There’s more to reading than bedtime stories.
Today, Build Africa is launching the #MumsReadKidsSucceed appeal to teach reading and writing skills to young women in rural Uganda – where a low female literacy rate is having a devastating effect on child welfare and infant mortality.
The impact of this appeal can be seen with one powerful statistic: If a mother can read, her child is 50% more likely to live past five years old. [1]
The appeal has been successfully selected for matched funding with UK Aid Match. The scheme, run by the Department for International Development (DFID), means that the UK government will now match public donations “pound-for-pound” – doubling the much-needed support for desperate young mothers in rural Uganda.
This is an area where poverty, child marriage and early pregnancy have cut short the education of many girls, leaving them without the vital literacy and numeracy skills that everyday life depends on. Shockingly, almost half of women in rural Uganda are unable to read.[2]
For thousands of vulnerable young mothers this is devastating, as they lack fundamental skills that would help them earn enough to provide for their family, meet basic healthcare needs and support their children’s education.
Build Africa’s #MumsReadKidsSucceed appeal will support a projecting working with over 2,000 young mums to help them learn these crucial skills, as well as access valuable health and nutrition services – so they can help their children not just survive, but succeed.
Speaking about Build Africa's appeal, International Development Secretary Priti Patel said:
“We know that when parents have access to health, nutrition and education services, it makes a life-changing difference to children. Build Africa is providing important support to hundreds of young mothers in Uganda, teaching literacy and numeracy skills and providing access to vital health care.
“This is why every donation made by the British public to the #MumsReadKidsSucceed appeal will be matched pound-for-pound by the UK Government. By doubling the support of the British people, we can help more mothers in Uganda learn to read, improving the life chances of hundreds of children.”
Build Africa’s UK Aid Match campaign will run from 27 September until 27 December 2017, during which time donations will be doubled free-of-charge by the UK government. If you would like to find out more about the appeal, visit www.build-africa.org.uk/youngmums or call 01892 519619.
[1] The International Commission on Financing Global Education Opportunity. The Learning Generation – Investing in Education for a Changing World.
[2] Oyam Local District Government. (June 2013). Oyam District Local Government Statistical Abstract 2012/13.
