Raising Readers in The Gambia

Education and literacy are critical to ensuring children are prepared and empowered for the future.

Learning to read unlocks the door to progression through education and on to achieving children’s full potential. According to the World Bank, every extra year of schooling increases an individual’s hourly earnings by 9% and rates can be higher for women. 

Around the world, data shows that education is highly correlated with democracy and there are links between education and civic participation levels.  For girls, education decreases the risk of early pregnancy and maternal death, and their own children will be twice as likely to go to school. 

the Gambia young people have very limited access to books both at home and in their schools and we see very low literacy skills in the earliest years.  

Among children aged 7 to 14 years old, only 12 percent demonstrate minimal learning outcomes for reading.  9 percent of children  in Grade 3 have the expected level of reading skills for that grade.

Children in The Gambia have very limited access to books in their homes, schools or within their communities.

There are very few children’s libraries nor are there any dedicated spaces for children to explore and discover. Most schools in The Gambia struggle to ensure that children have access to academic textbooks and reading for fun is almost non-existent across the country.  

This situation leaves Gambian children severely disadvantaged as reading and storytelling are powerful in the development of all children, right from their very early years.

The Importance of Reading

Through reading, children learn sounds, which is the first step to learning words and language, in order to develop early literacy skills.  Stories of all kinds, bring imagination to life, it sparks creativity and curiosity.

Reading also builds social, communication and emotional skills while allowing children to learn about the world, their own culture, and other cultures.

Reading empowers children to discover their interests and develop the skills they need to pursue them.

eading and storytelling are powerful in the development of all children, right from their very first moments.

Through reading, children learn sounds, which is the first step to learning words and language, in order to develop early literacy skills.

Stories of all kinds, bring imagination to life, it sparks creativity and curiosity. It also builds social, communication and emotional skills while allowing children to learn about the world, their own culture and other cultures.