Learning spaces go beyond the walls of the classroom
Carolina lives in Mozambique. She is 12 years old.
For Carolina, learning doesn’t stop after the school day ends. Along with her friends, she attends the reading camp near her school. Here, children develop their reading and writing abilities through fun interactive activities such as music, games, story reading and drawing.
Carolina is now confident in her literacy skills, writing her name and the alphabet clearly on the blackboard during a reading camp session. Her commitment to learning earned her first place in the reading contest for her age category during the celebrations for International Day of the African Child.
Carolina’s success is the result of learning both at school and in the reading camp.
“Reading camp lessons helped me prepare myself for the reading competition,” enthused Carolina.
The reading camps have been set up with the help of World Vision, who trained community volunteers known as “reading camp promoters” to lead the sessions.
Paulo Eduardo, a reading camp promoter, explained: “The parents are supportive of their children’s efforts in reading. Also, the community leaders are active in mobilising children to go to the school and attend our sessions.”
Paulo Eduado, a reading camp promoter, helps the children with their reading. “I work with the children to teach them the basics of literacy. I help them make the transition from our mother tongue (Emakhuwa) to the official language (Portuguese).”
Paulo Eduado makes the reading camp fun for Carolina (pictured with arms out ready to catch the ball) and her friends, with interactive activities such as music, games, story reading and drawing.
Her success in the reading competition has given Carolina the motivation to carry on her studies and she dreams of becoming a teacher.
The opportunity to teach may come sooner than she expected.
The Educating Children Together project (ECT), through which World Vision helped set up the reading camps, is looking to train older students to serve as volunteer mentors. This would enable students such as Carolina to assist other children during the sessions.
Reading camps demonstrate how communities can create enabling environments for children to improve their literacy and social skills, equipping them for the future.
Thanks to your generosity, children like Carolina now have access to a good education.
Together, we’ll continue to provide the most vulnerable children with the essentials they need for a happier, healthier and brighter future.
