UNICEF: 2008 World Literacy Day: Success in remote Ecuador

International Literacy Day, declared by UNESCO in 1965, is celebrated annually on 8 September to highlight the importance of literacy to individuals, communities and societies. Here is a related story.

ESMERALDAS, Ecuador, 8 September 2008 -- In a small village on the banks of the Cayapas River, in the Esmeraldas region of Ecuador, most people are unable to read and write. But that is changing.

Many of the schools in the area closed down over 10 years ago, when the teachers who were sent from the capital abandoned their classrooms because of the harsh living conditions in this remote area, but, in March 2002, the lives of community members took a turn for the better when the Catholic Church and UNICEF approached the Ministry of Education to help find volunteers to become teachers in their villages. The idea was to build on local capacity, rather than struggle to convince outside teachers to live and teach in the remote settlements along the Cayapas.

With funds from the government, the Catholic Church and UNICEF, 29 schools were re-opened and educational materials were distributed to the teachers and students in the area.

To read the full story, visit: http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/ecuador_45536.html

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• UNICEF
• World
• Literacy
• Day
• Ecuador
• books
• reading
• children
• Esmaraldas

[stolenfeather]

It's because of help like this that as a teacher, I participate in the UNICEF campaign every year.