Think Creative - Issue 3

opportunities for learning and reading to the hands of a child inMozambique,” says Mphin- ga, who transported thousands of the bilingual books in Zambézia and Nampula provinces. The five-year Let’s Read! early grade literacy program is working closely with the Ministry of Education and Human Development to im- prove reading and writing skills for more than 800,000 students in more than 2,800 schools. The Let’s Read! program is funded by USAID and implemented by Creative, in close part- nership withWorld Education, Inc., Overseas Strategic Consulting, American Institutes for Research and blueTreeGroup. As one of the 112,000 students initially reached by Let’s Read!, Nenita Cássimo, a first grader at Itoculo Primary School in Nampula province, is learning to read in her own mother tongue language while simultaneously developing Por- tuguese speaking skills. She attends one of 906 schools in Nampula that is integrating bilingual education into classroom instruction. For the first time, Nenita is a proud owner of a new reading book. She is one of the many first grade students who has received reading and writing materials in her mother tongue language. During the first three years of primary educa- tion, students in the education program learn reading, writing and math skills in one of the selected local languages – Emakhuwa, Elomwe or Echuwabo – before transitioning to full instruction in Portuguese in the fourth grade. The books’ journey: From design to the hands of children When receiving their books for the first time, Nenita and other students quickly flipped through the colorful illustrations, chatting and laughing. Even though they may not know how far their textbooks traveled or how long the production process took, they are simply happy to have a book to read. Beginning inMarch 2017, the materials devel- opment process was launched at a workshop in the Let’s Read! office inMaputo. Armindo Ngunga, Ph.D., Vice-Minister of the Ministry of Education and Human Development in Mozambique, attended the session and was

enthusiastic to work with the materials devel- opment team. The team—comprising of Ministry of Edu- cation, university curriculum and teacher training experts, teachers, linguists and bilin- gual education specialists—developed texts in four different languages (three mother tongue languages and Portuguese). After the workshop, graphic designers and illustrators added their artwork to the reading books, writing exercises, complementary read- ing materials and the teacher manuals. The books were approved by a special valida- tion committee from the Ministry of Education and then were sent to different printers in the country and outside printers inMalawi and India. Then they were distributed to the ware- houses in Zambézia and Nampula provinces. Before the books were sorted and labeled for the different schools, Telesfero de Jesus, Ph.D., Deputy Director of Primary Education, trav- eled to the warehouses to observe and monitor the distribution process in both provinces. De Jesus, who leads the bilingual education program at the Ministry of Education, said he was impressed to see the results of the book development process. He emphasized that the books were well-organized and sorted for delivery, all built on a strong collaboration between the bilingual education program and the Ministry of Education. Overcoming distribution barriers to improve education The book distribution to classrooms was a fight against the elements. Due to heavy rains and poorly constructed roads, most of the 906 schools were not easily accessible. At the end of a lengthy process, the last mile was covered by motorbikes and canoes. And with help from communities, the books arrived at the remote schools where students like Nenita were eagerly waiting for their arrival. Sustainability is at the heart of the Let’s Read! early grade reading program, with the Minis- try of Education and Human Development at the helm. During his visit, the Ministry’s de Jesus empha-

For the first time, Nenita is a proud owner of a new reading book in her own mother tongue language. By learning to first read in a language spoken at home, she can build a stronger linguistic foundation essential for her success in school.

More than 112,000 first grade students inMo- zambique can hold in their hands something they’ve never had before—their own textbooks. For many of the early grade students, this is their first experience flipping through colorful pages and engaging in the magic of reading in their own mother tongue language. For MartinMphinga, a driver who delivered the textbooks for the Let’s Read! ( Vamos Ler! in Portuguese) bilingual education program, this is a dream come true. “I have been driving for over five years, and I have never felt more powerful and special knowing that I am delivering knowledge and

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