian villages, a literate volunteer is trained as a mentor. They are given a Lifeline radio. Using Interactive Radio Instruction created by US-based Educational Development Center (EDC), mentors lead children through grade school lessons

Potential Long Term Impact

This project will help create a literate population in Zambia. More than 220,000 children have benefited to date. They test as well as children attending formal school, score a little higher in math, and complete grade levels in half the time

Project Message

"I cannot believe what I am seeing! Many children have no pen or pencil and are doing complicated fractions and division problems in their heads. They also have learned English and spelling!"
- Mr. Misinde Phiri, of World Vision, about "Learning at Taonga Market"

Additional Documentation

This project has provided additional documentation in a Microsoft Word file (projdoc.doc).

Resources