GirlsRead! Zambia

GirlsRead! assessed an untested approach to bolstering literacy among adolescent girls; the program combined “safe space” groups, digital technology — e-readers designed for rural settings in low-income countries — and community engagement. The groups met nearly weekly over a period of six months, and were led by two trained female mentors, a teacher at the school and a community member. There were 19 group sessions held during the school term, after regular school hours. An empowerment-based curriculum covered human rights, gender equality and norms, sexual harassment, prevention of HIV, pregnancy and contraception, communication skills, self-esteem and decision making, and financial education. E-reader activities took place within safe space groups. Each girl received her own e-reader loaded with approximately 100 books – primarily fiction written by African authors curated to be engaging to young people and were charged using locally-sourced solar panels installed on school roofs. The books varied in reading level from very basic readers to more sophisticated novels, many of which include strong female protagonists and non-traditional gender roles and mirrored themes in the empowerment curriculum. They were written in English, the official language of instruction in that grade and the language of the primary school leaving exam. Girls kept the e-readers for the duration of the project, were permitted to take them home after the second session and were encouraged to read both on their own and with siblings and caregivers. Four community engagement trainings were conducted with adults who influence girls’ opportunities and attitudes toward education.